#Online Wrist Exercises

[nerice]

god i miss!!!! MISS!!!!! when i was able to act on the Gotta Draw impulse upon seeing A Picture. i miss when my only lament was inability of realization / grief over having started art journey so late. nothing that time and practice wouldn't solve. now all time and practice do is give me wrist pain :((

[azzo0]

Exam Season

Summary: Katsuki comforts you when you feel frustrated revising for exams. 

Pairing: Bakugo x gn!reader

Contains: a wee bit of crying with fluff

wc: 1.1k

Katsuki furrowed his eyebrows at you, sitting in the common room as everyone went about their after-school studies, given the third-year final exams were fast approaching. He stared at you, noticing the dark circles under your eyes as you bit the inside of your cheek, nose buried deep in a textbook. 

You'd been a little distant lately, and it pissed Katsuki off. You arrived early to class to get some studying done before Katsuki could greet you over breakfast and left the classroom first so you could get to the dorms and revise. Whenever the bakusquad invited you to hang out, you shot them down with the excuse, 'I have a lot of revision to do.' 

He could see the signs of exhaustion creeping all over you. You were yawning and rubbing your eyes again. His eyebrow twitched in annoyance when he saw you reach for the freshly made cup of coffee, your eyes glued to the textbook, unaware everyone had begun packing up their books to hit the bed. He waited for everyone to leave, pretending to flip a page or two when his attention was really on you. 

The common room was soon deserted, with only you and Bakugo being the ones behind. He stood up and walked over to you, "Oi."

You looked up from the textbook to see your boyfriend looking down at you sternly, his arms crossed and legs apart in a dad stance, "It's time for bed."

"I'll go after I finish this section," You replied, "It's a little tricky and-"

"You've been studying the whole fuckin' day with no breaks, Y/n." Bakugo reasoned, "You'll get tired. C'mon, let's go."

"'Suki, please," you sighed, pinching the bridge of your nose, "I don't have it in me to argue with you right now, so please let me be."

Bakugo opened his mouth to shoot a reply, closing it instead when he saw the gloomy look on your face as you stared at the textbook again. He heard your stomach rumble and gave you one last glance before leaving. 

Truth be told, you felt bad for ignoring him for the past couple of days, but you had not realised it while studying for the exams. You scrubbed your face and let out a long exhale, bringing your knees to your chest. Your stomach rumbled again, reminding you it needed to be fed. Ignoring your pleading tummy, you rummaged through your bag and pulled out a notebook and a pen to complete an exercise, forcing yourself to stay awake. The coffee seemed to be doing the opposite of keeping you open-eyed. 

You gritted your teeth in irritation when you got a question wrong. You had watched online lectures for this very topic over and over again, and yet you still managed to mess it up. Frustrated, you tossed the pencil to the other side of the room, glaring down at the paper with your eyes blurring and stinging.

Katsuki happened to walk into the room just then, a plate with a sandwich in hand. He saw you staring at your notebook with glossy eyes. He was beside you in an instant, setting the plate on the coffee table and putting his hands on your shoulders, "Hey, hey, what's wrong?"

You shook your head and wiped your eyes. Katsuki took your wrists, putting them down. He cradled your face ever so gently, making you look at him. He wiped away the tears with his thumb and kissed your closed eyelids. He brought your head to his chest and slowly moved his hand up and down your back while pressing sweet kisses into your hair. 

"You wanna talk about it?" He asked after a few minutes of silence, patiently waiting for your response. 

"I just-" you muffled into his shirt, "I feel tired of not being able to achieve the grades I work so hard for. It's frustrating getting all these papers back to see all that work was for nothing. I want to do better on these exams, Katsuki. I'm trying my best, but I'm so scared I'll mess up."

You pulled away from his shirt, rubbing your eyes, "And this stupid chapter is so annoying I can't understand it no matter how many videos I watch on YouTube."

