Hi pals,
I wanted to throw out a ‘oh Happy New Year, I guess!’ post, to check in with you all! I’ve been working on my own way of journaling every year which focus on my many different passions, being creative and giving myself space to exist and feel my feelings (in words or in art) I wanted to give a list of suggestions for people trying to move away from the toxic New Year resolutions (which I already commented on last year) and find something else more fulfilling to focus on this year but also something that has a positive impact on yourself and others.
1. find mutual aid group to support with values similar to your own
Find a group with a focus on something you’re passionate about. There’s one out there for everything, trust me. Animals, disability, LGBTQ+ people, Black people and People of the Global Majority groups, anti-war, environmental issues, education, abolition of police/prisons/psychiatric facilities etc., human rights, on and on. You can find them on instagram, in-person and online. If there’s nothing that really takes your fancy, see how you can promote morale among your friends and comrades (I have some suggestions in my last blog post and the one before that for you to check out). Starting small is always a good start, you don’t want to burn yourself out immediately and it might be worth trying a few things out first, see what feels right for you. You don’t have to commit to donating money every month but contributing financially is important and really helpful to do when we can!
2. do a little something to push for political change every month
do you have some spare time (i.e. time you’re numbly scrolling social media for hours where you could maybe put 10 minutes to one side to do an activity..?) where you can search petitions to sign and share, contact your local representative/MP/Councillor about what concerns you, attend a protest?
3. start journaling in a way that feels good
stop trying to be like That Girl on TikTok, stop trying to copy the productive YouTubers or Bloggers with their bullet journaling, find a basic lined journal or notebook and start experimenting with things you like the look of and see if you really like it. Start saving mementos of days out and important moments. Write about the different kinds of tea you’ve tried. You can literally write anything in your journal. My journals are a mixture of short term and long term goals, creativity, mental health check ins and prompts, and planning (along with some hectic chaos), you can watch my video for some ideas. Find what feeds your soul.
4. put yourself out there
are you in a rut? do you like to be creative? even if you don’t want to pursue a creative career, find some zines, read zines, and send your work out to a bunch. Make an aim to submit to a zine every month just to put yourself out there.
5. read more books
I know this one might feel hard, but with Libby or other audiobook apps, you can get a lot of reading done during the monotonous hours in your day. Commuting or travelling? Listen to an audiobook. Cleaning? Listen to an audiobook. Going for a walk or trying to fit in some joyful movement? Listen to an audiobook! You might also find you actually pay more attention to audiobooks when you’re doing these tasks, and I suggest trying to speed the audiofile up a little… especially the Autistics and ADHDers out there… try it. Changed my life. Can’t watch or listen to anything normal speed anymore. I’ll be making a blog post or a video in more detail about audiobooks, Libby and accessing more resources for free soon so subscribe to my channel and to my blog to keep updated!
6. pick up a hobby you loved as a child
a big part of my unmasking and self-acceptance journey as a late diagnosed ADHDer and Autistic has been going back to hobbies and activities I loved as a child or teenager to see if I still love them or not. My most recent hobby I’ve been exploring again is the performing arts! If you’re a regular here, you’ll have been seeing me talking constantly about the Queer Theatre collective and all the feelings I’ve had since starting and through the process. Start by writing up a list of things you remember loving as a child and decide which ones you want to try out. You can try them all!
7. dress the way you’ve always wanted to dress
I’m always trying to develop this because I tend to lean towards a lot of simple items and sometimes statement pieces, but I’m not always sure it’s the LOOK I’m going for, so I’m taking this one into 2023. I’ve been using Pinterest to find clothing items I think are cool as well as full outfits so I can visualise everything separately AND together in outfits. A friend of mine mentioned wanting to dress totally differently to how she does dress too and that was my first tip: Pinterest. search your fave vibes and aesthetics, maybe some celebrities or influencers and creators with outfits or colour palettes you like. Save things on and off Pinterest to a board and look at what you currently own. What fits the vibe and what doesn’t? Where can you start incorporating this look more easily? If it’s a colour pallet, start with your loungewear and pjs coz you can wear them at home where you are most comfortable and get used to these new colours and get a feel for them. Do you really like them? I might be making some video series on this as well so AGAIN subscribe to me there and follow my journey with more tips as I go along. But this first step will help you a lot and is a big part of the researching and time-consuming activities before you get to shopping.
8. put money towards experiences and connection
Some of us haven’t been able to go out and do things for a WHILE due to COVID, but also other reasons like health conditions that have kept us in our homes or more specifically in our beds. Do you know someone in this position? Or have you been in this position and are in a better place currently? Make the effort to visit these friends, bring some activities to do, even as simple as watching a movie or TV show marathon together, play video games all day (together or parallel play) with snacks… reconnect in person with friend you’ve not seen in a while. You can go out if that’s something you’re both capable or comfortable with, or plan a cosy at-home day or weekend full of things to do. (If you’re visiting a sick friend, maybe do a bit of housework for them, small acts of kindness go a long way)
9. find joyful movement
So there’s one point on your body, and like the rest, it is just a suggestion… but find a way to enjoy exercise or movement. Find a class or a sports hobby you like, a video series to follow, a team to join… whatever you want. Maybe take some time to try out a few different things, find what works for you and what brings you joy or other positive emotions. Do you like to exercise alone or with others/in a team? Are you more comfortable at home or do you want to go out to new places? What activities have you always been curious about but never tried? There are so many options out there and more inclusive spaces run by marginalised people for marginalised people popping up, so if that’s the main worry you have, definitely take to google to see what’s out there. Being close to Brighton, I can be spoilt for choice in this… many activities are for queer, trans and disabled people… Trans Can Sport, queer and crip inclusive yoga with Body Bits Brighton and Gabi Parkham, LGBTQ+ only nights and events for sports clubs (like skateboarding) and queer sports teams galore. Maybe this is your sign to start one…
10. do the thing you’ve been putting off forever
you know that thing you’ve been thinking about for ages? DO IT. I’m trying to take this on in all its forms. As an ADHDer it can be super easy to put things off and procrastinate. I put off things I care about, things that are important for my health, things that take 2 seconds and are so easy… So if there’s something (or you’re like me and have a bunch of somethings…) then I think this year you should finally work on getting that shit done, trying that new thing, getting back into an old hobby… this is all of the above points merged into one. Stop putting off joy.
~
I hope you enjoyed this list. I know it is late but that’s another lesson… you don’t need New Year, a new day , or a Monday to start something new. I hope this has been helpful and you can enjoy some of my linked posts and videos. I’m working towards becoming YouTube partner this year and all your watch time and subscriptions help me get there! I also now have the Sick Pals Workbook available to buy on my kofi shop so if you’re disabled, chronically ill, mentally ill or neurodivergent in some sense, consider buying a copy for £5 for journaling and starting that anti-ableism journey… if you can’t afford £5, then you can always become a member of my kofi for anywhere between £1 and £2 a month and all members have free access to the workbook, so that’s a little cheat for my low income friends. Don’t forget to follow me elsewhere, twitter, instagram, tiktok, Facebook etc. don’t forget to follow the blog, you can follow if you have a wordpress account, but you can also subscribe with your email! Check out my recent posts on mutual aid and saving money with the Boots recycling program.
I hope your 2023 is good and if not then… lets fuck up the system ay?
~ Artie
they/them
ArtieCarden 