Self-care

[Adelaide9216]

Hello,

how do you guys self-care? 

[MarineBluePsy]

I meditate, exercise (sometimes that's just walking outside), get mani/pedi's, go to the hair salon, get a massage, cook, go to a fun event, get out of town (doesn't have to be far), take a hot bath, binge watch shows or movies, do some retail therapy, have a cup of tea, diffuse essential oils, or anything else that sounds good. 

[samman1994]

I have to travel/go on vacation at least every couple of months. Doesn't have to be anything big, could be driving to another city for a weekend. And it doesn't have to be very far, could be just a 2-3 hour drive away. Really helps me unwind, relax, and refresh. 

I also love the beach. Everytime I'm stressed, I love to drive down to the beach and just sit there and relax for an hour or 2. I also always gave myself immediate breaks whenever I needed them (i.e. if things get too stressful, I would just drop everything and just take a stroll or walk outside. This could be as short as a minute or up to 5 minutes). This was especially true in the lab, sometime when my 3-week to prep samples would fail their experiment, I just drop everything immediately and take a stroll outside. 

[N.B]

I am definitely still learning what self-care works best for me. I recently took up meditating. I really love to cook new recipes. If I am feeling shitty sometimes I will feel better if I put on a fun outfit. I listen to music or audiobooks. I try to stay really hydrated with herbal tea and water. Sometimes if I am going into a stressful situation I will repeat a mantra to myself- I like "this is temporary, I am capable". I journal. I take meds and go to therapy. If I am feeling depressed, it sometimes helps me to make plans with friends or to force myself to get up early and do something productive- I find that doing more helps me more than resting more does. I also play a team sport- roller derby- which is important because it helps me be connected to community and get exercise. I jog outside when weather isn't awful, sometimes. 

[Adelaide9216]

Thanks everyone. 

I am asking this because I realize that I feel very lonely (although I am an independant person and loves spending time on my own). Grad school is a very lonely process I find.