"That's it?" Bakugo said once you were done, "That's what you're worried about?"

"Easy for you to say when you're on top of the class," You glared through wet lashes, "some of us have to work thrice as hard and still can't make it to the top."

"I didn't mean it that way, Y/n," He said with apologetic eyes, taking your hands. He kissed the inside of your wrist, moving up your arm and onto your cheek, getting you to giggle when his eyelashes tickled your skin. He pulled back with a grin, cupping your cheek. 

"Don't compare yourself to me or others. Got that? You're you, and that's okay. Besides, It's not like the world will end if you don't get an A." He tilted your chin towards him when you looked down sullenly, "Or will it?"

"It won't." You mumbled. 

"Damn right. It's just a stupid piece of paper. It isn't going to define you or your life." He finished with a kiss on your forehead, "You got that?"

"Mhm."

"Can't hear ya, sweets." 

"Yes, sir."

Katsuki pinched your cheeks and squished them together, planting a kiss on your lips. Satisfied with your goofy smile, he gave you the sandwich, "Eat up."

Your heart stirred when you took the sandwich from him. Why was he so sweet? 

Katsuki pulled your textbook to himself to see which unit you were working on, eyes skimming over your notes thoughtfully, "You could have come to me if you needed help with this, you know?"

"You're busy preparing too, 'Suki." 

"I know, but I could've still helped you out with it." He said, closing the textbook, "No more studying for now. After you finish that sandwich, I'm taking your ass straight to bed. If you rest well, yer going to be able to grasp the concepts better."

"Okay," you smiled, munching on the sandwich.

"There's still three weeks till the exams, so we're goin' out tomorrow to freshen up that cute little head of yours," he said, poking a finger on your forhead, "No thinkin' about school or exams or books. Just a day out with you and me. After that, I'm helping you study, alright?"

"Sounds nice," you hummed.

He huffed and silently watched you eat. Seeing you smile again with bright eyes as you rocked back and forth while eating made him feel content. As soon you were done eating, he grabbed you by the wrist and hoisted you up, throwing you over his shoulder without a warning. 

"Katsuki!" You squealed. 

"Hup, hup, time for bed."

A/N: It's exam season, and I haven't been feeling my best. This is for everyone studying for exams and tests. Don't forget to take breaks and get plenty of sleep. Good luck :)

[befemininenow]

Are you a trans girl or non-conforming and would like to try out feminine clothing? You may want to check this out.

Say you found this dress online and you really love the overall style of it. Great! If you’re like me, you would say “F it! I’ll buy the dress and I’ll wear it how I like!” and move on with your life. That should the end of this guide, right? Except, there is one little problem: not everybody thinks this way. Those who look for the best matching outfits aren’t just searching to fit their style, color, or personality. It also has to do with their body type. If you’re in that situation, this guide may help you out.

Body shape

Believe it or not, there are many different types of body shape (up to 10). However, the most common tend to be the following (in no order):

Rectangle- Even distribution on shoulders, hips, and waistline

Pear/Triangle- Wide hips, well-defined waist, small shoulders

Hourglass- Near-exact hip and shoulder measurements, thinner waistline

Inverted Triangle- Broader shoulders, narrower hips, little waist definition

Apple/Round- Broad shoulders and big bust, thin legs and hips

Many transgender women have the inverted triangle body shape due to several factors such as genetics, bone structure, and age. However, your body shape may also change over time due to a rebalancing of hormones, body fat, and even lifestyle. While you can’t change your bone structure, you can change your body definition through exercises.

Body proportion

Here is something you may find useful if you’re looking to customize your look. Body proportions are unique to every individual and play a factor on clothing and to some extent, accessories such as jewelry. For instance, you may find the skirt you bought looks either too long or short. There are a few areas where to measure your body proportions such as wrist length or neck size. But the best way to improve your dress type is by following the “golden ratio rule” of dividing your body into three:

The way this is read is you’re either one-third top, two-thirds bottom, or you’re two-thirds top, one-third bottom. Once you get more knowledge, you can go upwards even eighths! But for now, the focus is on these two outcomes.

