Brey Willows

Card 17, Writing Down the Bones: How do I distract myself? (Write it in 3rd person.)

She’s not one for mornings. Before nine is a no-go zone because nothing in the brain is willing to buzz yet. When the day is off and running, after she’s emptied the dishwasher and refilled it from last night’s dishes, while the Tazo green tea is brewing, she considers the day ahead. Depending on the level of tar in her head that day, it can look promising or like a long, hard slog as she’s berated by the voices in her head for existing.

On those days, distraction is key. Work isn’t distracting enough. That can be done with blindfold on (or, it could be, if she didn’t need a screen). Music while working can be a good thing, something to focus on beyond her demons.

Social media can be a good distraction too, as long as she focuses on what she’s seeing and doesn’t just scroll past while having shouting matches with her invisible enemy of self.

Amazon or one of those super cheap Chinese online shopping stores is good for distraction too. She can fill and fill the cart with stuff that she likes, but never have to buy anything. There are cyber carts all over the place with her distraction wish-lists that include anything from shackets to things to drop into her resin crafts.

The best distractions are the ones that make her listen. Audiobooks with a big plot and writing that makes her pause to think about the word choices, and movies that mean she can relax and simply enjoy. Audiobooks and baking are a perfect distraction combination because she gets a cookie for it at the end. The bigger the dark cloud, the more intricate the baking. Peanut butter cookies or German chocolate cake? That depends on the distraction level needed.

Animated movies are the best, and when the days are really, really bad, the Lorax comes out. It’s underappreciated, for sure. But the message in it always gives her a sliver of hope that maybe tomorrow will be better.