Cheers for self-care! Here are some words and a doodle. This is my act of self-care, one kettle, one doodle, and one word at a time. I started this journal at the beginning of December. Slowly, when I have some free time, I pick up a pencil and draw something in it. I started adding words to take up the space between the drawings, and it felt right.
As I’ve been playing with drawings and words, the idea that I needed to go bigger with this became clear to me. My word for the year came to me this way. I need to write more! I used to blog and loved it. I need to draw more! I love art and the act of creating it. Yesterday I made myself some tea, picked up a pencil, and added this little kettle to the bottom of a fresh page to remind me that self-care is important. It’s grounding and refreshing.
I love a kettle on the stove. I grew up with one always right there. It whispers to you when you walk in the kitchen as a reminder for self-care in the form of something warm. Turning on the burner is a small decision that says, I am allowed to stop for a moment. As the kettle warms, I get to select a mug and a tea. I have been choosing peppermint a lot lately with a little sweetener. Holding that cup of warmth is like a reset. It feels like giving yourself a hug.
I remember always doodling, especially when I was on the phone. Picking up a pen to write down a number or take a note always had me drawing flowers or marks of some sort on the paper. If I were stressed, I could zone out that way. Do you guys remember that saying? “Zoning out,” haha! I also loved zoning out with coloring books from the earliest time I can remember.
So today, if you can, put the kettle on and let it be a little ceremony. Let it be a reminder that tending to yourself doesn’t have to be complicated. It can be warm and quiet. It can be waiting long enough to hear the kettle sing. If tea isn’t your way of relaxing, maybe you could doodle or write in a journal or use a coloring book to reset. So let’s pick up our mugs or whatever you are drinking and cheers to self-care! Yay!