Self-care

You don’t have to come out yet.
I see you. Curled small, breath held, heart pounding in your ears louder than the shouting.
You are not weak for hiding.
Hiding was the smartest thing you could do.
You were not cowardly
You were surviving.

I wish I could crawl in there with you.
Not to drag you out
Just to hold you.
Just so you wouldn’t be alone.

Every time you heard the footsteps above,
every time you made yourself invisible,
every time you stayed quiet when you wanted to scream
You were doing something heroic.

You saved us.
You saved me.

And I didn’t forget you.
Not once.
I carried your silence in my bones.
I made a life where it’s safer now.
Where we don’t have to run.
Where your drawings can be flowers instead of maps out of hell.

You don’t owe anyone joy.
But you deserve it.

You were never meant to be brave alone.
I’m here now.
And I’m staying.

#PTSD #Trauma #Depression #Selfcare #Grief

Going outside can affect each of us in different ways depending on the weather, temperature, time of year, symptoms we may experience, or medications we might be on.

Mighty staffer @sparklywartanks finds it very beneficial for her mental health to go out in the spring and early summer months, while in the winter months she finds going outside to be more challenging especially for her physical health.

What about you? How does being outside affect your health?

#52SmallThings #CheckInWithMe #Selfcare #MentalHealth #Disability #ChronicIllness #ChronicPain #RareDisease #Anxiety #Depression
#Autism #Parenting #PTSD #BorderlinePersonalityDisorder #BipolarDisorder #Fibromyalgia #Lupus #MultipleSclerosis #Migraine #Spoonie

What do you like to do when you go outside? Do you like to sit and relax? Read a book or paint? Go hiking or camping? Walk your dog? Play sports, or maybe take a stroll (or roll) in a nearby park?

Share what your favorite outdoor activity is with us in the comments below. ⬇️

#52SmallThings #CheckInWithMe #Selfcare #MentalHealth #Disability #ChronicIllness #ChronicPain #RareDisease #Anxiety #Depression
#Autism #Parenting #PTSD #BorderlinePersonalityDisorder #BipolarDisorder #Fibromyalgia #Lupus #MultipleSclerosis #Migraine #Spoonie

Let’s put on our backpacks 🎒 and sunscreen🧴and talk about the great outdoors this week!

Whether it’s to get some sunlight (or shade!), have fun, travel to work or school, run some errands, walk your dog, or take care of other responsibilities (like endless doctors’ appointments), venturing outside is almost always a reality for us on a daily basis. For some, this is a part of a regular routine, but for others, not so much. Sometimes health and other factors prohibit outside time and we totally get and hold space for that, too.

What is your experience with the great outdoors? Do you spend a lot of time getting fresh air, or does it depend on your health playing nice?

#52SmallThings #CheckInWithMe #Selfcare #MentalHealth #Disability #ChronicIllness #ChronicPain #RareDisease #Anxiety #Depression
#Autism #Parenting #PTSD #BorderlinePersonalityDisorder #BipolarDisorder #Fibromyalgia #Lupus #MultipleSclerosis #Migraine #Spoonie

It’s the end of the week, Mighties, so let’s reflect on nurturing ourselves over the coming weekend! This can look like self-care, nurturing a hobby or passion project, spending time with people you care about, organizing/decluttering your work or living space, or doing something relaxing and fun.

Mighty staffer @sparklywartanks plans to nurture herself this weekend by sleeping in and spending time with her family.

How can you nurture yourself in the next few days?

#52SmallThings #CheckInWithMe #Selfcare #MentalHealth #Disability #ChronicIllness #ChronicPain #RareDisease #Anxiety #Depression
#Autism #Parenting #PTSD #BorderlinePersonalityDisorder #BipolarDisorder #Fibromyalgia #Lupus #MultipleSclerosis #Migraine #Spoonie

Navigating life with infertility is complex and multifaceted. It can affect many areas of your life, not to mention the grief and stigma that often accompany the experience.