The two-thirds top, one-third bottom words well with long dresses:

while the one-third top, two-thirds bottom works well with more casual clothing:

Body measurements

Now that we got a few problems out of our way, it’s time to figure out what measurements you have. The best way to find out is by using a mirror and a soft measuring tape for body. Measure all the crucial parts of your body, which are the waist, hips, shoulders, and bust. This will determine the type of body you have and have a better idea on what length you will need to try out your clothing of choice.

Shoe size

One thing very important about an outfit is choosing footwear. Although you can use your old Converses with your flared jeans, you’re certainly not going to use them with a ruffled dress. You’re definitely going to want heels or flats! Unfortunately, women’s shoe size are not exactly the same as men. But don’t give up! Fortunately, there are women’s size conversion charts that help you choose what shoe size you need.

To find out your measurements on your own, grab at least two blank pieces of paper, a pencil or pen, and a measuring tape. Place your foot firmly forward and carefully trace around the outer area of your foot. Repeat this with your other foot. Once finished, grab your measuring tape and measure from your highest point to your lowest on both sheets. Measure the width as well. If both feet measure close to 10.5, your women’s size is a 12. However, due to a difference in manufacturing based on shoe brand, as well as shoe type like pumps, the average recommended size is at least 2 inches above your actual size. For those living in other countries that don’t use the US measuring size, I left a chart that shows all the possible measurements you may use to convert your shoe size into women’s size.

What to wear based on body type

Since not all clothing is made for everyone, it’s time to list what is considered the “ideal” clothing choices based on body type. Note that these are opinions from my source’s authors. IMO, the pictures below each suggestion are a better opinion. Your are free to choose your type of clothing.

Rounded or apple shapes fit best with monochrome colors and make the person look more “fit”.

Pear or triangle shapes look more balanced with decorative accessories on top while keeping the bottom more plain.

Rectangle shapes tend to have more volume with a waist belt while pleated pants give more volume on hips.

Hourglass shapes look best when wearing bodycon dresses and cardigans to emphasize volume in their waistline.

Inverted triangle shapes pull off the wide leg pants and fitted top combo the best.

For a much more comprehensive guide for each body type, I highly recommend reading The Concept Wardrobe’s guides. It gives more details on what to wear and how to choose the best combinations. Link is provided here: https://theconceptwardrobe.com/search?query=body+frame

Tips on what to wear

Now that you reached this point, I’m pretty sure you’re excited to try out what your heart desires. However, before you go out and buy that two-piece dress, I recommend researching and observing the type of clothing women wear today. Believe it or not, people will judge based on your way of dressing, from background to social status to age. A simple look like bodysuit and jeans may look perfect on you and blend you in with the girls, but something like a hot pink bodycon will make you stand out, and most likely not in a good way. So how would you choose something that blends you in with society, but also be comfortable at the same time? Here are some tips and pics:

Find clothing that “feels” feminine. In other words, buy clothing that “feminizes” your body, such as tops that make your shoulders look shorter, wrap dresses that make your waistline shorter, and skirts that make your hips look wider.

Find the best colors based on skin tone and hair color. For instance, try out warm colors such as orange if your skin tone is warm.

Dress sexy, but never go too revealing. Seriously, have some respect to yourself. But if you really want to go out wearing, for example, a two-piece outfit, wear one that looks stylish and flatters your body in a great way.

Use accessories that fit and blend well with your body. Large jewelry goes well with larger frame, small jewelry fits with smaller wrist, and so forth. Don’t forget the purse! It is absolutely necessary now that you’re wearing pocketless clothing. Choose one that fits your taste and needs.

