Dear Human 💕,

I can see you’re miserable and you’re struggling to do anything. In times like this it’s easy to forget to take care of your body. I get it. Let me walk you through it. I’ll keep it simple. Think of it like a video game with different levels. On hard days, you only need to make it through Level 1. You can level up when you feel better.

Level 1: Daily

The basics. The bare minimum to keep your body going. On a hard day, Level 1 is the whole game.

• Get enough sleep. I know that can be hard and much easier said than done. The best I can suggest: stick to a regular schedule and create yourself a sleep sanctuary.
• Take your meds. Use a weekly pill organizer. Put it on your nightstand with a water bottle. That way, you only have to reach over when you wake up. And you’ll never have to wonder if you took your meds today. No more panicking that you might have taken them twice.
• 5-minute bathroom pit stop. Pee. Drop your mouth guard in the ultrasonic cleaner. Brush your teeth (the electric toothbrush does most of the work). Wash your face and put on sunscreen moisturizer. Two splashes of deodorant. Detangle your hair. Done.
• Hydrate. Our morning coffee on the sofa counts! Keep your water bottle nearby and sip on it all day. Fill it up twice. That’s about 9 cups (2 liters). Watch the color of your pee. Clear to light yellow is the goal. Dark yellow or brown means drink more. If plain water feels boring, grab a flavored seltzer, or be German and mix yourself a Schorle: 1/4 juice, 3/4 sparkling water. Beer and wine don’t count. They actually dehydrate you.
• Feed yourself. The good stuff. Lots of those colorful crunchy things from the fridge. Not too many of those crunchy things from the pantry, or those Haribo. I won’t tell you to cut back on cheese. I am realistic. You love it too much. And one ounce of cheddar can give you about 20% of your daily calcium and 7 grams of protein. That’s a win.
• Take your vitamins. Always take them with lunch. Keep the bottle in sight on the kitchen counter or your office desk as a reminder.

Most importantly, listen to your body. Don’t ignore it. Give it what it needs.

Level 2: Daily-ish

The things you want to make time for every day, but if you can’t make it daily, that’s okay. On the better days, you can make it through Level 2.

• Sit in front of the daylight lamp. 20 minutes in the morning is enough. Drink your coffee, read your emails, or just stare into the void. Your brain thinks it’s sunshine and flips the wake-up switch. Your brain falls for it every time.
• Floss. If you use the water flosser, it takes a minute.
• Clean your tongue. Right after you brush your teeth. It takes 20 seconds.
• Take a shower and use the in-shower body lotion. I know you enjoy hot showers. Take as long as you like.
• Move. A 10-minute walk around the block counts.
• Do your PT exercises. And don’t run after any puppies.

Level 3: On repeat

Things that need to happen regularly, but you decide on the pace. A few times a week, a few times a month. Use the good days for these.

• Build your strength. I’ll keep nudging you on that one. Create a routine at home using the stretchy colorful bands or the weights the other human has lying around. Or find a class nearby that you enjoy. It’s harder to skip a class than skip yourself.
• Build your endurance. Go for long walks or get your bike on the road again. Plan to go with another human. Again, harder to skip.
• Wash your hair. Dry shampoo can save you in a pinch.
• Trim and file your nails.
• Get rid of unwanted body hair.
• Pluck your eyebrows.
• Dye your hair. It’s needed when your niece tells you “you have a stripe.”
• Sauna. Sweat in a hot wooden box, then dip in cold water. As good as a workout, but not as much effort.

Level 4: Schedule and show up

The things you need to plan ahead for. The professionals don’t come to you, and the next opening is usually weeks out. Make sure your appointments are booked. Put them in your calendar and set up reminders so you can’t forget. Don’t skip them because you don’t feel like it. You’ll never feel like it. Nobody likes the dentist. Nobody likes the doctor. I hate the vet. That’s why I hide under the sofa when the cat carrier comes out, you’re wearing shoes, and you start walking toward me with a treat. You’re predictable.

• Haircut.
• Teeth cleaning. Twice a year.
• Yearly check-up with the dentist.
• Yearly wellness visit with the arm-poke on an empty stomach.
• Whatever your doctor recommends. Boob squishing, lady part check-up, or the butt camera. Different for everyone. Don’t skip them.
• Stay current on vaccinations.
• Eye doctor. Every two years.

Side Quest

This isn’t required, but it can boost your mood and help you feel better about yourself.

If you have it in you, get pretty. Put on the outfit you feel good in (those new jeans and your octopus socks). Put on some makeup. Style your hair. Put on some of your favorite jewelry. You might not feel like it. But you’ve heard the saying looks can be deceiving. So go ahead and deceive yourself. If you like what you see in the mirror, you’ll feel better about the human in it.

Whatever level you make it to today, you took care of your body. You showed up for yourself. That counts.

Yours,
Cat 🐾

P.S. Put yourself on autopilot: do the same thing, the same way, every day. After a while, you won’t have to think about it anymore. You’ll just do. Behavioral scientists call the small automatic actions habits. The way you stack your habits is your routine. And that’s your autopilot.