Asklemmy

A few things:

1. Writing down five things I'm grateful for. Actually I was doing this every day earlier this year when I was depressed. Don't just bullshit it. Write down what you're looking forward to that day, or things that you are appreciating. It will encourage you to appreciate more, to slow the fuck down and live a peaceful life.

2. Blogging/Journaling. I have been blogging on a wordpress blog but haven't shared the URL with anyone, not even my spouse. It's so helpful just to organize my thoughts and is helping me get in touch with my emotions instead of suppressing them.

3. Two lists. I keep two lists that I refer to frequently. One is my to-do list, which I have organized in Notion. When I can see that I am getting shit done, and more importantly, I have a system for prioritizing what shit gets done, I feel better about my life. The other and arguably more important list is my anti-productivity list. My just for me list. My shit I like to do list. Take out the feelings of your parents, your partner, your friends. Be selfish for a damn minute. Write down the things that truly make you happy. And make sure you do something on that list at a minimum once a week.

For me some of those things include:

1. Long showers during the spring time with the windows/doors open so a breeze can come in.
2. Smoking a cigar in the bathtub with a glass of scotch.
3. Watching Studio Ghibli movies.
4. Watching my favorite movies in general. "Midnight In Paris", "Lady and the Tramp", "Lloyd's of London", "Jab Tak Hai Jaan".
5. Going home to visit with my relatives.
6. Chinese hot pot
7. Going to the movie theater
8. Creative writing like I did as a kid. No pressure to produce anything great. Just write and tap into that joyful creativity.
9. Going to a craft beer brewery
10. Getting a massage
11. Playing MTG with my cousin and brother
12. Playing Kingdom Hearts
13. Cooking some comfort food
14. A nice road trip with the windows rolled down and no destination in mind.

4. Meditate. Look I'm not a crunchy person. But just focusing on box breathing / basic breath work at the end of every day has helped me tremendously. I think everyone should do it. It is physically proven that deep breathing done in the right way physically calms you down.