Staff Recs: Best Self-Care Strategies

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Hailey Nuthals

WSN Staff share their favorite methods of self-care – sleep being one of them.

WSN Staff

It’s abundantly clear that this week, a lot of us could use a little self-care and a lot of comfort. WSN Staff has collected our favorite ways to feel just a tiny bit better about the world.

Ocean Watching

If you need to de-stress and can’t stand to stay inside, take a walk to the nearest body of water. There’s something so tranquil about watching the waves crest and break; in watching the ocean foam bubble over each tide. In New York, walking through the West Village to reach the Hudson is a great way to clear your head. Interacting with nature — something we don’t do nearly enough of as New Yorkers — has such a powerful healing effect. Enjoy the natural world before the new presidential administration erases it, and let it help you feel calm. — Emily Fong, Opinions Editor

Tidying Up

If I had to choose, my favorite method of self care is tidying up. Whenever I get stressed out, I go on a cleaning spree. I feel as if I’m taking all my anxious energy and putting it to good use. It helps if I listen to a Broadway soundtrack and badly belt each song as I complete the chores. — Anne Cruz, Abroad Editor

Sleeping

I love sleeping, because I don’t do it enough. But when I’m stressed, that’s automatically my go-to activity. I don’t have to think about anything and I don’t have to worry about my life stressors. But I do sometimes dream about what’s stressing me out, which is a bummer. However, sleep is good for your physically and mentally, so that’s my favorite activity in general as well! — Diamond Naga Siu, News Editor

Dog Watching
There are few things more pure in the world than dogs. For 23 hours of the day, they care about nothing but making their companion human as happy as possible — sharing in the most unadulterated of joy and love. But for one hour of the day, some lucky pups get to go to the dog park and meet other beautiful and perfect pups. I love to grab a coffee and go sit outside the Washington Square Park Dog Run, observing first-hand these beautiful romances and friendships. It’s a brief respite from a quickly darkening world, and for the most fleeting of moments, I remember what unfettered love is supposed to look like. — Bobby Wagner, Managing Editor

Cooking

There is a very visceral feeling of wellness that comes with cooking your own food. The more vegetables and raw foods you put into it, the better — chopping a squash and roasting it to put on pasta, or grating a bunch of cheese to sprinkle on top of an omelet: that is my best and favorite way to care for myself. To put good food that I enjoy into my body, and know that I am sustaining myself for that much longer, is very soothing in a way that little else is. The more flavorful and aromatic, the better. I’ve got the biggest spice cabinet of anyone I know, and it’s entirely due to the fact that I use cooking as a therapeutic device. Sometimes, even some tea can do the trick. — Hailey Nuthals, Arts Editor

Baking

I’m fairly competent in the kitchen and I enjoy baking for many reasons, but it is particularly helpful in times of stress. My whole world narrows down and I forget about what’s stressing me out, instead focusing on following the recipe and making sure everything is mixed properly. And besides, there’s something soothing about the smell of fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies. — Abbey Wilson, Assistant Managing Editor