If I am feeling down or blue, I don’t do anything to make myself feel better.

I don’t surround myself with friends, go drinking, do drugs or resort to anything that might assist in escaping from myself.

This is because I have found any distraction to be temporary. My feelings of sadness are right there, waiting for me when I get back, and typically manage to get stronger while I am away.

Also, if my whole body is down, me trying to yank it into not feeling what it’s feeling is the equivalent of not listening to myself.

Instead, I mope. I sulk. I cry. (Crying feels both horrible and amazing.)

I lie around trying to sit with what I feel (which, I won’t lie to you, is uncomfortable as hell.)

I try not to look at my devices or my phone (except to write.)

I go on a walk or a yoga class so I can just breathe and move, breathe and move.

It takes me a while to process whatever is making me feel down but when I get out on the other side I feel much stronger than when all I have been trying to do is evade myself.

I deserve my full attention. I deserve to listen to myself, and so do you