Hello 2025!?

That’s right. They went ahead and wrote another season of this show. So, like a solid zombie survival squad, we need to get our acts together, butts in gear and get down to prepping to make it out alive. As General Eisenhower said, “Plans are nothing. Planning is everything.” And he planned D-Day, so I guess he’d know.

Ever the prepper, I put together my suggested plan of attack for surviving these interesting times. Hope it helps.

Item 1: Get the basics sorted. How are your finances? Make an honest budget. File your taxes. Fill out that paperwork. Go see the doctor. Do that stuff. A solid foundation will ease some of that anxiety. Pretend you’re a Nike ad, simply perform the deed. Make the phone call. Write out what to say ahead of time if you need to. But you’ll feel better once you’ve done the thing, and you’ll be establishing a strong basis for the year ahead.

Item 2: Do real self care. I mean, do things that actually make you feel good physically. Doom scrolling is out. Getting out of bed is in. And if you can’t get out of bed then try sitting up. Open the curtains and get some sun. Don’t be stinky. Don’t let your pillow develop a grease stain. Get a haircut. Try to hit one or two basics a day. Use wipes, dry shampoo and mouthwash if you need to. Brush your hair backwards and forwards twice. If you can do more some days, awesome. Maybe taking care of yourself will grow on you. It feels good to show up feeling — and smelling — good.

Item 3: Do what you enjoy. Even though it seems like the last thing you have time for, take the time. However much you can spare. If it’s catching up on a favorite TV show while you fold laundry, do that. Pick up your knitting needles, pen, paint brush, guitar. Whatever it is that you do just for fun because you enjoy it. Schedule specific days and times when you can get in even five minutes, like a little playdate with yourself. Set alarms for those times. If you skip a day, come back the next day. Replenish your joy-o-meter. Life can’t always be so serious, or what’s the point?

Item 4: Have a regular, daily wellness practice. I have an app called Finch that I enjoy using to motivate and remind me to journal or reflect, rant, do a breathing exercise, meditate, clean, cook, do the wash. I’ve been working on a mindfulness meditation practice recently. I started with three minutes a day, yesterday I did ten. Felt good! Just start a practice that helps you to relax, let go and feel more calm. Do it regularly. Set reminders. And give yourself permission to put everything to the side for that period of time. The world won’t stop spinning, pinky promise.

Item 5: Exercise. Boo! Hiss! I know. Do it. If you do not have a regular exercise routine, start small. Like three minutes small. I decided I need some (any) cardio. So I told Google to set a timer for three minutes. I fully intended on doing jumping jacks. Hahaha! Definitely had unrealistic expectations there. I ended up doing something called “knocking on heaven’s door.” You stand with your legs apart and twist your torso back and forth with loose, noodly arms until your hands start smacking your butt, which I guess is the eponymous Heaven’s door. But you can get your hips, knees and head into the groove. It’s something, and it’s fun and makes me giggle. Your exercise can really be that simple. Just do it on a regular basis. If you have a fitness watch you can set reminders on that. Gets the muscles loose, joints moving and blood flowing. Makes my nose run, too, which is great for the sinuses.

Item 6: Eat like you love yourself. Try to have at least one real meal a day where you sit down at a table and take the time to enjoy your food. Microwave a bag of vegetables. Eat an apple. Drink water or herbal tea. Heck, if all you do is swallow your pills with water, that’s something. Half of my bad moods are simply me being hangry. And for some reason I still won’t eat during the day. So I started to have tea with some avocado, yogurt and cucumber toast. Oranges and bananas even come in their own biodegradable wrapper. It really helps. Ya gotta eat!

Item 7: Communicate. Find your survival team. They don’t have to be IRL, but it’s a bonus. They don’t even have to be human. Just have some spaces where you feel safe talking about stuff and things. I’ve found some great online spaces. One is for my Finch app and the other is the Yoga with Adriene community. Whatever your thing is, I guarantee that there is an FB group, Discord channel, Reddit etc for it. Jump in and ask questions. Make comments. And when you go out, look people in the eye. Talk to them and smile. Even if your words fall out of your mouth and spill all over the floor. It’s fine. No one will care for more than five seconds, and you’ll get better at it. Just keep it to “I love your sweater!” Or, “How about this weather/ that game?” Don’t worry. You’re good.

Item 8: Throw it out the window. There’s this adorable, short animation called Out the Window. I have it saved and play it on a loop when I need a dose of happy. But its message boils down to taking out the trash. “If you have anxiety, throw it out the window! Self-hatred? Throw it out the window!… That demon that eats your socks that doesn’t even like socks, but does it to piss you off? Out the windoooow!” Whatever is dragging you down. Throw it out the window. Mean girl? Out the window! Negative self talk? Out the window! Thing you’ve been meaning to throw out, but don’t and keep tripping over? Out the windooooow! OK, maybe use the trash for that one.

Item 9: Be prepared. In his Zombie Survival Guide, Max Brooks uses the mantra “There is no safe, only safer.” We can’t foresee all possibilities, but we can build ourselves up enough that we’re in a better position to face the challenges of life. And that position is one where you are the center and the source of your own peace and strength. You are your own refuge. You’re the one who ultimately has to face your life and world, so find your inner resource and keep it well-stocked and well-oiled.

Item 10: Be kind. Be kind to yourself. You are definitely going to mess up, do something stupid, say something rash, be tired or in a rotten mood. That’s OK. Welcome to the human race. We’re all mad here. So go easy on yourself. Clean up your messes, but don’t punish yourself for them. It happens. Acknowledge and move along. Honestly, I find that the kinder I am to myself, the kinder I can be to others. We are all unique collections of star dust spinning around on a globe that orbits a star that is one of billions of stars that whizzes around the Milky Way that is one of billions of galaxies expanding into the Universe. There never has been and never will be another you. You matter. Your life matters. Your experience matters. Be kind to yourself.

If you start taking care of yourself regularly, you just might find that you want to keep it up because it feels so good. It’s like stacking perks and bonuses. I swear. Set aside three minutes and show up for you.

Alright, weapons check. Do you have what you need to survive the year? Because it’s not just banging on the door anymore, it’s here. So grab your coping skills, my legendary friend, and don’t stand too close to the main character if you’ve only had enough episodes for people to get to like you. Good luck out there and drop a comment with your survival plans.

Namasté,

-J.Lakis

✌🏻❤️‍🩹🧘🏻🧟🤟🏻

If you’re considering suicide, self harm or have a mental health crisis: call or text 988 any time to talk or text with someone from the National Suicide Prevention and Crisis Hotline. Help is always available in English or Spanish. LGBTQ+ youth in crisis? Contact:  The Trevor Project.

If you or anyone you know has experienced sexual violence please contact RAIIN, for Domestic Violence in the US contact The Hotline. Both are available 24/7 by phone or chat in English and Spanish.

Want to tell me I’m an idiot? Click below and leave a COMMENT! If you liked my ramblings, TAP the Star LIKE button. LIKE and SHARE on your social media. Follow and share! Click on my bio below for my social links.