Three self-care things you did today!

[ecomama]

We can do it BBers, we can do self-care.

Sleepy21 pointed out research that shows self-care REALLY helps!

Please share what you do for self-care so we can get inspiration, ideas and motivation to do it too.

Best wishes
EM

[Eagle Ray]

Hey Blue, I used to work in a stationery store and there were so many customers who said at the checkout that they’d come in for one thing and were leaving with much more, especially when we had our specials table. There is something addictive about stationery!

Today for me:

- listened to two helpful podcasts

- went for a beach walk

- enjoyed the feeling of wearing lighter clothes with the weather warming up 

[Clues_Of_Blue]

Hey Eagle Ray,

Maybe it's addictive because it doesn't feel so bad indulging a bit when it's something useful? Those of us who enjoy writing or art get a lot of good out of our stationery.

My self cares:

- Spent time in the sun with my hubby.

- Did some exercise and gardening.

- Decided to make a serious effort at eating better, my carer's role has seen me falling into bad habits to conserve energy and they are ultimately kinda making things worse.

Blue.

[Eagle Ray]

Hey Blue

Glad you enjoyed some outdoor time. Hope you can find some inspiring recipes for eating options that are also not too fatiguing to prepare. I’ve got some health and fatigue issues and I quite often do something like a tray bake with chicken and veggies that I can just put in the oven for a set time. The effort is all in the veggie chopping and any marinating/seasoning, then the oven does the rest.

My self care:

- played my guitar

- made plans to catch up with friends

- went for a walk on a section of beach I hadn’t been on before which was lovely 

[Clues_Of_Blue]

Hey Eagle Ray,

Great self cares, I'm a bit jealous of that beach time - glad you got to do that. I'm getting there with recipes. Baked potatoes are good, and I just did some fried rice using some frozen veggies and Quorn pieces, and those pre-cooked rice sachets. Quite a few ingredients, but no chopping involved.

My self cares:

- Have been sticking to my healthy eating and am fitting into my pants a bit better!

- Joined a community for autistic people. I'm learning a lot and seeing a heap of lived experience that looks very much like mine.

- Got some Loops. They are noise-reducing earplugs for people with auditory hypersensitivity. Possibly the best things I have ever bought! They decrease ambient noise like traffic and radios, droning fridges or air cons, and other people talking in the background but I can still hear someone talking directly to me, it's just toned down a bit. Feeling much less stressed in public spaces.

Blue.

[Eagle Ray]

Hi Blue

The baked potatoes and fried rice sound very nice. Avoiding the chopping sounds good too!

 I’m glad you are gaining heaps from the community of autistic people. It’s of interest to me as I suspected several years ago I’m somewhere on the autism spectrum. Attempted exploring it with a psych at the time which wasn’t overly helpful but got much more from 3 sessions with an autism consultant who herself was on the spectrum (sadly she died about a year after I was in contact with her). I had classic autistic stims as a child (still do but have learned to mask them). I’ve had major sensory issues too including sound sensitivity so can relate to your experience there. At one stage I had severe hyperacusis and needed earplugs everywhere but I now mainly need them for loud things like concerts.

But as the consultant I spoke to identified, some of my autistic-type traits were linked to, or enmeshed with, complex trauma stuff. So I’ve been trying to tease out and make sense of the different parts. I know I’ve got neurodivergent stuff going on (I think some adhd too) but have largely learned to pass as neurotypical, but feel I should embrace the neurodiverse qualities. I hope you can too. I hope you keep finding the support of like-minded people and find ways to feel a sense of belonging.

My self-cares:

- had a nap with the cat I’m looking after

- walked and chatted with a friend

- had an easy dinner of soup and bread 

[mmMekitty]

Hello Eagle Ray, Blue, & everyone.

I haven't been to this Discussion for a while.

I wanted to say, I went swimming yesterday! I't's something I have I have wanted to do again, for a long time, especially since my surgery, when I was told to hold off on doing that until I was healed enough. It's great exercise, which I'm doing more of, now, & I want to have more swimming!.

However, I did get sunburnt on my upper arms & shoulders, so I've been using a lot of moisturising cream, to sooth the hot feeling on my upper arms & shoulders. 

& at home, again, that evening, I didd some more exercise, too. I know I was moving about a lot in the pool, but didn't feel I'd really had a workout - I felt I could have stayed in the pool all night!

I could add that I chose a healthier option for lunch, even remembering to ask for the 'small' serving & multigrain bread.