Bras and undergarments are necessary to wear now. As you further into your transition, your breasts will start growing and it will become more difficult and uncomfortable going out braless. Start out with a brassiere, then move on to a fitted bra as they become bigger over time. As for down there, I would use boy briefs as they’re similar to boxers. Although HRT will cause it to shrink, it does not make it disappear. If you must hide it, use a gaff or a tuck, but do not use chastity belts (Seriously, stay away from that unless you’re really into that thing). 

Optional: use waist shapers or corsets to slim down waist. Hip enlargement pads will also give your narrow hips and butt much needed volume. Breast forms can also give you an idea how big you want them in the future.

Fashion sense

But the most important part of choosing clothing as a trans girl is to wear whatever suits your taste.

For instance, are you more into the traditional and simple feminine aesthetic? Cottagecore may be for you:

But what if you’re the rebellious type that prefers to defy tradition? Well, maybe the alt-girl fashion is for you:

Maybe you’re the type that changes clothing based on season. So if you’re a summer-season type of girl, you’re definitely going for an outfit like this:

How about if you’re into the gym? Clearly your goal is to be like this:

Are you into business casual? There’s also a pic for that:

(The girl in the pic is also transgender! Her name is Suzi Hunter, better known as The Sphere Hunter.)

But we also can’t forget cosplay, either!:

(Cosplayer is Eden the Doll, a trans woman cosplayer! Picture belongs to Geo Leon.)

You’re probably the party type who loves some action:

Casual wear can also be tasteful and attractive too:

There’s so much to pic, but each style says a lot about what type of woman you are.

Where to buy clothing

If you’re interested in finding the right clothes for you, check out places that are especially gender-inclusive. As I’m based in the US, clothing stores such as Target are a good start while higher-end chains such as Nordstrom and Macy’s may have a better variety to choose from. If you’re a thrifty shopper, your local outlets, discount stores, and thrift shops have a surprising amount of great clothing for affordable prices. Although online sites like Amazon, Shein, and Zara have affordable and appealing clothing, many of these brands also have ethical concerns that overshadow their reputation. Dubbed “fast fashion”, they are a source of scrutiny among fashion fans and I would personally avoid them if possible. If you really need something affordable and new, I highly recommend purchasing through discount and thrift stores.

If you’re in need of safe undergarments, check out Urbody. They have clothing suitable for trans people, non-binary, and other identities, varying from binders to tucked leggings. They are founded by trans and non-binary people and use ethical practices and living wages for their workers. If you’re interested in checking their site out, here is the link to their page (I am not sponsored by them): https://urbody.co/

Conclusion

The whole point of this guide is to help you pick the proper clothing and accessories as a newly-out girl. I made this guide since there doesn’t seem to be many that are detailed. Keep in mind I’m still learning about female clothing as I am still in the first stages of transition myself. If anyone would like to add more info that is missing or provide any corrections, please reblog and add more helpful tips as it would help trans girls, trans women, non-binary, and anyone else that desires to wear affirming clothing. Please refrain from using any hurtful language if you’re doing so. Thank you and hugs!

Links to sources:

https://www.healthline.com/health/women-body-shapes#why-shape-fluctuates

https://www.thestylatude.com/post/the-most-common-body-shapes-for-women-and-how-to-find-out-yours

https://theconceptwardrobe.com/build-a-wardrobe/inverted-triangle-body-shape

https://www.thestylebouquet.com/2020/02/17/5-most-common-body-shapes-for-women/

https://dressedformyday.com/how-to-discover-your-body-proportions/

https://gabriellearruda.com/how-to-dress-better-female-body-shape/

https://m2fguide.com/how-to-pick-clothes-if-youre-transgender-or-crossdressing/

https://feminizationsecrets.com/mtf-clothing-tips/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CHBk9v0J_WO/

https://www.transgendermap.com/social/clothing-accessories/

https://apexfoot.com/shoe-sizing-chart/

https://www.glamourboutique.com/crossdresser-fashion/guide-male-female-shoe-sizes-33255#:~:text=Minimize%20the%20chance%20of%20having,11%20in%20a%20women's%20shoe

[sinimake]

Opposites-Attract headcanons of Johnshi

I love putting opposing traits to my ships more than anything so enjoy!

