5 Things I Need To Feel Good

Today I’m thinking about what makes me feel good, strong, capable, healthy. All that good stuff. What makes me feel physically strong and able to tackle everyday? What makes me feel ready emotionally for a difficult day? What makes me happy?

I’ve noticed when I neglect myself, I feel unmotivated, unloved, exhausted, awful, guilty… so many things!

Here is what I’ve figured out I NEED daily, no exceptions:

1. Enough sleep. This one is the big one. If I don’t get this, I don’t feel good the next day at all, no matter what I do. This is something that I (and ADHD-ers, Autistics, and other neurodivergent people) struggle with. For me, I need to take melatonin to help me sleep by a decent time. The kids wake up sometime between 6am-7am most days. That means I need to be asleep by midnight to function the next day, and by 9 or 10pm to feel amazing the next day, no exceptions.

2. Filling meals and easy to grab snacks, and plenty of water are also necessary. I need to be fueling my body regularly. For me, that means about every 2 hours I should have at least a small snack. I struggle with deciding what to grab or what to eat though when in the moment. So, in order to adjust my environment, I like to keep easy to grab protein bars and energy bars in the house so I don’t get “hangry”. This one is seriously a lifesaver.

3. Basic self-care like brushing my teeth, showering every other day, getting dressed in clothes that are comfortable AND that I feel good in, drinking enough water, etc. Wow, this is another big one! I am terrible about remembering, and then when I do remember, actually doing these basic hygiene/self-care routines. My brain tells me it’s too hard or too much work and it just doesn’t get done until I’m miserable.

4. Yoga, meditation, and/or exercise of some sort. I loved yoga in college, but got out of the habit of doing it. But I remember feeling strong and confident when it was part of my routine. I feel so much better when I’m more active. Meditation I got into much more recently. When I was in therapy, my therapist would do meditation with me and it really helped me calm down. There have also been studies on the effects of meditation on our life and they showed a link between better sleep and doing meditation daily. Pretty cool!

5. Quiet time. It might seem random to have quiet time on here, but this one is big for me. I need quiet to regulate my emotions, make decisions, focus, and relax. It helps center me. When I don’t get quiet time I feel disconnected, easily upset, exhausted, dysregulated, and so much more! I need this time to just… be. Without expectations or being needed or wanted by somebody.

I’m sure I’ll find more that I need, but these five things are what I’m focusing on first. What are your five things you can’t live without? What are your physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual needs? I’d love to hear what is important to you!