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A Self-Care Prescription for When We Wake Up With an Emotional Hangover
Anyone else wake up with an emotional hangover this morning?
And maybe a weird pain in your left eye that you can’t quite figure out?
I felt like I was in a fog for the second half of the day yesterday — my morning’s work woes quickly forgotten in their irrelevance and sudden unimportance in light of what was going on in our country.
I longed for real human connection yesterday. An epically long hug would have been perfect, but we’re still living in the middle of a pandemic so that was not an option.
A few friends checked in by text or phone, but my empath heart was feeling our country’s events oh-so-deeply and I just wished for someone to really talk about it with. At length, and with more earnestness than the social media posts we were all sharing.
I didn’t go to sleep as early as I should have, but I did sleep solidly after the emotional exhaustion of the day. This morning, though, I woke up wanting the same thing…deep connection and that impossible-to-get, long-ass hug.
After a few moments of mindfulness lying in bed with my hand on my heart, breathing and meditating, I exhaled and decided extreme self-care would be my focus today.
So if you’re feeling world-weary like me, here’s my personal prescription for self-care…at least for today.
1. Make your bed.
When you can control nothing else, making your bed is one thing that you can not only control, but I guarantee it will make you feel better. I actually find chores like this to be a practice in mindfulness. Folding the top of the duvet over twice. Putting the nine pillows on in their specific order. Folding the fluffy blanket that goes at the foot of the bed. And turning on the fairy lights that hang on the headboard. It’s a soothing process in uncertain times and is one of my favorite things I do at the beginning of my day. Even if you feel like you might have to crawl back in later.
2. Brush your teeth twice as long as you normally do.
Another moment of mindfulness. I love brushing my teeth. I used to drive the last guy I dated crazy because I would walk around the house while doing it instead…
