when I’m upset, I probably need to take a shower, eat a snack, drink water, and step outside in the quiet and stillness for a moment to breathe. look up at the stars.

make soup, make bread.

I may also need a distraction – something to do with my hands. I crochet a ball of yarn into a flat square, then unravel again.

I need to walk in solitude several times a walk.

it’s helpful to leave home for long enough to drive into town – sing along to the radio, park behind the funeral home. I often pick up snacks at the convenience store.

when I can’t sleep, I turn on an audiobook or a podcast, light a candle, fold laundry, play a video game, read a book.

when I’m upset, I need to remember to do these things.