TUESDAY, MARCH 28, 2023 SELF-CARE

 TUESDAY, MARCH 28, 2023 - MORE SELF-CARE

From Good Therapy's list of 134 activities for self-care, I’m going to highlight some activities today - and add some ideas of my own: https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/134-activities-to-add-to-your-self-care-plan/

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Do something nice for someone and make sure no one can trace it back to you—an incognito act of kindness.

This should be an “automatic” action and not necessarily a “big idea”.  In my old neighborhood, trash pickup was on Tuesday mornings.  As a retired person (and a good citizen??) after the trash truck pickup up our trash, I brought our trash bins back from the street to our house, and then got the bins from the neighbors' houses (they were at work and coming home after a long day of work, they didn’t have to fuss with getting their containers up to the side of their house.  

Now that I’m in an apartment, as I walk the grounds, I pick up trash that has been dropped and deposit it in the big dumpster.  

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I’ve put currency under the windshield wipers of friends at the recreation center.  They come out of the gym tired from working out and get a smile because somebody (me) put $10 under their wiper.

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Here's one I haven’t tried but I like the concept:

Roll out a blanket and eat your dinner on the grass at home or in the park. Invite someone else if you’d like company.

I could see myself expanding on this.  Get a twenty-four pack of water and on a hot Texas afternoon, sit in my outdoor folding chair and give out cold bottles of water to neighbors.

(Aside).  I have been known to “dumpster dive”.  About a year ago I got an easel - with a whiteboard on one side and a chalkboard on the other side.  I put it outside my apartment with a positive statement or note - like “Happy Spring” (last week), a Word Puzzle, or even Mr. Rogers' statement “Won’t you be my neighbor”.  I picture them smiling as they walk by.  It currently has “"Happiness is a journey, not a destination." on one side, and “You create your own happiness” on the other.

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Plant something—a small vegetable garden, flowers

I have my patio garden.  Yes, I plant my salad greens, but I have some flowers.  My Bachelor Buttons are starting to bloom, and the other flowers are getting larger.  

It makes me feel good and (again), hopefully, gets a smile out of those that walk by.

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Take a walk with your headphones on to your favorite music.

For those of you who know me, I pick some bombastic classics and I “conduct” the music.  I love cueing the tympani on the Shostakovich Fifth Symphony, or the cannons on Tchaikowsky’s 1812 Overture!!  When I’ve done this at the gym, I’ve had people ask me what music I’m listening to!!!

And, in terms of self-care, taking a walk is great self-care.  You get some needed exercise, you (hopefully) are outside with some fresh air (like minus 20 in South Dakota - or maybe 70 ) and your body is producing endorphins that make you feel good!!!

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Go through your closet and purge the clothes you haven’t worn in years. Donate them to a charitable organization.

I’ve been the recipient of clothes (and jewelry) from others. Sure they don’t want the item anymore, but I appreciate it - and now that my closet is full, I’ve been donating clothes and things to my local thrift shop (The Caring Place in Georgetown)

(Aside). When I was asked to move out of my house and into an apartment, my income was shot.  I had to use the food pantry at the Caring Place a few times.  For the past year, I’ve been able to make both financial and clothing contributions back to the Caring Place.  I greatly prefer it to Goodwill (even though Goodwill does great work as well). 

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Do something unusual for fun

Next Saturday is April Fool’s Day.  Yes, I like to do fun things and I am planning on using some temporary hair color for that day - which is also a Granny Basketball Tournament day!!  

People can be so serious - and there are some granny basketball players who are serious, and maybe this can put a smile on their faces and some joy in their hearts.

(And, of course, Halloween is a joyous time to dress up and be happy in a costume!!!)

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Rearrange your living room (or any other room)

We get into ruts and sometimes just rearranging a room can be lots of fun.  (As I’m writing this, my mind is already spinning out of control in terms of redecorating my living room.)

Redecorating a room is a form of “redecorating your mind”.  I write LOVE TRANSFORMS.  On my wall is a (self-made) poster “Be Transformed by the Renewing of your Mind” - and I need to clean the cobwebs out of my brain periodically.

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What do you think?  Any additional ideas?

LOVE WINS

LOVE TRANSFORMS

KAREN ANNE WHITE, ©, MARCH 28, 2023