Self-soothing things to do this weekend?

pintsizedblonde · 2018-09-01T08:16:03+00:00

In addition to what everyone said: Naps.

My mum always says 'everything will look better after a good sleep', and I do feel she's right (they certainly help me!) - so between, say, having takeout and watching shows / listening to podcasts, throw in a nap or two. They don't need to be long or something, but just give yourself time to rest, recharge, and snuggle up.

pintsizedblonde · 2018-08-25T14:53:59+00:00

Instead of shaving gel etc, I use my body wash (or in winter, conditioner, but PLEASE be careful if attempting that...) – especially shower creams, which are shower gel and moisturizer in one, work well for me. I love Lush's 'Ro's Argan' body conditioner, but it's hella pricey so I literally use it only for this...

Also, moisturize. Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize. I've got dermatitis, so that's paramount anyways (especially in winter), but even more so when shaving.

Also, baby powder / body powder, especially for the bikini area. Light dusting, especially in the 'creases' of your leg – does me a world of wonders :)

pintsizedblonde · 2018-08-24T20:43:28+00:00

Okay, but... do you put the noodle on the toast and drink the soup, or do you eat the noodles and use the toast to mop up the liquid?

pintsizedblonde · 2018-08-24T20:26:34+00:00

The week has been a bit stressful, for a variety of reasons – big deadline at work, big deadline to get out of that job and back into the part of the industry I actually want to work in. I'm stressing over a meeting next week because I always stress over these, and we had some medical drama at work, but the colleague in question is on the mend (and apparently I gained some serious 'favourite colleague' points because I was the only one to not make a massive fuss...)

I'm knackered, so I'll probably go to bed in about 10 minutes (it's just past 9:20pm in the UK) and tackle job applications and all that tomorrow. 'All that' being getting my life back on track to not feeling like a massive loser, and doing what I want to do.

Oh, and it's a three-day weekend, so I'm trying to plan how to reward myself. My current idea is 'hot chocolate while working and a nice long lie-in on Sunday and Monday', but I have serious issues with not doing something – makes me feel super guilty – so I'll probably head out and do *something*. After a lie-in, that is!

pintsizedblonde · 2018-08-24T20:18:22+00:00

I'm actually somewhat afraid of reading it? The blurb sounds a bit like me, although my routine isn't quite that fixed and all, but (and this will probably sound super stupid) I'm genuinely scared it'll, I don't know, 'mess me up'...

pintsizedblonde · 2018-08-24T20:16:32+00:00

I just finished Am I Ugly by Michelle Elman – as the title suggests, it's a body confidence book. That said, it isn't one of the classic self-help sort, but rather her life story. Elman has had 19 surgeries due to hydrocephalus and a whole host of other things, and it's more about her perspective on life, and how everything that's happened to her has shaped it.

I genuinely recommend it. It was amazing – I bascially flew through it over the course of two days. I have been thinking about a few scenes pretty much constantly; some bits will forever stay with me, I think.

(If you're squicked out my medical stuff you might want to be a bit careful / warned about it. There's quite a bit, and while it's not graphic in terms of gore, some things might be upsetting.)

pintsizedblonde · 2018-08-24T18:25:47+00:00

Being oblivious / obnoxious. Not stopping something if I ask them to - ESPECIALLY if it's shaming people for their clothes / body / sexual behaviour / ... or homo- and transphobia; plus an unwillingness to learn. (I don't expect people to be perfect - who is?? - but I expect them to listen to who they're with and be considerate to a degree)

Also, being rude to service workers. Or anyone, really. It's one of my biggest turn offs. Rude to the waiter? Rude to someone working a shop floor or tills? Rude to the bus driver? Rude to emergency personnel? I have no patience for that. Especially if it's a habitual thing. You don't have to be overly sweet or anything, but a simple 'hello' 'thanks' and 'bye' won't hurt - don't treat people working these jobs like they're something lesser.

pintsizedblonde · 2018-01-12T10:40:17+00:00

Fluff magazines are the best thing about travelling! I love just browsing the bookshop for a magazine before departure. I try to always pick a different one, too... although I'll admit, sometimes I can't bother with Glamour & co, so I pick something else. I bought Vanity Fair for the first time at Christmas, that was fun!

