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We all have bad days.

I’ve put together a list of comforting material to help you with them. Use it when you’re feeling down, depleted of energy, or need a mental health day.

We all get depleted sometimes. It’s how we deal with those times that defines us.

Here’s a self-care toolbox to go from running on empty to reaching empowerment.

They are simple things, but sometimes, simplicity is all we can handle, especially on our tough days. None of these are sponsored. Here they are:

1. Listen to this therapeutic community music playlist by Dr. Jen Wolkin.

2. Listen to this podcast by therapist Megan Devine, Grief Advocate, on Grief, Loss, and the “Cult of Positivity.” It’s about how to cope with bad days or losses without using toxic positivity as well as how to help each other.

3. Read Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed, an advice columnist who goes by Dear Sugar. It’s a compilation of her pieces answering questions on life and love. She gets personal in her responses, shedding light on her own story. It helps us find common humanity to read this book. It also helps us cope and find meaning. We recognize ourselves in these stories. One of them could apply to your situation!

4. Get Tiny Buddha 2022 Day-to-Day Calendar full of site-contributor quotes. These inspirational quotes are taken from writers’ blogs. She hand-selected them through reading thousands of articles. They cover an array of topics carrying meaningful messages taken from personal stories of resilience.

5. Listen to this Guided Meditation: “Reflection” by Mimi Page.

6. Listen to this song: “All The Kids Are Depressed” by Jeremy Zucker with his friends and strangers sharing their experiences with depression. Things they couldn’t tell their friends or loved ones. The music video is a compilation of their stories. He says it’s to help you know that you’re not alone.

7. Watch this video on Box Breathing Relaxation Technique for self-soothing and stress-relieving purposes.

8. Write a letter to yourself. What do you most need to hear? Treat yourself as you would your best friend with compassion and care.

9. Fill out the exercises in The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook: A Proven Way to Accept Yourself, Build Inner Strength, and Thrive by Kristin Neff. You will learn how to strengthen your positive self-talk with your inner compassionate voice rather than negative self-talk with your inner critic.

10. Take a shot of Wheatgrass Juice! It’s a superfood that eliminates toxins, helps with digestion, boots your metabolism, lowers your cholesterol, boosts your immune system, gives you energy, improves cognitive function, helps with diabetes, and helps with arthritis.

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