What’s something you’ve learned—or are learning—to accept on this journey? What has your road to acceptance been like? If you’re not quite on that path yet, how far have you come? What roadblocks have stood in your way?

#Infertility #Endometriosis #OvarianCancer #Grief #PolycysticOvarySyndrome #ChronicIllness #ChronicPain #RareDisease #CheckInWithMe #MentalHealth #Anxiety #Depression #Selfcare #Trauma

It’s the last day of July—time to check in and reflect on how the month went for us! ☑️⏰

What were some trends or patterns you saw come up? Have you learned anything new, reassuring, or interesting about yourself in the process of mood tracking this month? Is there anything that worked for you or that you would like to improve or work on moving forward?

💡 Bonus: Feel free to also comment the color(s) that best represents your mood today as well. 🎖️

🟪 Purple: Empathetic, caring
💙 Blue: Calm, relaxed, confident
🟢 Green: Open-minded, creative, reflective
🟨 Yellow: Depressed, unhappy, melancholy
❤️ Red: Anxious, alert, concerned, worried
🟤 Brown: Tired, exhausted, drained
⬛ Black: Bored, annoyed, restless
🧡 Orange: Stressed, overwhelmed
⚪ White: Not sure if I can put my mood into words.
🌈 Rainbow: Other (share in the comments!)

#MightyMoodTracking #CheckInWithMe #Selfcare #MentalHealth #ChronicIllness #ChronicPain #Disability #Autism #Fibromyalgia #BorderlinePersonalityDisorder #Depression #Anxiety #BipolarDisorder #PTSD #ObsessiveCompulsiveDisorder #Migraine #MultipleSclerosis
#CheerMeOn

Our living spaces are an important part of our daily lives and comfort levels (yes, even if you don’t spend a bunch of time in yours). It is in these spaces where we largely rest and take care of our basic human needs — from hygiene to preparing our meals to paying bills. Creating a safe space where we stay can have a significant impact on our health as well, since a good environment can help us manage and navigate stress better. And a bad environment can, well, add a lot of stress too.

What are some ways you can make your living space more nurturing for you?

Something that would make Mighty staffer @sparklywartanks living space more nurturing is adding more plants and colorful art.

#52SmallThings #CheckInWithMe #Selfcare #MentalHealth #Disability #ChronicIllness #ChronicPain #RareDisease #Anxiety #Depression
#Autism #Parenting #PTSD #BorderlinePersonalityDisorder #BipolarDisorder #Fibromyalgia #Lupus #MultipleSclerosis #Migraine #Spoonie

Here’s the truth: The relationships we have with others help us build community and connection with the world around us.

This is also the truth: Some relationships in our lives will naturally be closer than others and have different standards, but overall they each have their own level of significance to us and our needs. Those relationships can be with family and friends, coworkers, neighbors, teachers and classmates, or even our health care teams.

Out of the relationships in your life, which ones do you nurture the most? What does that nurturing look like?

Mighty staffer @sparklywartanks says she nurtures the relationships she has with her mother and sister the most.

#52SmallThings #CheckInWithMe #Selfcare #MentalHealth #Disability #ChronicIllness #ChronicPain #RareDisease #Anxiety #Depression
#Autism #Parenting #PTSD #BorderlinePersonalityDisorder #BipolarDisorder #Fibromyalgia #Lupus #MultipleSclerosis #Migraine #Spoonie

when i heard this poem in euphoria it just stayed with me in a way i didn't expect. it hit something real inside me, and honestly, i don't even know how to explain it fully. it's not just deep—it's beautiful. because it emphasizes becoming something real through darkness

it made me realize how much we carry in silence. how some pain doesn't go away—but maybe it's not meant to. maybe it's meant to shape us. maybe the point isn't to fight the darkness all the time. maybe we're supposed to let it pass through us— echo through us.. until it becomes something honest. something beautiful.🌱

#MentalHealth #Selfcare #emotionalintelligence #Grief #Life