Self Care (when the world beats you down)

1.) Reach out to those hand-picked friends

The ones who won't give you platitudes like "It'll all be okay." The kind that will let you be pissed off, that will simply listen to you, validate your pain, and build you up. The ones who don't judge you for not being able to always be optimistic and plucky and "keep the faith." Those friends, the ones that let you be real, are the most valuable asset you have when the world is crushing you.

2.) Keep plans anyway

Even though the only thing you want to do is curl up in your bed with a glass of wine and pint (half gallon?) of ice cream. If you have plans on your calendar, keep them. Go out to see that movie with your spouse, keep that library date with your kid, go meet your coworker for lunch like you planned even though you feel like terrible company. Because as appealing as your bed is, staying there too long doesn't do anything to help you.

3.) Rock out

Listen to those feel good songs. It doesn't matter if your feel good songs are a collection of Avril from the early 2000's, musicals like Chicago and Moulin Rouge, rap, Weird Al, country, Taylor Swift. Whatever it is, listen to it. Enjoy it. Be transported by the memories that songs hold.

4.) List the good

When you're ready, make a list of the things in your life that are good. Everything, from your job, your family and friends, that book you just picked up from the library, the piece of chocolate you savored on the drive to pick the kids up from school. If it's something good, something that brings about positive emotion no matter how small, list it out.

5.) Rally

When you've taken some care of yourself, and when you can, rally. Scrape together every bit of anger, resilience, drive, stubbornness, and energy and push forward. Make your plan to fight back on whatever has been crushed.