So this may not be a revelation to those of you that have been in therapy longer but I just had a bit of an epiphany that I want to share. 

All my life I thought I practiced good self care. When I was upset I bought myself presents, ate junk food, delayed projects and took the day off, took naps, went on walks, played video games. 

What I’ve realized is that those things are awesome as triage for immediate care but if I want to GAIN mental health I need to SPEND energy. The concept of spending energy when I’m freaking out was totally foreign to me but I find I feel better if I brush my teeth, shower, clean my room, do laundry, create art, bake, cook, train my dog, then if I just sat like a potato and ordered Grubhub AGAIN. 

Again, not dissing being a potato and that form of self care. We’ve all had those days. I just didn’t appreciate how GOOD investing energy in taking care of myself would feel even when my world is imploding. 

What else has everyone been doing for self care?