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We haven’t had a good self-care thread in a while, so let’s discuss — what are your favorite ways to relax and indulge in a little self-care? If you’re trying to “be gentle with yourself,” what do you do? In stressful periods, do you have any rituals to help yourself get through the day? Is it similar or different from things like “airport rules,” i.e., long travel days or stressful periods at work?

I saw someone post on social media about how, with the election looming, the next 24 hours are “airport rules,” noting that calories and money don’t matter, and joking that you could start drinking at 10 AM and no one would question it.

(I don’t advise drinking at 10 AM at work!)

I’ve definitely joked with friends about “airport rules,” especially when traveling with small kids — all the screentime is A-OK at the airport, right?

To me I guess they do mean different things — if I’m trying to be gentle with myself I’ll choose yoga instead of a more strenuous workout, or just do stretching (or even better, get a massage). I’ll try to pick meals that are tasty but good for me, even if they’re basic or repetitive. I might reread a favorite book.

Meanwhile, for airport rules, I can definitely get behind the idea that calories and money don’t matter, and a drink at any time of the day is fine. (And allll the screentime.) But I’m a lot more likely to get greasy, sugary things at the airport than I am if I’m being “gentle with myself,” when I’ll probably happily buy a $25 salad.

In my younger days I’m not sure there was a big difference — I distinctly remember driving through McDonalds before an LSAT test to get a huge bacon and egg sandwich, and there was a really stressful work period where I ate candy for breakfast for like two weeks straight. (Hi-Chews for the win!)

Readers, what about you — do you recognize “airport rules,” and are they the same or different than self-care/being gentle with yourself type actions? Has there been a change for you over the years in how you considered the two things?

Stock photo via Stencil.