Pretty-clouds-cure-depression - Starlight Fairy - Tumblr Blog

You have value as you are now, wherever you are in your healing. You have value even if you haven’t started yet. Your worth is not dependent on you being healed. You are worthy as you are now.

It's amazing to have goals, but here's a reminder that you don't need to accomplish those goals to be worthy. You are worthy as you are now.

i don't want to sound like a whore, but i'd really like to know how you feel and how your day was

“I don’t know what my goals are, no. Thanks for asking.”

Slow down, it's ok. Very few things in life are absolute

Deadlines can be flexible, career paths are flexible, relationships become close and far and close again, it's all going to be ok

🌱Sometimes, we all need a little boost to remind us of our worth. Remember that you are capable of achieving great things and that your efforts are meaningful. Take pride in how far you’ve come and keep moving forward with confidence. You have the power to make today and every day count🌱

Also remember you have worth beyond your accomplishments

You are valued and valuable, not because you accomplish things or are doing an extreme amount, but because you are alive Your very existence is good enough.

enemies to lovers but it's me and myself

"Is it normal to-" Doesn't matter. Do it weird if it isn't hurting anyone

one day you'll wake up and think, "life is okay". it'll happen gradually. you'll start to notice flowers blooming in a new light. your evening shower will be a sweet refuge. your morning coffee will warm your soul. things will seem bright and beautiful, and you'll wonder how you ever wanted to leave such lovely things behind

Reposting this because I need to materialize it somewhere.

[Updated] : Edited with alt text.

Original link here :

My advice for people who aggressively scrub at their skin when stressed

(Disclaimer: I'm not saying washing your hands is bad. By all means wash your hands as often as you need to. All I'm saying is that washing your hands with boiling hot water, tons of soap and aggressive scrubbing isn't exactly good practice)

This might be a bit specific, so let me explain what I mean.

In my case, when I'm stressed but I haven't realized it yet, I become obsessed with having clean hands. I got dust on my hands? Wash it off. Sauce got on my finger? Wash it off. Hands got wet? Wash them, scrub the feeling away.

Because of this, the skin on back of my hands gets really dry, and if this obsession lasts for some days, it can even crack and bleed.

People around me tell me to moisturize my hands, put some hand cream on them etc., but it doesn't always work because I have to be consistent with it and never forget to do it.

Stressful, right?

Recently however, I've come up with a solution to minimize the damage my excessive hand-washing causes to my skin.

Instead of boiling hot water that scalds my hands, I am making myself wash my hands with cold water. Not freezing cold water, but water that is at a lower temperature than what I would call a comfortable temperature.

AND IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE

My skin isn't cracked anymore! I no longer feel pain when flexing my fingers!

And besides that, I am no longer in pain whenever I'm washing my hands. And the cold water helps me be a bit more aware of my actions.

Before, I would turn on the faucet, put soap on my hands, wash them, put on more soap, wash that off and repeat that cycle 3-4 more times until my brain is aware that my hands have been cleaned and they no longer feel dirty.

This isn't a miracle solution. Far from it. But it's like a little aid, something to help me get hurt less whenever this obsession comes over me. And, truth be told, my hands aren't recovered yet from this latest "MUST HAVE CLEAN HANDS" cycle. But hey, they're not bleeding anymore!!

In conclusion, if you've got any kind of compulsions that act like mine, maybe try and change it up a bit so it hurts you less. Like using cold water instead of hot. Or adding some element like scented soap to bring your awareness back to your actions.

I'm aware I'll get back in the cycle at some point, but at least now I can minimize the damage without ignoring the urge to feel clean.

And that's a good step forward for me

We will not be girlrotting in April. We will be girlblooming girlburgeoning girlflourishing

things that made me stop wanting to die that require no effort whatsoever

change the color used to highlight text on your laptop

move the pictures on your wall

stack whatever clutter is in your room into piles even if you don’t have time to clean it all

slightly vary your commute, even just by one street

change where you sit and scroll aimlessly on your phone even if it’s only to the chair in your room instead of your bed

drink water or juice out of a wine glass in the morning because nothing is real

shower with the lights off, without music

buy $3 flowers at trader joe’s—they look bad next to the more expensive ones but they look so good in your room

start typing things you don’t post into your notes. your thoughts can be worth documenting even if you don’t deem them worth sharing

wake up super early just once. you don’t have to make it a habit it’s just extra satisfying to go to bed that night

listen to the entirety of your favorite album from 2015

may the last two months of 2023 be filled with pleasant plot twists, spontaneous fun, soft beds, and good vibes

: ¨·.·¨ : ‌ ` ·. 🌸

: ¨·.·¨ : ‌ ` ·. if you’re reading this i hope November is good to you. take advantage of this new month, begin again! be optimistic! know that the loveliest things are on the way for you and you deserve it all.

sending love and hugs your way, please accept

Some friendly reminders to...

