Self Care Short List

As my acupuncture days wind to an end (insurance only covers so much!), I've been trying harder to incorporate my own version of extended meditation/reflection along with muscle relaxion into my everyday life. I feel like I write about these activities a lot--reading, writing, redecorating my room, etc, but when I can't take the Ashland bus north for half an hour and lay under a heat lamp with needles tingling in my back, I can still (and absolutely should for my mental health) put on some quiet music and just sit, put on loud music and jam, stretch, focus on my breathing, or light a candle and contemplate the world.

Here's a short list of my most recent self care outlets, in all varieties:

Books! like Keeping the Feast by Paula Butturini, which appeals to me largely because it's set in Rome, but also because of the intense and lengthy discussions about why food, simple and real, is a necessity to survive and succeed in this world. As far as I'm concerned, anyone's story of how Rome fits in their life is worth a read...and this one has had me gripped, even during my distracting bus ride to acupuncture!

Music! by Andrew Bird, Gold Motel, Bela Fleck, KaiserCartel, Usher, Iron & Wine, Guster and as always, Dave Matthews is great when I need some noise in the background for journaling, falling asleep, or rearranging my bedroom. Most of these artists have free tracks available at daytrotter.com, a recording studio that features sessions by all sorts of artists.

TV Shows! like Glee, NBC Thursday Night Comedy, Jersey Shore, and (a new soon-to-be-favorite?) The Chicago Code all help out when I need to veg for a bit. Mostly they're for the laughs, but that last one (though I've only currently seen the pilot), is kind of a thinker. It's fast-paced and shows a Chicago I'm learning more and more about. At any rate, I had fun trying to figure out where all the scenes were shot in relation to where I live.

Finally, with the weather slowly but surely getting better (read: not so gray, above freezing), I find myself actually wanting to spend time outside. Then, when the Mercy bubble grows too small and I need to get out or go crazy, I'm not in danger of frostbite.