Amazing theme! So fun!!   Hot potato, mashed banana, or cold spaghetti? Hot potato, because baked potatoes are the best. Also, I had a dance routine to this in Primary school but we had to keep it secret so my screen name on MSN messenger was just 'Hot Pot' for a few weeks.   What colour car do you drive? (If you don't drive, what colour would your dream car be?) I want to drive a really wacky, bright colour no one else has. Like maybe obnoxiously pink or orange.   Can you point your fingers and do the twist? Can't really point my right fingers at the moment due to broken wrist. Also, very uncoordinated in general.   What's your favourite thing to put in a fruit salad? (Yummy, yummy!) Yogurt. Or if it has to be a fruit, pineapple (even though my body doesn't like me eating pineapple -- my tongue gets all fuzzy for ages -- it's still my favourite).   If you were a pirate, what would your name be? Using pirate generator (thanks @recharging_introvert)...  I'm another Starry Seawolf! @mrmusic one of us is an imposter!! ... View more

My Nintendo DS (I really had to search for this one!) Orange. ... View more

How are you feeling right now? Is there are type of self-care, e.g. mental, physical, emotional, or spiritual, which could help support you? Do you think there's a difference between these types of self-care? I'm okay, just in a bit of pain due to my arm and mentally drained (it takes up a lot of energy to physically heal!). Right now I might wind down a bit (maybe play some Sims?) before going to sleep and have a nice hot beverage like some tea or hot chocolate. Tomorrow I'm going to try and schedule my study times for uni and look through my readings to get ahead before the semester!  I agree, self-care is often more than one 'type', but it's important to focus on them individually when you can! I really enjoyed chatting tonight! Thanks everyone for all your insights and wisdom  ... View more

@WheresMySquishy Yes! I think this is also important to recognise when others are trying to help you, too. For example I know my mum gets burnt out a lot and I'm always reminding her it's okay to take a break if she needs.  ... View more

@Jess1-RO -- 100%! And the guilt of saying no is very real, too. I don't really have much else to add apart from what everyone else has said, but another example could be peer pressure. In high school, my friends wanted to drink alcohol and party when I did not, and as a result they drifted away from me. This was really hard as, like I said, making sure I strengthen connections and have someone to talk to is very important self-care for me... but still, I was practising self-care by maintaining boundaries and being true to myself. It can sometimes be a double-edged sword, sadly.  ... View more

Great discussion, guys! I love reading your replies  . Next question! We've spoken a little bit about boundaries: Do you think saying no to things and setting boundaries counts as self-care? If so, what have you done to set boundaries and what can we learn about boundaries and self care for the future ? ... View more

There's a lot of different accounts on instagram that make similar comics/ images on self-care, I find it helpful and validating to follow as many as possible and help support their art while being reminded I'm not so alone! ... View more

@WheresMySquishy what a great response -- and so true! Awesome images @Jess1-RO!  ... View more

3. What are some things that can get in the way of taking the time for self-care and are there times when you need self-care more? Do you think there's an overlap between these times? Definitely in times of crisis/ high stress or when things happen outside of our control.There is definitely an overlap between these times, when self-care is both necessary and hard. For example, for those who don't know I actually broke my wrist two weeks ago and am in a cast. It definitely makes self-care hard and sometimes I get very frustrated and overwhelmed, but I'm managing best I can (with help!). Another time I can think of is during uni assignments in the past, where I was so keen to do well I ignored looking after myself when I needed to the most! I actually took some time off uni to care for myself and am ready to get back into it!  ... View more

@lennycat2017 @Esperanza67 - same on decluttering! I also procrastinate doing it (when I moved into this house it took me about 6 months to finally put all my books out of the box and onto the shelf hahah) so yes it is such a relief when I finally get around to it! ... View more

I forgot to answer the second part  . Following the others, absolutely! I feel so much better in terms of mood, sleep and most notably self-confidence when I'm actively practising self-care!  ... View more

What do you do to practice self-care? Do you notice any impact on your mood/well-being? Like I said, I like to practice self-care by make sure I'm keeping myself healthy: exercising, making sure I'm drinking enough water, setting times to meet up with friends or even going on a walk with my dog... there's probably infinite ways to practice self-care, it all depends on your personal interests and the things that make you happy! ... View more

What does self-care mean to you? How is it different from just taking time to chill out? Self-care is more than chilling out as, to me, it means making sure all my needs are met (e.g. drinking enough water, to maintaining social connections). A helpful way to think about it is to use Maslow's Hierarchy of needs. As he states, one must work through the needs of the pyramid in order to reach one's full potential! ... View more

Oh wow!! So awesome! I'm proud of everyone here for reaching out!!  ... View more

@BookWorm1 Nice to meet you! Yay, a fellow psych student/ book worm! I totally get what you mean about enjoying studying, I get really excited when I read something interesting about areas I'm interested in, and I've set up my email to get alerts whenever scholars I like post new journal articles...  ... View more

