by christina stoever
pocket guide: how 2 love urself
A teensy tinsy compilation of some advice I wish I could take from myself when I need it most. Inspired by a few days of heartbreak and from wishing I could hug all of my friends who work so hard but don’t even know it. In times when life is too heavy and not even sleeping could make you feel any better, this is a reminder that every thing is temporary and you will be ok.
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contents
love urself pg. 3
feel better pg. 7
now playing pg. 9
take care pg. 5
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love urself
W
hat does it mean to love yourself? TBH IDK how to really answer that. All I know for sure is that it’s a never ending process, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Treat yourself like you’d treat a plant (you best be treating plants well): you need daily care. It’s so incredibly easy to get caught up in life and neglect yourself along the way. We get so absorbed in working towards the future, investing all of our energy into anxiety, fear, doubts, negativity, expectations, that it tears at our roots and slowly causes us to wilt. That being said, there are a few essential nutrients that you will need to incorporate into your life to get to a place of loving yourself. Accept yourself. There is no one like you and that’s amazing. Accept your flaws, your strengths, your appearance, your personality, your circumstances. If you are unhappy with an aspect of your life, see how it can be fixed or changed. At the end
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of the day, you’re all you’ve got so you may as well do what makes you the happiest. Be kind to yourself. Everything you feel is so valid. You’re human and you’re allowed to have good days and bad days. Just fall right back into watering yourself and giving yourself the light you need to come out of the dark. Take the rest days you need. Nothing that occurs in nature blooms year round. It’s okay to have moments of change, these are simply the lemons that life throws at us telling us we are growing in the direction we’re supposed to; in the end it makes us so much stronger. I know what you’re thinking - I just took your entire human life and compared you to an emotionless plant. Just know that you are a delicate form of life who radiates so much beauty and you will bloom in no time.
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take care
take a bath. or a shower. think of it as a hideaway from reality where you can wash off your day. soaking in lavender epsom salts is a plus.
go outside. you deserve fresh air! walk around and observe your surroundings. leave your cell phone at home. be one with the world around you.
surround yourself with loved ones. they want you to feel ok. they will also probably make you laugh when all you want to do is cry.
treat yo’self. finish the tub of ice cream. buy yourself a bouquet of flowers. you . are. worth. it!!!!!!
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meditate. tbh i cannot sit and be with my own thoughts for more than a minute without distractions but there are apps for this and can totally calm you down when you need it. check out an app called “headspace”, ‘tis free.
cook something. there’s something therapeutic about following a recipe and pretending you’re having your own cooking show in the comfort of your own kitchen.
make an art piece. how do you think i got the motivation to do this?? it’s crazy where your mind will take you when you’re feeling the feels. pull a van gogh and make something awesome. also don’t cut your ear off.
pet a fluffy creature. science says it’s good for you but also how can you not want to pet an adorable animal.
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feel better if you’re feeling slumped and don’t know how to give yourself the TLC you need and deserve, try considering these effective healing methods:
do a face mask
eat an ice cream cone
get your thoughts into a diary
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also, eat a bagel
now reading: “the girls” by EMMA CLINE i never have time to read if i’m being honest with you, but i found this book on the sidewalk aka in someone’s garbage in NYC and OBVIOUSLY i took it because the cover was rad and included the word ‘girls’. ended up finishing this in 3 days.
podcasts : “monocycle
with leandra medine”
an honest podcast about the little things life throws at us. it’s a refreshing pick me up hearing a stranger put things into perspective.
it’s a romantic yet tragic story about what it’s like to be a teenage girl, the longing and intricacies that come with it. “the girls” gave me a sense of freedom that i never got to experience growing up, touching on a high school girl’s wild experiences with a cult-like group in the middle of nowhere california.
“adulthood made easy” although no new episodes are being put out, their extensive archive covers almost every crucial aspect of life as a 20-something. a lot of great info to take away from this.
nylon magazine, OCTOBER 2017
“elise gets crafty”
it’s a sad day when the magazine you’ve dreamt of being apart of your entire young adult life stops getting printed and goes digital. i recently splurged (a whole $4.99) on this last printed issue when my boyfriend broke up with me for 2 days. we got back together though so i’ve yet to actually sit with this.
as a senior in art school, i’m always stressing about what comes after i graduate. this podcast covers all of the essentials that come with being a creative, and how to successfully be your own boss!
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now playing a playlist to listen to on a fall day.
petals // tops nobody knows // amber coffman provider // frank ocean necessary evil // unknown mortal orchestra i can change // lcd soundsystem khmlwugh // homeshake broken clocks // sza boredom // tyler the creator matrimony // tennis
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