I have enjoyed reading the self-care things Eagle Ray & Blue are doing. I'd like to suggest, the conversation you both are having here is also a 'self-care' activity.

mmMekitty

[Trans22]

1. Meditation.
2. Eating healthy food.
3. Living authentically.

[Clues_Of_Blue]

Hi all,

Welcome Trans22, all good self cares there.

Eagle Ray, even if you're unsure if you're on the spectrum or can't be diagnosed because of those trauma-related complications (I honestly haven't come across an autistic person who isn't traumatised, so that's another thing), it sounds like you could get some benefit from reading blogs or social media posts by neurodivergent people (if you are of a mind to). It really helps to see if it fits, and to find strategies for dealing with the things that do, plus feeling less alone with it. And hey, even if it doesn't fit, you're still learning something that's bound to come in handy some day. Me, I do have ADHD (diagnosed) and strongly identify with the tales of people who have both ADHD and ASD. I can relate to having an unhelpful experience with the first psych you brought it up with (mine was awful about it), I'm finding there aren't many professionals trained to spot it in adults, and even less in women specifically. Sorry to hear about your autism consultant, that is unfortunate. Re the sound sensitivity, were you going through a particularly stressful time when it got worse? I do find mine is worse when I'm stressed - or just around loud sounds too much in general. Currently both of those conditions are present for me, unavoidably, and it's pretty bad. I'm glad to have something that tones it down, and people to talk to that get it. Thanks for your kind words.

Hey mmMekitty, I'm super happy for you that you got to go swimming. The sunburn, not so good. I find aloe vera really good for sunburn. I hear you about wanting to stay in the pool all night, I'm a bit of a fish when I have the chance, too. Swimming is great. Good work with the food, too. Totally agree that the conversation happening here is self care, too. 🙂

My self cares for today:

- Encouraged LM (hubby) to spend some time out of the house with friends (he trusts his bestie with taking care of his health needs), so I could have a much needed time out.

- Created an emergency self care booklet full of ideas from the most basic stuff to attend when we're at our worst to more elaborate stuff for when we're doing a bit better.

- Spent some time outside in the sun, did a little gardening - but not more than I felt up to doing.

Blue.

[Eagle Ray]

Hi mmMeKitty, I really enjoyed reading about your enjoyment of swimming. It feels so special doesn’t it, especially after a delay like surgery. It’s like breaking free from restriction! I remember my first swim after being in severe pain for a year and I hadn’t been able to go in a pool in that time, and like you I just did not want to get out. It’s so good for you and freeing and healing in the water. And thanks so much for your kind, thoughtful words. I hope the sunburn is feeling better.

And hi and welcome Trans22. I really love your self cares!

And thanks Blue. I have explored blogs etc by autistic people and have found much I can relate to. I completely agree that there aren’t many professionals skilled at recognising and understanding autism in adults, and especially among women. I’ve read quite a few interesting books by women with autism. Two that immediately come to mind are Autism and Sensing: the Unlost Instinct by Donna Williams and Songs of the Gorilla Nation by Dawn Prince-Hughes, but I’ve actually read heaps now. As for my sound sensitivity, it worsened from the age of 13 and I think early life stress didn’t help, but it then got extremely worse after an audio accident with sound equipment which also left me with tinnitus which I still have. An audiologist said ‘think of sound as food for the ears’ and that slowly helped my brain to accept sound again. But like you, significant stress can set it off again, but never as bad as it was years ago.

My self-cares:

- catching up with friends

- patting the cat which made me feel calm after some emotional stuff I was feeling as well as that comfort of bonding with another being

- enjoyed seeing some wildflowers on a bushland walk this morning 

[Clues_Of_Blue]

Hi all,

Eagle Ray, glad you've found some blogs and books helpful. Cheers for pointing me at some more resources. I hear you about the sound sensitivity, that accident sounds like it made things pretty hard for you. Glad you're having less difficulty with it now. As for sound being "food for the ears", I can't help thinking my ears don't like being overstuffed any more than my tummy does! I smiled at your connection with the cat you are taking care of, animals are an amazing comfort. The wildflowers sound lovely, too.

My self cares:

- Had planned an outing with a friend today, which ended up being cancelled (she said she wasn't feeling well). I took the opportunity to sleep in since I wasn't going anywhere, then spent a minute on planning my day so the change in plans wouldn't overwhelm me (a thing that happens often).

- Used my Loops when things were getting a bit noisy for me at home.

- Decided to look back at things that helped me feel better when I was a kid to see what it even is that I'm masking, and what might help me feel better now. Am coming up with some things (and adding them to my emergency self care booklet).

Blue.