By Robyn Joy

Start every day with some sort of yoga practice. Even if I wake up and I can’t handle life, I’ll just get on my mat and breathe deeply in Child’s Pose until it feels better. On a good day, I can get in a physical practice, a prayer to the universe, and 5 or more minutes of meditation.

Play outside. Or just sit outside. If it’s not the temperature you like, be by a window to get some natural light.

Visit a body of water. 

Take a shower or a bath. We don’t have a tub, that is why I include shower here. If given the choice, take the bath for gosh sake.

I don’t take naps very often, but I think they could be good.

Call or text someone who gets it. Make sure you have a couple of these in your contact list for urgent times.

Pet your dog or cat or gremlin

Inhale and let out an audible sigh.

Learn to cook an incredible meal 

Switch around your furniture. Rearrange your rooms!

Say a heartfelt “hello” and make eye contact with people you see in your community, whether you know them or not. Do little nice things like this throughout your day, not to be rewarded for being good, but for the sake of connection and improving the world around you.

Make a delicious chocolate cake and decorate it for no reason

Vision boards, collages, assemblage/found art. Collect images and artifacts about something you are interested in manifesting, or just things you are drawn to. Grab a glue stick and let it take you where it takes you. 

Free Online Courses! Coursera has a million different offerings. 

Puzzles. Both the jigsaw and the crossword variety. It’s so calming and takes a lot of focus. 

Find Community! I do not like to be social very often and I feel very comfortable being on my own and quiet much of the time. But I do need to interact on some level and connect with people. For me, that happens in yoga class, yoga teacher training, my AA home group, writing class, my women’s council, and my job. Find YOUR folks. 

Do some reading. So many books. All the books! Recovery memoirs, Buddhist dharma and graphic novels are my jam. Bonus: graphic novels about recovery and Buddhism! I have a giant list and I am such a nerd I have created a spreadsheet to keep track.

Follow sober folks on social media, especially Instagram. I use and search hashtags like #Sober, #Sobriety, #SoberGirl, #Teetotaler, #StraightEdge and have found a super sweet tribe of folks I regularly interact with.