One Act of Kindness to Myself Today - Part 2

[Blueberry]

That's lovely Hope

Good for you tryingtokeepmoving! I'm having a lot of trouble even getting out of bed atm so I know of what you speak. Today you managed, and more

[PaperDoll]

I struggle with spending money on myself, but today I went to the hairdressers. The lady who cut my hair was really lovely and put me at ease.

[Mathilde]

I have a hard time cooking for me and my son due to ptsd.

Through an organisation I now have a volunteer who cooks for us. Twice a week. For just the cost of a meal. He lives two streets away. Today I picked up a lovely meal without having to make it.

I feel slight guilt, but it is also good. This way we eat healthy affordable and tasty food. Rather than takeaway.

[Blueberry]

That's wonderful, Mathilde! Big kindness to yourself to take advantage of that opportunity. I have a lot of trouble cooking for myself as well, also cptsd-related.

[AphoticAtramentous]

That's awesome to hear, Mathilde. I can understand your feelings of guilt, but I would reassure that - if the volunteer didn't want to do that stuff, they wouldn't be volunteering!

Regards,
Aphotic.

[Mathilde]

Thanks you both. You are right. It's actually quite cool. He is a great cook too. So I'm very happy with it.

I was absolutely not kind to myself today. I made myself write out all sorts of trauma stuff. But I did kick myself off the laptop. And just made a nice hot cup of soothing herbal tea. Does that count?

[Mathilde]

I relaxed a long while. I demand of myself that I recover. Immediate. When my pulmonary embolism of this Christmas makes me very tired still. I took a lot of rest today

[Mathilde]

I was scared. Yet managed to get up and do normal peoples stuff.

[Blueberry]

I'm thinking it might be helpful for me to write on this thread for a while...

One thing of kindness to myself today - rn I'm wearing a wet cloth around my neck to help me cool off

[Blueberry]

I have my feet in a tub of cool water for at least the second time today

[Blueberry]

One thing of kindness to myself today - rn I'm wearing a wet cloth around my neck to help me cool off

Ditto today

[Yael]

Kid and I had sushi today.

[Blueberry]

I started this thread in Lent 2020. Normally in the Christian religion you fast from something during Lent and I was posting about how triggering it is for me to be restricting myself. And then Notalone came up with a suggestion for me: https://cptsd.org/forum/index.php?topic=12143.msg98105#msg98105

So this thread is based on that.

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. One of the Churches in my country has as their motto this year "Fasting without Severity, without Harshness" partly to do with the world turning harsher, but also partly the idea that people can go overboard on their own fasting, like being so strict with themselves they don't actually get closer to whatever spirituality they believe in. I think that fits well with One Act of Kindness To Myself Today.
Feel free to start with an act of kindness today.

[Blueberry]

I think a general act of kindness to myself, which would also be a concrete step towards some healing, is to be more aware of how I talk to myself, meaning try and see when a feeling which could lead to a "should" is present. Then try and think what would be healthier for me than "should". Like instead of telling myself "I should get out of bed", try and get more in the habit of thinking what could inspire me to get up or even just interest me in getting on with my day. I don't know if I will write that here daily, but I might at least some days because it does help me to keep track of that kind of thing for a while at least.