LOVE IT! Creating characters is absolutely one of my fav things to do. Beyond expressing your creativity it's a great pathway to research: whether deciding what mythology your vampire follows to general psychology. Sometimes characters have traits I see in myself (perhaps accidentally) and sometimes it's good to have an external part of yourself that you can examine in a way you can control. I will admit... I have some characters I've made myself that I absolutely love, and think of them in tough situations and what they would do in such a situation. I have more characters than stories to put them in, and I hope most find their way into one one day! Super looking forward to see if anyone's willing to share who they made! The latest character I made a few weeks ago was a bikie/1950s greaser style necromancer (psychic + can communicate with the dead) who is studying to be a forensic anthropologist...  ... View more

Oh no another admin member leaving us!  But it's good to hear that it sounds like you're putting yourself first and focusing on working on yourself. Of course, that's what we're all about here!  Thank you for everything @Jay-RO, and I wish you all the best in your future endeavours!  ... View more

@queenP that sounds like a really difficult situation to be in.  It's great that your partner is willing to understand and be supportive of you the very best she can, and like @Jess1-RO said your insight into your thoughts and feelings are amazing. It can be really hard sometimes to recognise when your thoughts are starting to take over. I was in a similar situation with my ex. Unfortunately, she wasn't as willing to learn about what OCD meant for me/ us as a couple and admitted she didn't really understand what I was anxious about, which probably contributed a lot to the downfall of our relationship. Being with people who understand or are willing to learn more to understand is really important and validating. Unfortunately I feel like ROCD is one of the more trickier types of OCD as you can't really know exactly what another person is thinking. Chatting with your psychologist is an excellent step to try and push trough it. I hope you're doing okay!  ... View more

Firework ... View more

1. What activities/things do you do that give you a feeling of enjoyment or fun? That's a hard question, because I find I can make anything enjoyable if I'm in the right mood/ with the right setting.  Mostly reading, watching a movie, writing or doing something else creative, listening to music, being silly with friends/ family, playing video games, exercising, and hanging out with pets.  2. What is one thing you will build into your week this week for fun/enjoyment? I'm going to rewatch all the Hunger Games movies for nostalgia and just because. I already started and finished the first one today. I also hope to get some more reading!  ... View more

 I am proud that I can see my progress and recognise myself getting better + I am proud I am getting stronger. ... View more

@WheresMySquishy The Sims and Animal Crossing are still my life (hence my avatar!). I've been trying to get into Pokemon more recently, it's always very fun! I love seeing all your answers and am looking forward to answering them myself when I have a little extra time!  Nonetheless, here are today's questions! What TV show did you love and gives you nostalgia? Are there any movies that you loved during your childhood/in the past? ... View more

Nobody - Mitski ... View more

I like how most of your answers involve connecting with loved ones in Winter! That's very special  @not-an-otter - Welcome to the forums!  Yes, cool patterns on socks are so fun! @letitgo - Ahah, yes! Without Winter we wouldn't have Frozen!    @karenblack179 - I also love playing in the rain! Sometimes I can't understand why people run indoors when there's only a light drizzle. If it's not too cold being in rain can be really fun! @Peanut Fairy lights and a nice movie night sounds amazing! ... View more

K: Kill V. Maim - Grimes ... View more

Spa ... View more

I've made that mistake a few times! Osprey ... View more

Cola ... View more

Yay! Thanks for starting off the thread @lennycat2017!    Do you prefer summer or winter? Winter, probably. Warming up is far, far better than cooling down. But also, summer gets me out of the house and I love lying in the sun, so maybe both? Maybe Autumn or Spring - best of both worlds!    What is your favourite hot beverage (Tea? Coffee? Hot chocolate?) I'm the type of person that gets iced coffees in Winter. Nothing beats an iced beverage... . But to answer the question, I've been really enjoying chai tea lately, and nothing can beat a good mocha.   Socks or slippers?  Socks - perfect for lying down. Although not so perfect when you have to make a quick errand in the backyard and they get all soggy. What's your favourite rainy day activity? Reading, writing or watching a movie! I also think I've used rainy noise generators so much when studying that I associate rain with learning, so. What's the best way to stay warm in winter? Snuggling with a pet and lying down in front of the heater. ... View more

Thank you guys so much again for listening! Thought this was a good time to update. I got my FitBit about two weeks ago! I really like seeing the areas I can improve on, and how much activity I get in a day! My sleep is not as bad as I expected, but I still gotta work on improving my sleep cycle especially before uni goes back next month. So, I feel like things are going downhill again. . This month so far has been too much. A few weeks ago my bearded dragon passed away (aged 8), uni is back next month and in a few days it'll be one year since my ex flew over from the US to meet me here for the first time. I've been making so much progress and I'm afraid of reaching a bad point again. I've just been feeling so stressed and awful. To make matters worse I feel like that bad aura that lets everyone know to stay away from me is going strong. I'm so lonely and every time I try to make a new friend it is completely useless. I can't connect with anyone, and I feel no one really cares about me. I can understand if one person takes a while to reply but when everyone else seems to disappear all at once I can't help but think there is something wrong with me. I know it's not really rational and of course I've been having a hard month... but I'm just so sick of this feeling. I just want to feel like I belong somewhere, and that I matter. ... View more