This year has been pretty overwhelming for most of us, so we need some self-care hacks to cope. In addition to the general stress of 2020, we are now approaching a season that often brings pain and grief to the forefront. With this in mind, I want to share some of my favorite skills for self-care during challenging times.

How you start your day can make or break your next 24 hours. There are so many ideas and suggestions about how to spend your time immediately after crawling out of your cozy bed. I've heard a lot of people say getting the hardest task out of the way first is the right approach. Others say following a morning routine will set your day up for success. After trying more morning rituals than I can count, I've learned that the best way to start my day is to do something that gives me energy. Feeling like I can tackle the day, rather than walking through the motions sluggishly, has helped me lead a happier life.

You might have heard that moderation is essential for a healthy, happy lifestyle. Buddhists and Stoics alike have been explaining for millennia how maintaining balance in your life is the key to meaning and tranquility. At times, finding the right equilibrium can be difficult. However, with diligent, consistent effort, you can find the right amount of moderation and balance in every aspect of your life.

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us feel insecure, frustrated, and scared. With so many question marks on the horizon, we can't plan for the future. Uncertainty runs rampant as long-term decisionmaking becomes a thing of the past. However, we can learn from these uncertain times, emerging stronger than we were before. 

How can a healthy morning routine help if you're not a fan of getting out of bed in the morning? You're not alone in that feeling. Convincing yourself to leave your bedroom and enter the real world can be a daunting task. However, creating a healthy morning routine can help you learn to greet the morning with a smile.

I recently learned of the term "quarantine fatigue" and it helped me understand more about what I've been experiencing. Quarantine fatigue can be different for everyone but the effects are real. Read on to learn about my quartine fatigue experience and what I am doing to combat the symptoms.

Do you find yourself often feeling defensive? Perhaps you have relationships with others who seem to get defensive easily. Responding to another person with defensiveness is never the most effective way to solve a relational conflict, but many of us tend to jump into a defensive stance without thinking much about it.

Setting boundaries for yourself is important, although when we talk about setting boundaries we often refer to boundary setting with others. It is essential to say no to others at times and to advocate for our wants and needs in relationships. However, it is just as important to set boundaries for yourself.

I recently read a book on being more effective in which the author discusses the utility of daily visualization. Daily visualization might make us think of guided visualizations or meditation, but this particular method is distinct from that. 

Most people have hobbies they conditionally participate in, but striving toward full participation in a new hobby can provide a different sense of fulfillment. For many of us, our hobbies have just ‘ended up’ in our lives. We experience them as routine, no longer providing joy. This is potentially because we no longer fully participate.