Take your medication if you haven't already.

Drink a glass or two of water.

Release the pressure in your jaw. It has to be hurting by now.

Refill your pets' water/food bowls, clean out their litter, etc.

Check for upcoming appointments. I forget about mine far too often.

Take a shower if you're having sensory issues but can't figure out why. Sometimes that's all you need to get rid of those bad feelings.

Put on that load of washing that's been piling up for days. It's only going to feel more overwhelming the more you let it pile up.

Same goes for the dishes you've got sitting around the place!

Take a nap if you're feeling tired. It's better (and more productive!) to rest for an hour or two and be able to function for the rest of the day than to spend the entire day unable to do anything because you're too tired.

Show some appreciation to someone you're close to. Tell them you love them, give them a hug or just go sit with them for a while to let them know you're there.

Put that important thing in a safe space. Don't leave it where it is currently sitting because you think you'll remember where it is. You'll kick yourself for it if you do.

Go fiddle with some stuff that you haven't touched in a while. Grab that board game out and just read the rules, take a look at that book you've been meaning to read for months, or just. sit with a belonging that's not familiar to you. Maybe you'll find something that you quite enjoy.

move that fragile object from the side of the surface. IT IS NOT SAFE THERE, ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE CATS.

Take a two minute walk. You could even just step outside the front door and count three things you see. Fresh air is good (but i completely understand not wanting to, i've been procrastinating too)

Do something with that meal that's about to expire in the fridge. Eat it, toss it, whatever. Just don't let it sit there until it's moldy or you'll be even less inclined to do something about it.

Book an appointment if you're concerned about something that's appeared or changed about yourself, physically or mentally. I know it often feels like we're overreacting, and maybe we are, but it's worth it even just to put your mind at ease.

If you've got a streak of some kind going, remember to do that before it expires.

Happy living 💞

Wondering if this is what being 19 is all about.

Feeling like I've got my entire life in front of me, but also like there's nothing left to happen. Like my life is just starting, but also like I'm staring at the end of it all.

Sometimes it feels both like I'm so advanced compared to my peers, but also like I've never been more behind. Like I've experienced so much, and yet I have so much to catch up with.

Feeling both 4 years old and 17 at the same time. But not 19.

Never 19.

We need like “unclench your jaw” posts but for eye strain. Like

Go look at something 20ft away for 20 seconds.

tips for when you are in a period of high stress

set priorities and reduce your overall activity

Whenever you’re facing more stress than usual, try to reduce your activities, set priorities, and focus on short-term goals. However, try to not avoid activity all together. This is difficult, because the way you think about tasks changes dramatically when you are stressed. Try your best to stop during times of high stress and ask yourself “What really needs to be done now? What can I let go until some other time?” 

Also, try to recognise that you only have a limited amount of energy - you can’t push yourself too hard - and remember to take time to rest and take care. Stress drains your energy more, so try to be mindful of that. 

spend extra time with decisions

Stress interferes with your ability to think. The greater the stress, the more likely it is that you will make poor decisions. Wherever possible, avoid making major decisions during times of stress. But, when a decision does have to be made, try to take more time with it, and talk to people about it who are objective - they may see problems or options you didn’t think off because of your reduced ability to do so while being stressed. 

plan ahead and take actions during times when stress is low

A lot of the time, you know when a period of stress is coming. When that is the case, try to take some time to plan ahead, make decisions, and take action in advance while you’re feeling better - this reduces the amount of thinking you’ll need to worry about during a period of high stress. Having a plan helps you to focus and prioritise tasks. 

For those times when a period of high stress may come suddenly, try to take some time out to relax and collect yourself, so you’re able to plan ahead and prioritise. This can be difficult, so it’s okay if you can’t. Just being mindful of how your body and mind can be affected by stress can help you through. 

some gentle reminders for if you are stressed

take a moment to breathe; close your eyes, put whatever you are doing down, and count slowly to ten

take a break if you’ve been working for a long time on something

write a list of what you need to do, and then slowly put the tasks into order of priority

take some time out of your day to relax and unwind to the best of your ability

try your best to not push yourself past your limits

reach out for help if you need to

you can do this

i believe in you

it’ll be okay

Are you having a hard time keeping yourself and your brain stimulated? Can you even stimulate yourself at all? Maybe you should try making a Dopamenu!

I made a Dopamenu today by following How To ADHD’s guide.

How To Give Your Brain The Stimulation It Needs (Dopamenu Guide!)

I recommend watching the video and trying to make yourself a Dopamenu as well. I used OpenOffice to make my Dopamenu, it’s a free alternative to Word and it works pretty much the same!

LINK TO MY GOOGLE DRIVE SO YOU CAN GET THE FILE & FILL IN YOUR OWN DOPAMENU YOURSELF