’Tis the season for gratitude so here’s a list of acts of serving myself that my future self is always thankful for. Don’t forget to do something nice for you this week.
Meal prep: I spent an earlier weekend this month feeding the compost with expired foods and cleaning out the mold growing in my fridge. All the fruits and veggies and aspirational health foods I’ve purchased had collected green or red patches or white fuzz. I’m not always motivated enough to cook or meal prep, but when I cook, I always cook in bulk. And I find when I meal prep, I save my future self’s time and energy, eat healthier with better portion control and at more regular intervals and use up more ingredients in my fridge. That’s a win-win-win.
Cleaning: My grandfather always told me to have a place for everything. He was meticulously tidy to the point that if someone broke into his house and moved his things, he would know. Meanwhile, I’m the person who is frantically looking for her misplaced phone or keys (usually in her pocket) and sunglasses at least once every given month. I’m also that person that has dishes piled in the sink and hasn’t put away her clean laundry after a week of it sitting in the bin. Cleaning takes a lot of time, but I’m also learning it saves time and money: The hours of stress and frustration from losing what you need or buying duplicates of the same misplaced item when one would suffice. I’m learning that when I do clean my living space, I also have a less cluttered mind as my existing to-do list of items just got shorter. Then instead of thinking of the dog fur that needs vacuuming or the other chores that need my attention, my mind is freer to think of other creative projects. I’m more organized and feel better when I’m also living in a clean living space. That said, I’ve also grown comfortable being always covered in dog fur.
Music: In a spur of cord cutting and immediate cost savings two years ago, I cancelled Spotify, one of the apps that had gotten me through 2020. What I didn’t realize at the time: Music has therapeutic effects and can even “reduce the perception of pain as much as taking an Advil.” By cutting Spotify, I drastically cut my music and new music discovery intake as well as the source to something that soothes and heals me. Over the past six months, I’m learning that I’m someone who craves new experiences including the discovery of new-to-me sounds. Music is something that gives me joy and while there are other music subscriptions outside of Spotify, this is where I’ve kept my carefully curated playlists. It’s personalized daylist and algorithm also has a knack of suggesting new songs and artists that I grow to love — like Cantopop stars Jason Chan and Serrini. Music doesn’t replace therapy, but it could have alleviated some of the emotional anguish I felt in the past two years.
Skipping the all-you-can-eats: If I don’t want to eat the entire pint of ice cream in one sitting while binging “The Great British Bake Off,” remove the temptation and don’t buy ice cream. If I don’t want to deal with the hangovers or vomiting, don’t drink alcohol. Don’t have an entire weekend devoted to binging entire seasons of [insert TV show here]? Leave it in the Netflix queue. Gretchen Rubin has taught me that I’m an abstainer, which means it’s easier for me to cut toxic things out of my life than have them in moderation. That includes the buffets and open bars. I always feel sick afterwards — even though the unlimited hot pots and ten plates of seafood are so enticing at the time.
Dogs: I can’t deny that adopting Jack was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. He’s taken me on walks, gotten me to go outside in all elements, helped me bond with other pet parents, cuddled me when I’ve felt lonely and so much more. Dogs are so good. We don’t deserve them.
Here’s a dog-ital resting point. Hug a loved one today.