What 2 Do When U Don't Feel Like U

I don't know what it is, but lately I've been having a hard time feeling like myself. Maybe I feel like I have a lot going on and start to kind of lose myself in the madness. Maybe I think too much about the way I come off to people and the kind of impressions I leave. Maybe I'm in an awkward transitional phase where I am in the process shedding my old skin and morphing into a beautiful spring butterfly. . .

Either way, I can't seem to wrap my finger around the source, and whatever it is, it's bumming me out. I'm out of place; Something is off. It's as if my past selves are clashing with my present self and fighting for the same space of my potential/future self, and I'm not sure which 'me' to show at any given time. I'm a believer in feeling out emotions and awkward times of our lives so that we can learn from them and try to improve our lives, but once that is done, all the lame feels have to be kicked to the curb. If you ever find yourself feeling out of your element, I hope these tips can make you feel like your damn fine self again.

1. Do something nice for yourself.
Sometimes when I don't feel like myself, it's because I'm tired: mentally and physically drained. And when you're tired, nothing feels right. To remind yourself that you are important and amazing, be nice to yourself. Get yourself those wings that ALWAYS leave you satisfied or take that nice and well-deserved afternoon nap or do your makeup even if you don't have plans to go out or light a sweet-scented candle and drink some nerve-calming tea like the sophisticated scholar that you are. Treat yourself with the gentle care and consideration that your body and soul deserves.

2. Listen to your jams.
Does it make sense when I say to listen to music that just feels like you? Not simply songs that you like. I can't say it any other way than to listen to songs that remind you of who you are. This could mean songs from your childhood (the ones you may or may not feel embarrassed to say that you still have on your ipod) or songs from a good time in your life. Dramatic spanish-ballads that remind you of your mom, rock and roll classics you remember hearing when you helped your dad wash the cars as a kid, or those songs they overplayed on the radio when you were 10 that you now love. Songs that make you happy and that have shaped you over the years. I think this step is a lot more effective when the songs are from your past. I find that these types of songs make me a very specific type of happy and they never fail to fuel my present self with the strange wisdom of a past where I was younger.

3. Wear something that feels YOU.
I know this seems kinda broad and a little weird but I hope you have that one shirt or that one hoodie or cardigan that never fails to make you feel way in your element. Sometimes I like to think of what we wear as our armor. I like seeing articles of clothing as ways of making us feel like fierce and unstoppable forces. When feeling out of touch with yourself, always go for the timeless pieces in your closet, whether it's a favorite dress you've worn a million times or an old, holey, and comfy pj shirt.

4. Hug your dog or cat
I'm going to talk about dogs here because I've never had a cat but you can mentally replace the word dog with the word cat or whatever other animal you have that you feel loved by. Dogs are never judgmental and to them you are the brightest star in the whole of their universe. Your dogs are your biggest fan and are always there to remind you with a lick to the face and a vigorous tail wag that you are a fantastic person.

me and my love, Ginger

5. Watch your favorite movie or tv show.
Having a good laugh or a good cry can be exactly what you need when you're feeling this way. Tune in to that show that always makes you laugh no matter what and whose reruns you never get tired of. Put on that movie you've watched a countless amount of times and that still never fails to make you cry. Tears, laughter, anger, fear...all these emotions that movies and shows evoke in us bring us closer to ourselves. Sometimes while watching my fave movies or TV shows I find that I get lost in their worlds and sometimes even feel like I could be one of the characters. Whether you get strength from the tears, laughter, or from embodying your favorite character, get lost in the movies or shows that are classics to you.

Now and Then (1995)

The Office

6. Look through old photos
I love looking through old albums. Seeing pictures of my parents while they were my age is one of the coolest and most surreal experiences. Being in touch with some aspect of your history, whether you know your entire ancestry or like me, you rely on photo albums to retell the past, is a big part of understanding who you are. Your ancestors, parents, grandparents...don't always have to define you, but they can remind you that you are apart of something big, you belong somewhere, and often I am able to learn or understand something new about myself while flipping through our 90' styled photo albums. When it comes to seeing pictures of myself, I always think about how different I feel now, but that "OMG, that's still me." A me that I could even learn a lot from. Plus there's also proof that at one point I was cool, so I'm bound to be cool again at another point in my life right???

me as a sassy baby who can't b bothered w flash photography (ignore my big phone in the reflection of the photo) ((I hope I didn't just make you realize it's there))

7. Talk to someone who knows you well.
We all have those people in our lives that we feel just KNOW us and GET us in a way that not just anyone does. That person that accepts every side of who we are and makes us feel appreciated and loved. These are the kinds of people that laugh at our jokes, make us laugh even harder, and that are just always on the same wavelength as we are. In our everyday lives we may not get to see these people on a regular basis. Instead, we may find ourselves surrounded by people who mistaken us as mean, dull, unintelligent, overbearing, underwhelming......and we may begin to feel like their perceptions define us. BUT THEY DON'T and that's why I think it's important to surround yourself with people who remind you of why you are important and special.

Feeling completely in touch with myself is always a constant struggle. If you ever find yourself in this position, make sure that the things you surround yourself with are timeless. Things that are always constant and hardly ever have side effects. That's what we need when we start losing touch with ourselves. Solid, reliable, and stable sources of happiness that restore our balance and sense of purpose every time.

best best weeshes to everyone,

Kristal