selfcare

Don't wait until you're running on empty. Give yourself time to recharge.

#MentalHealth #selfcare

How do you deal with uncertainty?

Honestly, I don’t deal with uncertainty very well. It’s always been difficult for me because I like to know what is going to happen, where I’m going, what I’m supposed to do, and what to expect. When I don’t have those answers, my mind starts filling in the blanks.

And more often than not, it doesn’t fill them in with anything particularly helpful.

I think part of what makes uncertainty so uncomfortable is that there is nothing I can really do to control it. I can plan, prepare, and think through every possible scenario, but eventually, there are things that are simply out of my hands.

I’m the kind of person who likes to know all the details ahead of time, so I feel prepared for every possible outcome. But life throws you curveballs sometimes, and no matter how much you prepare for something, a whole new direction can change the trajectory.

There could be a change of plans. A delayed flight. A conversation that doesn’t go the way you thought it would. A decision I don’t know how to make. A future I can’t quite picture yet.

So, over time, I’ve started finding little ways to make uncertainty easier to deal with.

One of the biggest things is giving myself something I can control.

If I’m traveling, I might make a packing list. I’ll look at the schedule a few dozen times, figure out where I need to be, and make sure I have the things that make me feel comfortable. I may not be able to control everything that happens during the trip, but I can make sure I have my headphones, my snacks, comfortable clothes, and a few familiar things with me.

I always try to remind myself that I don’t need to know everything right now. And even though that is hard for me, it’s a lot easier than panicking about things that don’t go as planned.

The thing is, I feel a sense of safety and calm when I know the answers ahead of time. I like knowing how something is going to turn out. I like to know whether I’m making the right decision before I make it.

But sometimes there isn’t an answer yet.

Sometimes you just have to take the next step and see what happens.

I always have to remind myself that uncertainty doesn’t automatically mean what comes next will be terrible. In fact, it could actually be something wonderful.

That doesn’t always make the uncertainty disappear, but it does give me another possibility to consider.

And sometimes, I try to stay in the present instead of jumping too far ahead.

I don’t think I’ll ever master uncertainty.

I still overthink, worry, and want to know what happens next. But I’m learning that the goal isn’t to eliminate uncertainty. It’s learning that I can handle not knowing.

I can create a plan without expecting everything to go according to it.

I can prepare without trying to control every outcome.

And I can remind myself that I have gotten through uncertain moments before.

The truth is, I didn’t always know how those moments would turn out. But eventually, they became something I could look back on.

Perhaps that’s what makes uncertainty a little easier to live with.

You don’t have to know the whole story.

Sometimes, you just have to trust yourself enough to keep turning the page.

How do you handle uncertainty when you don’t know what comes next?

“In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.”— Albert Einstein

#MentalHealth #Neurodiversity #ADHD #Autism #selfcare #MightyTogether

Monday mood, but make it food. 🍓🥔🍝

Because sometimes the easiest way to explain how you’re feeling is to ask:

What food are you today?

Today, I’m feeling like spaghetti. 🍝

A little tangled, a little all over the place, but somehow making it work. 😂

Maybe you’re mashed potatoes—soft, cozy, and needing comfort.

Maybe you’re watermelon—just trying to feel refreshed.

Maybe you’re garlic bread and simply here for the good things.

Whatever you are today, there’s no wrong answer.

So… what food are you feeling like today? 👇

#MentalHealth #Neurodiversity #selfcare #MightyTogether

“Have patience with all things, but first of all with yourself.”— Francis de Sales

The phrase, “be kind to yourself,” is something we hear all the time. It’s everywhere on socials, printed on coffee mugs, and offered as advice whenever someone is struggling.

Simple enough, right?

Then why is it so hard?

Something about myself I realized is that I’m a lot kinder to other people than I am to myself.

If I see a friend struggling or having a hard day, I will always remind them that they’re doing the best they can. I tell them that everyone makes mistakes, that tomorrow is another day, and that one setback doesn’t define them.

Yet when it’s me?

The conversation sounds completely different.

Somehow, compassion becomes much harder to find.

Have you ever noticed that?

A friend forgets something important.

“No worries, it happens.”

You forget something.

“How could I be so stupid?”

A loved one needs a break.

“They’ve been through a lot. They deserve to rest.”

You need a break.

“I haven’t earned it yet.”

The standards we set for ourselves are often impossible to meet, yet we somehow expect ourselves to meet them anyway.

I’ve never understood why we’re so willing to extend kindness to everyone else while treating ourselves like we’re the exception.

I’m incredibly hard on myself all the time. I’ll rethink of moments past that make me cringe with embarrassment. Sometimes, it’s just a quick thought that gives me the willies. Other times, it stays and lingers for hours, even days to come.

There are moments when I forget something important. Moments where I’ll publish something and immediately second-guess why I put it out there. Sometimes when care-giving, I feel completely guilty for being tired and wishing I had more energy. I somehow always turn something small into a reminder of every flaw I think I have.

I think that for a long time, I started believing that if I stopped criticizing myself, I’d become lazy. That if I wasn’t pushing myself, I’d stop growing. If I lowered my expectations, I’d settle.

But I’ve started thinking if the opposite is true.

How much energy do we spend fighting ourselves?

How many mistakes become bigger simply because we refuse to let them go?

It’s been a learning process for me. And one in which has been slow to grow from.

I’m learning that my value isn’t tied to how productive I was today. That resting isn’t the same as quitting.

It’s hard to fight the loud inner critic, but some days, I forgive myself.

There are some days when I take a break without feeling the guilt of it. There are times when I choose not to replay a situation over and over again because I’m trying to focus on the present moment.

I think that self-compassion isn’t about always knowing the right thing to say to yourself. It’s rather choosing not to believe every cruel thought that crosses your mind.