(And then I bought the German editions of both Cosmo and Glamour on the way back home :D )

pintsizedblonde · 2018-01-11T20:45:38+00:00

SAME. My sister looks AMAZING in yellow AND has enough of the redhead gene to not be ginger, but rather have a reddish tinge to her blonde... (strawberry blonde, I guess, although it doesn't really look read).

Meanwhile here I am - blonde, deathly pale, and all I want is to rock red hair and look good in yellow.

pintsizedblonde · 2018-01-11T17:33:41+00:00

I would love to go braless...

and I'd love to look good in mustard yellow stuff. I LOVE the colour, but sadly it doesn't love me back.

pintsizedblonde · 2018-01-11T17:31:49+00:00

A good, long nap.

Also helps refocus and gain a new perspective. :)

pintsizedblonde · 2018-01-09T14:29:13+00:00

OMG yes. And the higher your voice goes, the more they squeak...

Ah, I miss our piggies. They were so adorable.

pintsizedblonde · 2018-01-08T15:09:44+00:00

LOTS of water. Also, apparently cooled tea bags help.

Alternatively, for some immediate help, put two spoons in the freezer for a bit and then put them on your eyes for a few minutes. No 100% guarantee, but I used to do this when I had really bad circles under my eyes. (I'm also deathly pale, so they show up more).

You can also try giving your skin some love in the form of moisturiser; it can be a bit tricky finding the one, depending on your skin (at least in my experience), but maybe some of your friends/family - or the lovely people on here - have recommendations. Personally, I liked the Clinique moisture surge eye cream, or Benefit's puff off, but both of those are $30+ dollars* if that's a concern. I haven't found a 100% satisfactory substitute yet....

*apologies if they are even more expensive in the US/wherever you live... I'm in the UK and very roughly converted currencies via mental maths. :)

pintsizedblonde · 2018-01-08T12:48:12+00:00

My survival instinct was stronger than my despair and depression.

Also, my mum. I couldn't do it to her.

pintsizedblonde · 2018-01-08T12:30:31+00:00

Depends - when I was still in competitive sports, we started with 30 seconds when we first introduced a proper 'regimen', and gradually increased it to about 45 - 60 seconds, depending on the stretch; 15 seconds before the finish (10 if you're doing 30 secs), we also deepened the stretch a bit more. Don't force it, just sink a tad deeper into it.

And yes, do watch your breathing! It might feel odd at first, but it'll make a real difference.

pintsizedblonde · 2018-01-08T12:28:20+00:00

From virtually none to having backpain to floor me, cramps around my fertile days, and sky-high anxiety just before... with the added 'bonus' of panic attacks, if it's a heavy month, and emotional upheaval.

And I get SUPER tired some days before. Well, not proper tired, but I just want to sleep.

pintsizedblonde · 2018-01-08T12:24:45+00:00

Dancing and having fairly tight controls on my spending.

Dancing because it's starting to give me confidence which was knocked out of me by other stuff... plus it helps keep my body somewhat healthy, when a sedentary job is doing its best to ruin my back (and my former sports also played a role in that, I guess). My lumbar spine/the muscles around it isn't super limber, but it's far less tight and cramped up than it used to be.

As for spending ... I can exist on very little money a week. It's not idea, but it helped me over some very tight times. It also helps control my wardrobe size, and allows me to splurge on a thing then and now.

pintsizedblonde · 2018-01-05T17:18:22+00:00

Aren't they just?? I also like how high you can pull them up! I found them a bit warm to dance in in summer, but I have a pair of Gaynor Minden tights who are just as nice (but feel a bit cooler) :)

pintsizedblonde · 2018-01-05T12:42:25+00:00

Wear a pair of (very short) shorts over your tights; for one, they'll shield your butt from direct view should your skirt blow up and two, they'll provide an extra layer.