Kenshi is pretty low maintenance. All he needs is clothes on his back and Sento, that's it. Probably can survive zombie apocalypse on his own while Johnny must have his grooming essentials with 10-step skin routine, a cup of coffee with the exact milk-sugar ratio at 9am sharp in the morning or he will DIE

Johnny is glued to his phone, always taking pics and documenting things while Kenshi doesn't even know where the fuck is his phone half the time

Also Johnny is texter and Kenshi is caller/voice message sender

When Kenshi is angry, he blazes like fire. One look at him and you know he's fucking pissed. While Johnny is silent rager. He will appear fine and brush off things convincingly good with his acting skills till he snaps. Like ocean pulling back its tides just to slam whole ass tsunami upon its victims.

They're both ambiverts but different flavors of ambiverts. Johnny makes friends with everyone, always chats and charms. He somehow knows the lifestories of people he met even briefly. However Johnny gets overwhelmed a lot that he needs his down time or he will start becoming murderous. Kenshi, on the other hand, rather die than make a small talk but he is a natural leader who can read people very well.

Johnny is chronically online and Kenshi is deliberately internet illiterate

People think Johnny is the rulebreaker while Kenshi's the voice of reason but they get it so wrong. Johnny is all about being pompous and mischievous but when the shit starts becoming serious and so much real, he panics. Kenshi though? He will charge head first into a trouble swinging and crackling. He didn't want to break the rules, but if it must, Kenshi will twist that notch to extreme.

Johnny is a picky eater and Kenshi will eat anything. That's why Johnny cooks almost all the time bc their criterias for "food" are vastly different.

Johnny exists in the public eye. He thrives in people's love and attention while Kenshi is shunned and feared for his past in the crime organization.

Kenshi is paranoid while Johnny is bit too confident sometimes

Johnny thrives on routine and schedule since he's a busy celebrity, he plans ahead and sticks to it. On the other hand, Kenshi just goes along with wherever the wind takes him.

However, when it comes to training, Kenshi is all about going by the book. Breathing exercises, meditation, stances, katas, footwork, practices, and everything, he follows them through to build up discipline. But Johnny? He just wings it bc it's all natural talent, baby! If you ask him how he does some moves, he will just shrug and say "it feels right that way"

Their fighting styles differ, too. Johnny is light on feet, flexible, fast, and slips through guards like a shadow. Kenshi is grounded, steady, tough, and even his blade swings are focused on elbow movements than in wrists.

Adding on the previous point, Johnny's name is a reverse pun of Kage, which means "shadow" in Japanese. On the other hand, Sento's powers are represented through glowing lights, hence creating the opposite elements of Light and Shadow in Johnshi

[velnna]

If you don't mind me asking, what kind of workout do you do? I try to go on walks outside (get to see dogs and cool plants!) but it's just way too hot in the summer and I have a hard time figuring out what else to do sometimes.

I've done a bunch of sport disciplines over the years, but the thing that's definitely easiest to keep up with is walks or runs for sure. When I did it I used to avoid summer temperatures by aiming for the 6-7am time slot but it was definitely overkill 🥲

These days I just have a gym subscription and bask in their AC. If I cant for some reason, I try to half assedly do home exercises I find online for 30-40min just to get my muscles and heart going a little. Not ideal or fun but it gets the job done more or less :') I also have a small static bicycle thing in case I feel like chilling with some cardio instead

Side note but I think artists really shouldn't neglect the good that strengthening some muscle groups can do for things like back pain or preventing wrist/arm injuries. Doing core and arm workouts here and there is the main thing standing between me and needing an ergonomic arm rest to sit and draw for 12h+ each day

[mellosdrawings]

What do you use to draw with? Like what device and drawing app? I finally graduated high school and want to get back to drawing and maybe start posting it but I wanted some advice

Hi~

I'm just gonna go and give you my full setup (plus health advices coz trust me they're important).