It’s reminding myself that I’m just as deserving of patience as the people I love most.

When was the last time you showed yourself the same patience you so easily give to someone else?

#MentalHealth #Selfcompassion #selfcare #Neurodiversity #Innercritic #MightyTogether

Your mental health matters. Pick a self-care activity that works for you.

#MentalHealth #selfcare

What comforts you most?

#MentalHealth #Neurodiversity #ADHD #Autism #Anxiety #selfcare #MightyPoets #MightyTogether

Ease your mind with the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique.

Name FIVE things you can see

Name FOUR things you can feel

Name THREE things you can hear

Name TWO things you can smell

Name ONE thing you can taste

This mindfulness tip uses your five senses to quiet your mind, reduce anxiety, and bring you back to the present moment.

Save this post or tag a friend who needs a reminder to breathe on those stressful days.

#MentalHealth #selfcare

Still learning. Still growing. Still trying. 🤍🦋

#MentalHealth #Neurodiversity #Depression #selfcare #Selflove #MightyTogether

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve started to embrace a slower lifestyle.

I used to get overwhelmed by all of the things that I thought I needed to do in order to live a successful life. I thought that I had to have it all figured out—career, relationships, financial stability.

But the truth is, I don’t.

And I’m learning that’s okay.

I don’t want to be so hard on myself anymore for not being where I thought I’d be in life. It’s too draining emotionally and mentally to always be doubting yourself and your abilities.

Instead of letting my mind control me, I want to start letting more positive energy flow through me.

This season of life is offering me an opportunity to see the beauty in the ordinary. An opportunity to live life at my own pace.

And deep down, that’s what I think I’ve always wanted all along.

Here are some of the things I want more of.

More Slow Mornings

I want mornings where I don’t wake up and feel like the day is already ruined.

More often than not, I’ll wake up and one small thing will spark some sort of emotion out of me. Usually, it’s irritation or frustration about something.

I want to change the attitude of my mornings.

Start slowly.

No immediate scrolling on my phone.

Enjoying my cup of coffee on the patio.

Getting some sunshine before it gets too hot.

Jokingly, I hear sunshine is supposed to give you energy.

I just want more time to wake up gently instead of immediately feeling behind.

More Little Joys

Picking up fresh flowers at the grocery store to liven up my living space.

Reading all of the books that I haven’t touched and finding new ones to escape into.

Summer sunsets.

My favorite meal after a long day.

Songs that instantly feel like comfort.

I’ve learned that happiness is truly hidden in the ordinary things, and I want to notice those moments more often.

More Meaningful Connections

I want more conversations that go beyond small talk.

I want more people I can fully be myself around.

More moments of feeling understood.

I think all of us have ups and downs in friendships and relationships.

But for me, I learned the hard way who is and who isn’t a stronghold in my life.

I’ve lost friends and partners whom I’ll most likely never speak to again.

And the strange part of it all is that I lost these friendships and relationships because I was just being myself.

With that comes a lot of heartache, grief, and feelings that you’re the problem.

And those feelings don’t just disappear no matter how much time has passed.

Those moments of losing people made me feel like everything I thought about myself was true.

I’m not smart.

I’m not likable.

I’m boring.

The list goes on.

When someone you cared for and adored tells you those things about yourself that you already secretly fear, it does damage.

So, I want to embrace the people in my life who chose to stick around and let me be myself free of judgment.

Friendships and relationships are very important to me, and I don’t want to waste my time on people who don’t see me and accept me for who I am.

More Creating Memories With the People I Love

I have a tight-knit friend circle.

I actually met most of them in middle school, and we’ve maintained close relationships to this day.

I’m so lucky and forever grateful to have friends in my life who love and support me.

All of us are actually going to Romania for our friend’s wedding.

This will be our first time out of the country together, and I can’t tell you how excited I am to make new memories that I just know will last a lifetime.

Whenever I’m with them, I’m happy just being in their presence.

Sure, my mind wanders, and I can get into an overthinking funk, but they truly see me and appreciate me for who I am.

And that means more than they probably realize.

More Comfort in Being Exactly Who I Am

For most of my life, I’ve never really felt comfortable in my own skin.

I always had low self-esteem and a lack of confidence.

I was really hard on myself because I couldn’t do things as easily as others could. And that struggle made me feel weak.

The truth is, I spent my whole life confused about who I really am.

But once I was diagnosed, things started to make sense and fall into place for me.

I gained a new perspective and a new understanding of myself.

It gave me hope, purpose, and answers.

I don’t want to constantly judge myself like I used to.

I don’t want to feel disconnected from myself or appease others by becoming someone different.

I just want to be comfortable with who I am.

And I’m slowly getting there.

My confidence has grown.

My self-esteem is getting higher.

I’m getting there, little by little.

More Celebrating How Far I’ve Come

I think it’s easy to focus on how far we still have to go.

The goals we haven’t reached yet.

The things we still want to change.

But lately, I’ve been trying to remind myself to look back, too.

I’ve survived things I once thought would break me.

I’ve learned so much about myself.

And I’ve grown in ways that I never, ever expected.

There are versions of me from years ago who would be very proud of the person I am today.

And I want to celebrate that more often.

More Gentleness With Myself

Perhaps more than anything, I want to be kinder to myself.

I want to stop expecting myself to function like everyone else.

I want to stop measuring my worth by productivity.

I want to stop feeling like I’m somehow behind.

I want to give myself the same understanding and compassion that I so easily offer other people.

I think this season of life is more about returning to myself and making room for the things that matter.

About creating a life that feels softer, slower, and more aligned with who I truly am.

What is one thing you want more of in this season of your life?

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”— Often attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson

#MentalHealth #Neurodiversity #ADHD #Autism #AutismSpectrum #selfcare #MightyTogether