^{issue no. 9}

hiiiiii

I have no idea what to write today. I’m gnawing at the bars of my enclosure because I. WANT. TO. GO. OUTSIDE. My daily walk isn’t happening for a few hours, so here I am, typing nonsense. Three sentences in, I’m done. 😭

Writer’s block is very real. Ideas aren’t flowing. I’m a little sad. I really really really need a hug today.

Anyway, I took a nap (the wake-up confused where you are kind) and immediately started talking nonsense. Decided to start over because the show must go on, even when my brain is on vacation. So here we are. Still tired, but showing up.

I was having a really hard time sitting down to write this. Suddenly it felt like two days between newsletters was unrealistic. The things I had to say seemed unimportant, and somehow what I wrote here in my opener needed to be worthy of being published and sent directly to your inbox.

That’s the thing though. The pressure isn’t real. The things I have to say are important (degree of importance may vary, obvs), but they still matter. This is what happens when my brain decides to “go on vacation.”

The longer the fog lingers, the harder it gets to string thoughts together. My brain doesn’t want to write or create. It just wants to consume.

That’s how I once watched twelve seasons of Grey’s Anatomy in two months (yes, also at work). The TV stays on for hours, every minute filled with noise. No thoughts. Just sound. And the weirdest part is that when I look back, there’s a film over those memories. I can’t tell you a single specific thing that happened.

But I know what this means now. I know when things are getting bad, and I know how to course-correct.

So I’m starting… by extending the same gentleness I always tell all of you to have for yourselves. I could’ve scrapped this whole thing and said I’d follow up in Friday’s newsletter, but that doesn’t feel fair to myself or to the goal I have for this week. So here we are. I’m still showing up, even though I still need a hug and this feels so incredibly hard.

- with love & low battery, slig 🐌

slig’s guide to a depressive episode

(the part they don’t tell you about on the internet or in the doctor’s office)

Most of what you read online — eat well, take vitamins, exercise, journal — works. They’re right. But it’s a terrible place to start. Let’s start smaller. Actually, imagine you’re a gnome.

1. pick your garden 🪴
Choose a spot each day where you exist. Could be your house, a friend’s place, the park down the street. Touch real grass. Sit in the sun. Move to a new spot every few days if you’re stuck for longer than a week. Variety keeps morale up. Small changes matter.

2. talk to someone 📞
Talk to at least two humans a day. Pets don’t count. Texts don’t count. Speak. Call, walk, or just say hi in person. Five minutes minimum. Interaction matters more than content.

3. leave the nest 🏠
Set reminders for meals, meds, and small tasks. Don’t stay home for more than 24 hours at a time. Open the door. Let your feet do the rest. The world feels less heavy outside.

4. keep moving ☀️
Even if you don’t feel like it, keep doing your routines. Accept invitations, even if you mostly just exist there. Show up in small ways. Over time, it matters more than it feels like it does.

The basics are covered, follow the usual advice — hydrate, rest, and give yourself some credit. You’re still here. You’re still trying. That counts.

for when it feels loud in your head

“We are so much more than our minds, and there is so much more of life that exists outside [our minds]. Look around you, that is life. My point is: do not allow your mind and your past to rob you of what you have now- the present.”

— Farah Marianne, The self-harm no one talks about (Substack) Read more

from the music desk

Your no-skip albums from last week have been keeping me company through the work day. No need for reviews, just the song that stood out on first listen or re-listen.

this week’s reminders..

• let kind words land — even the tiny ones count.

• notice them. write one down if it sticks.

• someone on your mind? say hi. five minutes of presence > doing nothing.

• check in before sunday ▓▓░░░░░ 🐌

movie marathons made by you

💬🎬

If you had to recommend three movies that have absolutely nothing in common, which three would make your perfect chaotic marathon?

Premium Rush, Big Hero 6, Super Troopers
Pride and Prejudice, Scream, Shrek
The Devil Wears Prada, Jurassic Park, Mamma Mia
Clueless, Apocalypto, Limitless
Turning Red, Synecdoche, New York, Clerks
Step Brothers, Inception, Gladiator
The Prestige, The Thing, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
Waiting to Exhale, Sinners, Ocean’s 13
Stick It, The Lion King, Sinners
Knives Out, The Fifth Element, Encanto
The Fifth Element, Black Sheep, The Shawshank Redemption
Smiley Face, New Moon, Paid in Full
Blink Twice, The Mitchells vs. the Machines, Romeo Must Die 🐌

An idea for your weekend: use a random number generator and pick one of the options above. Maybe you’ll even love one of these movies more than you expected in all the chaos.

🐌 Hug me tight when you see me. Back in your inbox on Friday!

^{k, thanks.
love you! bye!
Sent from my sad little desktop™}