These days I use an IPad Pro 11" and Procreate. My friend has the bigger version but I hurt my elbow using it because it made my moves too big, so I settled for the littler version. I suggest you chose based on your feelings for that. If you want a bigger screen to see more of your work, it's perfectly valid.

If you do take those two, I suggest you also take the ICloud save. (I have the 200Go save and that's only 3€ a month, but the 50Go save in free!) Should your IPad eventually break, you'll be able to retrieve ALL your art files from the Cloud, which is a huge lifesaver!

(I used to use a simple computer plus graphic tablet plus Adobe Photoshop, but it kept crashing so much that I had one too many rage quits. Plus it's super expensive since it's subscription based, and nowadays they take your art from the Adobe Cloud to feed their AI, so I can't really recommend that. Photoshop is an excellent tool but the direction Adobe is taking does NOT suit me.)

For brushes I just use the default Procreate Pencil. For the eraser I use Syrup, which is found in the default Inking Brush set.

My base canvases are 4000x4000px with a DPI of 300 (I suggest you improve the DPI if you do illustrations or really precise work. I only do little fanarts and comics with that DPI). For posting online please be careful to chose an RGB color profile (I use the default Display D3). If you ever want to print though, you should chose a CMYK color profile (I use the Generic CMYK Profile then).

Now back to the real world! I'm going to strongly suggest you make sure your paper/computer/screen is at least at an angle, at best right in front of your face. The least pressure you have to put on your neck (bending), the better it will be. If you do traditional art, I'll suggest actual art tables that you can adjust in size and angle. Here's mine.

To prevent any pain in my thumb I use one of those hold-helpers thingies kids use to hold their pens properly! It increases the size of the grip which prevents from holding the pen too tight (trust me, it's important). You can also find special tape to roll around your pen if you need an even bigger grip.

I wish I had a proper desk and chair because that will also be very important for your posture and health, but rn I'm not in my own flat so eh. What I'll encourage you to do instead are stretches and exercises BEFORE and AFTER an art session. Fingers, wrist, elbow, shoulder, back, neck. If you want to avoid medical costs (masseur, kine, osteopath) you need to take great care of your body. You can also find little self-massaging gadgets in sports shops to help with your muscles.

(Talking from experience there. I'm only 25 and I already had to undergo surgery on my writing wrist because I f*ed up. Your health is important!)

I'm aware most of those are extremely expensive to get (it took me half a year of intense working and savings just to get the IPad) but I've found that they were 100% worth it in the end. It's alright to get things little by little if you feel they are going to be important for you. I strongly suggest you invest in your health first though!

Once you have decided on your preferred setup, I guess the only thing left to do is train, experiment and have fun!

I think that's all? If you need more advices on setups or art or whatever, I'd be happy to help, my DMs are always open!

Also congrats on graduating highschool!

[silverskye13]

uh. is it a bad idea to sleep with a wrist brace (or future knee/ankle braces i get) or is it fine as long as it's loose enough

(i currently have bloodwork in and i possibly have arthritis or smth along those lines, very very bad muscle and joint pain, daily in legs and occasionally in wrists, but it started with only wrists)(aka why i have wrist braces but nothing else)

tbh im just sending this to you because. i think you mentioned joint pain stuff. but if not you can ignore.

(Oh also im gonna try to get a cane if i can but we'll see. other achey tips,, very appreciated? im taking the supplements i should and everything, exercising, but unfortunately nothing's been getting better and ive been dealing with it since 15/16)

Oh jeez! I'm sorry that's something you're dealing with anon. Joint pain gets really intense. Unfortunately I can't help much. Most of my personal issues stem from tendonitis and carpel tunnel, which while they give similar pains, give them for different reasons than arthritis. Mine is stress from repetitive motions, yours [possibly?] isn't.

