just a shadow of myself today.

Having a foggy day. Not really sick, but not well either. Would like above all things to sleep the day away.

Ideally, I would have been able to call in sick and spend the day in bed. But this is one of our busiest times at work, and I am just this side of functional, so here I am at work.

Days like this I have to strip self-care back to its very essence. There's just not enough energy for more than this.

Lemon water. No fancy organic lemon wedges hand squeezed here today. A bottle of water. A packet of crystallized lemon juice. Combine. The very basic basics.

A bagel bought here in the library coffee shop. Cream cheese even though it may not be the best thing for me today. Just a little, anyway.

Kindness. Days like this the negative self talk has GOT to go. When you can't wrap yourself in a blanket burrito and shut out the world, you can at least wrap yourself in kindness and say "It's okay baby girl. Just rest. I've got you."

My default uniform of jeans and a soft white cotton top. My most comfortable shoes.

That's it really. Maybe a few pretzels, and perhaps a smoothie later. Whatever is easy.

I seem to be developing two or three levels of self-care. Today's flavor appears to be called something like "What do you absolutely require to be able to hold yourself together and get through the day?" With a subset of "Hold tight and hope tomorrow's better."

I added a picture to my tumblr this morning. Tagged it "uplift." That's what self-care feels like for me today somehow...

(photo link)