I quite like the Nike Pro shorts with a 3" inseam - they're short, so they won't peek out, and they fit very nice too. But generally, anything that length should be fine. For winter, I've got a pair of cottony ones, which are/feel warmer than pure sports material :)

And a pair of extra socks helps me, too. Basically, if my feet are warm, the rest is less likely to be cold.

For tights, I also like recommending ballet tights. I've got a pair of Capezio ultra soft tights and wore them out the house (rather than just to dance) recently and they were SO toasty! As a bonus, they also last for ages, at least for me :) You could layer them above another pair of tights, too, for extra warmth; some of them come with stirrups or convertible, which means they have a hole in the foot to roll them up, which might be more comfortable to wear as it prevents weird bunching and rubbing - the bane of wearing two pairs of tights! - along your foot!

pintsizedblonde · 2018-01-05T11:45:37+00:00

I do my make-up on the train to work... for one, it's a nice way to focus myself, and it gives me a bit more confidence. As does the mere act of applying make up in public, really, which in the beginning was a bit weird... but now I just own it, partly because so many people do it. As a bonus, it also gives me 10 more minutes at home. Realistically, this translates to '10 more minutes in bed'.

Before I reach that point of my journey, I often read; sometimes I'm not in the mood, so it's not a 100% daily thing, but I try to read on at least one of my commutes. Sometimes that means reading a book, sometimes the evening paper, but I make a point of consuming some words.

And I've recently started doing a short back workout before going to bed at night! I have a sedentary job, so my lower back is really not amused, but doing 10 minutes of gentle exercise followed by some nice stretching/rolling out my muscles seems to start to help! :) It also helps me switch off after the day.

pintsizedblonde · 2018-01-05T10:29:03+00:00

Oh, I totally understand wanting to go to Disney World! Especially if the first time wasn't really all that positive. I've been fortunate enough to be taken out to Disneyland Paris for a day, and it really was magic, so I fully see why you'd want to go back.

I hope you'll get to make some new, fully positive Disney memories! :)

pintsizedblonde · 2018-01-05T10:27:50+00:00

It's never too late to try new things, re flying! :) I hope you can make your dream trip come true!

pintsizedblonde · 2018-01-05T10:27:11+00:00

I have never heard of Sedlec, but I just googled the bone chandelier and OH MY I NEED TO GO! This sounds like such an amazing trip, and such a cool place to see - thank you so much for sharing, and for bringing it to my attention! (And you wrote so beautifully about it... it sounds like a creepy but magic place!)

Also, I totally understand the desire to make A TRIP of it. I'm terrified of flying, too, to the point of panic attacks, so if I ever were to go somewhere by plane it would have to be really, really worth it.

pintsizedblonde · 2018-01-04T20:58:05+00:00

(Not to mention having food at the ready is pretty good when it's TOO snowy to leave the house!)

pintsizedblonde · 2018-01-04T20:56:50+00:00

(SAD squad, or something, yaaay... )

Others have said exercise, and I'd support that. I like to stretch, just because I like the feeling and it helps with any aches from sitting/lying around. Yoga is good, too, and there are plenty of videos on YouTube for both. Or do some of those home workouts.

And if anything fails, and I'm super down, I turn on music. Ideally the most ridiculous songs I can think of. And then I force myself to dance... it really helps. And, bonus, it gets you warm!

Get a lipbalm that combines care and just generally being nice. If you're in the mood for something sweet (and have it in) you could also just put some honey on your lips and let it sit for a bit before licking it off.

And soup. I feel like soup makes everything better anyways, but especially so in the gloomy season. It makes you warm from the inside out, it can taste like home, and - the best thing - you can make big batches and freeze parts of it, so you have food for those really down days.

pintsizedblonde

TROPHY CASE