So! Blanket disclaimer here that I'm not a doctor and I never saw a physical therapist. Below are my personal anecdotes. If you've already seen a doc or physical therapist about your arthritis, I recommend asking them specifically about sleeping with a wrist/knee/leg brace before taking my advice.

I've personally slept with a wrist brace when my pain was at it's worst -- especially when I still needed to draw during the day, so keeping the brace on while working wasn't helpful. I toss and turn and contort a lot in my sleep, so the brace helped keep my wrist stable, and gave me some compression while my muscles were learning how to relax again.

I saw some relief after I've tried it, but if it's something you're experimenting with, I would do it cautiously. I've read online that some people don't think it's beneficial [mostly because, if the brace is too tight or you experience swelling at night, it can cut off blood flow and become painful or, in extreme cases, might damage nerves. This is, obviously, not a problem I've had. But given arthritis specifically involves swelling and inflammation, it's a caution you might want to keep in mind.]

If you're in the experimental stage, and it's an option you would like to try, I would start with your brace loose? When I tried it the first time with my wrist brace, I made sure I could still wiggle my wrist around pretty good [normally I kept it tight enough during the day that it was difficult to bend my wrist when it was on.] Just having the brace made me want to lay more still. I also experimented with sleeping on my side with a pillow under my elbow, so it stayed at a 90° angle, and my arm stayed more or less perfectly horizontal. It was difficult to sleep like that, but it helped me keep my arm in a position that didn't induce the same repetitive stress. If you want to check out this YouTube video here, the last option she goes through with all the pillows is what I used the most.

Otherwise, most of my pain regulation involves taking hot showers, doing regular [hourly, half hourly] stretches. Things like that. Because my pain is mostly tendonitis, generally speaking, rest and stretches does most of my help. Also taking specifically anti-inflammatory pain killers, like ibuprofen, because the stress pain comes from inflammation. Hot and cold compresses, sitting with the painful limbs elevated. I'm sure all things you've heard before, but they're worth recommending again just in case.

It's also worth mentioning this stuff isn't an overnight cure. When my tendonitis was at it's worst, starting the sleeping with a brace / propped up on a bunch of pillows / stretches / etc helped in a matter of 5-10 days, and if I stopped at any point during that time, the flare ups would resume. I remember getting really pissed when I [finally] figured out playing video games strained the same muscles, so the reason all my "resting" didn't help sometimes was because I was too dumb to actually rest. Now when I draw for a few days in a row and my shoulder starts burning, I stop what I'm doing and find a good TV show to disassociate to for the rest of the week.

I'm sorry you're dealing with all this. It sounds like your pain is worse than mine was, and I know mine made me miserable. I am wishing you so much luck with your coming tests! I hope they find the root cause of all this, and some more specialized folks can get involved to help you find relief. Stay safe anon.

[noonaishere]

Online/Offline [C.S] - sixty-seven | *not* born to run

You and San made off towards your apartment building. You didn’t really enjoy the silence as the two of you walked there, but you couldn’t think of anything to say. You sighed. You hated the stalker, you hated that you couldn’t do anything about him, you hated that the cops weren’t taking him seriously because - to them - he didn’t seem like a threat, you hated that it was affecting your relationships with other people, you hated that you kept crying, you hated that all you could do was cry, and you didn’t want to say any of this out loud because you felt like you had said it all before. Your life had gone from quiet but pleasant to a constant state of stress and fear. 

You sighed again.

San grabbed your hand.

“What?”

“I just saw him. He’s following us. Don’t turn around.”

“--I wasn’t going to.”

You walked a little further. The feeling from earlier, of being prey under the gaze of a sharp-fanged predator returned, and your heart sped up all on its own.

“Are you sure?” You asked, hoping he was wrong.

