Take What You Need
a non-exhaustive list for when life feels hard and heavy
🗣️ Talk to a trusted friend: let them in and let it out.
📹 Video journal: your experience matters, give it some airtime.
💃🏻 Dance it out: find a tune, pump it loud, and let your body lead the way.
🌈 Make space for fun & joy: paint, read, arrange flowers - your joy. your choice.
😭 Cry: in most cases you will feel better, even if it’s just a little.
🔋 Rest and recharge: nothing runs well on 5%, including you.
😮💨 Scream into a pillow: release what’s pent up & then bring yourself back to calm.
🥊 Punch something soft: let your rage out without getting hurt or in trouble.😉
🥰 Cuddle your pet: proven to flood your body, and theirs, with oxytocin.
⛈️ Make room for all your feels: because we can’t heal what we hide from.
🌍 Be in community: we all need folks who help us feel seen, safe, heard & helped.
⭐️ Create a ‘things I can control’ list: and let it remind you of the power you own.
🚶🏽♀️Go for a stroll: down the hallway or around the block. A little can go a long way.
🫁 Close your eyes and take a deep breath: rinse and repeat as needed.
🤣 Laugh a lot: it might not be the cure but it sure is the best medicine.
🫂 Hug a loved one: hold them tight and more importantly, let yourself be held.
📰 Read and share good news: It’s happening everyday & deserves our attention.
💧Stay hydrated: because being dehydrated will not help us fight the good fight.
😴 Explore sleep hygiene: because sleeping well is vital to handling hard times.
❤️🩹 Write a worry list: give them somewhere to land before you rip, bury or burn it.
🌱 Ground yourself in gratitude: and try to remember — no mud, no lotus.
⚡️Shake it out: you’d be surprise to discover what your body is holding on to.
♥️ Help someone: in a world trying to harden you, hold on tight to your humanity.
🚦 Mind your media: stay informed without it costing you your wellbeing.
❓Ask “What do I need right now?”: and meet the moment without judgement
📵 Log off of social media: and give your nervous system a break
💨 Try cyclical sighing: less anxiety & a better mood in as little as five minutes.
🧹Tidy up: set an intention, a timer and learn to let little by little go a long way.
📝 Journal it out: set timer or scribble and scrawl until the cows come home.
💞 Love on your people: and remember to let yourself be loved back
🙅🏻♀️ Say no: and don’t let yourself feel guilty for it.
🤬 Cultivate your curse words: turns out dropping f-bombs can be good for us.
⚓️ Try and remember you are not alone: there is so much proof that you aren’t.
In the midst of the chaos, both current and what has yet to come, we need to remember that our well-being is not optional. It's the foundation that holds us steady, as we navigate the heavy moments, the uphill climbs, and the hard truths.
In a world where problems are multiplying by the minute, and its blatantly evident that some folks are determined to drag us backwards, my hope is that you find many ways to take good care—ways that are available, accessible, and feel aligned.
May you be able to take what you need, as often as you need it, because this long and laborious fight demands rest and recalibration at its core, not just as part of the plan.
“Liberation for all at the expense of none” - Louiza “Weeze” Doran
with you,
-V
🎵 Music Credit: Prem_Adhikary
Hi, I’m Vanessa. Thanks a ton for sharing this space with me. If you resonate with my work, and would like to support me, here’s how:
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