It’s no great secret that things have felt pretty miserable lately. Despite the brief passage of time, many of us (Geeks in Art included) are still mourning Carrie Fisher’s death. Fans admired and drew inspiration from her writing and advocacy. For many, she is the Princess who saved herself and later became a General instead of Queen. She was what happens when bravery and wit meet sheer talent.
Looking to the future for optimism is becoming harder for many to do. Whether it’s a vague sense of gloomy fear for the world in general, or a specific anxiety about your future, willing yourself to be more optimistic isn’t easy. This is why self-care is incredibly important. Self-care, in practice, means doing the things you need to do, even when they are hard or unpleasant, in the best interests of your own mental health. Things things include showering, cleaning, and eating on a regular basis. Self-care can also include things you do to comfort yourself when the world gets to be too much. Here are a few other self-care tips for geeks.
Self-Care Tips For Geeks
1. Dust, Tidy, And Organize A Collection
Geeks are known for collecting things. Whether it’s Funko Pops, comic books, Lego, action figures, or retro gaming gear, chances are there’s something you’re fond of collecting. When things are rough, combine your pride in your collection with a general need to keep things clean. Organizing something you love is a great gateway chore – from there you may find yourself inspired to continue on. If not, you can still take pride in the fact that you completed a chore. Try not to let yourself get overwhelmed, though. Just focus on one shelf or one part of your collection at a time. My routine looks a bit like this:
- Pick a soundtrack (tip: avoid Netflix or something that will suck you into watching rather than tidying)
- Take a picture of the shelf
- Gather your preferred cleaning supplies
- Tackle that one shelf
- Take another picture
- Feel good about the hard work you did
- Repeat if desired.
2. Pick Up Or Perfect A Hobby
Having a hobby you enjoy is incredibly good for your mental health. One of the best things you can do for yourself when feeling overwhelmed is to schedule the next day or two. As you look at your to do list, be sure to schedule some time to focus on you. Developing or perfecting a mentally challenging hobby can keep your mind actively engaged in something productive. Productive hobbies also tend to help some people feel better about scheduling that time – having something to show for it can make it seem less selfish to those who struggle with putting themselves first. If you have a productive hobby you feel you’ve mastered, try to turn it into something new. Make YouTube tutorials and show others or learn a new strategy or approach. If you don’t have a hobby, don’t worry! Finding one doesn’t have to be challenging:
- Think about what interested you as a child or young adult and explore that. Colouring, for example, is a wonderful hobby recommended by psychiatrists for decades.
- Think about what interests you right now. Ever had an idea for a comic book? Maybe writing or drawing is for you. Do you love movies? Maybe video production will be your thing. Can’t get enough music? Try learning an instrument. With the easy access to hundreds of online tutorials on just about any topic, and the number of people willing to share their hobbies with others offering private lessons, you can explore a new hobby with ease.
3. Binge-Watch Your Favourite With A Timer
Sometimes we can get so wrapped up in the miserable things happening around us we forget to take care of very basic needs. Things as simple as drinking enough water and eating enough food can be impossible when things are tense. Take a time-out and put on an episode (or seven) of your favourite show. If you have a larger chunk of time to set aside, think about watching a few of your favoruite franchise films or series. Take the following steps before you settle into a comfy spot:
- Have a hot shower or bath. The heat and steam will help you relax.
- Put on comfortable clothing.
- Pour yourself a beverage of your choice, but also a large glass of water.
- Get a healthy snack you feel you can stomach (crackers and cheese are always my go to snack items even when my anxiety is high and my stomach aches).
- Set a 60 minute or so timer on your phone or other time-telling device.
- When the timer goes off, pour yourself another glass of water.
- Repeat as desired. Consider getting another small healthy snack at regular intervals as well (for example, once every two hours of self-care time).
The two best things you can do for your body regardless of how you feel or are coping are eating and drinking. Some people (myself included) find it hard to eat enough food or drink enough water on a regular basis, especially when we are distracted by other tasks. Allowing yourself time to get lost in a galaxy far far away or traveling to Hogwarts can be pretty distracting, but if you’re looking for a way to temporarily remove yourself from your worries it’s effective. Combining an enjoyable self-care strategy (like exploring time and space with the Doctor) with a less than enjoyable one (like eating healthy food and drinking enough water) is a great way to motivate and encourage yourself to complete that less fun task.
4. Introduce Yourself To “Closet Cosplay” or “Everyday Cosplay”
Doing routine, everyday things when you feel depressed or are struggling can be extraordinarily difficult. For some people, simple things like getting dressed warp into an endless string of decisions. For others, the thought of going to work or school seems simply awful. On days like those, everyday/closet cosplay can be exactly the motivation you need to get things done. Generally speaking, closet cosplay involves wearing items you would normally wear every day but combining them in ways to create outfits inspired by your favoruite fandom. These are items most of us wouldn’t necessarily wear to a convention. In some cases, those outside your fandom may not even know. Here are a few examples:
- Blue pants + red shirt + yellow headband with a star = Wonder Woman
- Skinny jeans + red plaid shirt + tally mark bracelet = Amy Pond (from The Impossible Astronaut)
- Black pants + dark purple/black shirt + leather jacket = Ninth Doctor
- Skinny jeans + white blouse + long grey/beige sweater + floral scarf = Hermione
- Blue skirt + white blouse + blue blazer = Peggy Carter (red fedora optional)
- Black pants/skirt + white blouse + black vest = Han Solo
The internet is filled with inspiration, or you can put together your own. We love getting closet cosplay ideas! Submit your image or idea (let us know if it’s okay to publish) and we’ll feature your ideas in an upcoming post!
5. Find A Community
Finding a group of people who share your love for a Thing can be really helpful. Even if you don’t feel up to participating in conversation, being a part of something bigger than yourself can be motivating. Other members will share hilarious fandom-related memes, ways in which the Thing has helped them, and other ways to enjoy the Thing. For example, the Hamilton fans Facebook page is filled with touching stories from fans, memes, and even reposted messages from the cast (original and current). Fans will also share ways that they enjoy the musical with postings of crocheted dolls, fan art, covers, and reimaginings. There are a ton of online communities you can join. Some are specifically devoted to one fandom in particular, while others celebrate geek culture of all types.