“Yeah. I had a full conversation with the man, it was him.”

“Fuck…” You could feel the tears welling up behind your eyes.

“It’s gonna be okay,” he whispered. “We just have to lose him.”

You nodded. His surety made you feel more sure as well.

“When I start running, you run with me, okay?”

You nodded again and gripped his hand tightly.

 As you walked you became more aware of how low the sun had dipped, already setting when you left the café and now moving into the much dimmer and shorter twilight of the day. The two of you walked another couple blocks that wasn’t in direction of either of your apartments, to give the illusion that San was walking you home. Hopefully he didn’t already know where you lived.

San shifted his hand quickly, from holding it like a boyfriend would while on a leisurely walk to his hand holding your wrist so he could lead you without being separated. Just as fast, he launched himself forward. The instant you felt the change in pressure against your skin - as he pulled you after him - you also launched forward, and the two of you were running like greyhounds after a rabbit. Safely connected where he held your wrist, your feet hit the pavement hard as you bolted. You heard a man’s voice curse behind you, and the footsteps of your stalker speeding up to catch you. 

San led you to the busier part of downtown. You ran through crowded alleyways, where the backs of stores were across from the fronts of other stores - hole in the wall food places, tiny bars where patrons were just getting into a night of getting shitfaced, college students drinking away their GPA -  and you had to give San all the credit in the world; either he knew these alleys well, or he was very good at guessing which ones weren’t dead ends.

People outside of establishments dodged the two of you as you tried to put distance between you and your stalker, though you couldn’t help but knock over boxes or garbage that were much too far into the walkway. 

“San-- I don’t know-- if--” You huffed, desperately trying to tell him that you were unused to such exercise, and you felt like your heart was going to explode.

“Just a little more,” he said back, breathing completely normally.

First the high jump and now this? What was he, an athlete? Fucking athletes.

You nodded, your mouth dry from trying to force yourself to continue breathing so you could force your legs to work at a capacity they were not okay with so you could keep up with him. You checked behind you for a moment, to see the face of your stalker, not too far behind you and furious. That gave you the fuel to keep going and the two of you were finally able to speed up enough that he couldn’t see you as well.

San pulled you down another alley, and knocked over a stack of boxes, sorted garbage spilling out onto the street loudly. You huffed inquisitively, unable to form words anymore, and he pulled you into a dark dead end. After a second you understood: he knocked them over to make it seem like you had gone in that direction.

In the dead end, San pressed you up against the wall of a building and covered your body with his, his dark jacket covering your lighter clothing and obscuring your form. Aware that your labored breathing was too loud, you put your hands over your mouth and tried to breath through your nose quietly. San quieted his own breathing, not that he was breathing particularly hard after all that running, forearms propping him up against the wall as he loomed over you in the darkness. 

Through the normal sounds of the night - people chatting, plates clinking, machinery whirring quietly - you could hear heavy footfalls go past the entrance of the alley, pausing at the overturned garbage, and then traveling further away in the direction the garbage led.

As you leaned against the wall, under San’s protection, you watched him as he listened to the sound of the stalker’s footsteps as they moved further away from where you were. Now, you had thought he was handsome from the moment you saw him, but you hadn’t looked at his face from this close before, not really looked at it. In the dim light of the shop signs that reflected off the paint of the buildings on either side of you, you could see his features. His sharp jaw, straight nose, and high cheekbones all highlighted by what light there was, the way it fell across his features so that the intensity of his gaze was brought out tenfold. His large irises looked almost black in the darkness, and between the way the slightly upturned outer corners of his eyes framed his irises, and the way he was on high alert as he tried with all his might to perceive anything that might mean the stalker had come back your way, he almost looked like a cat. As he turned back towards you, you could see how unreasonably clear his skin was, except for a few cute moles across his cheeks and the freckles on his neck. He really was beautiful. So beautiful you almost forgot for a moment why you were standing with him in a dark alley in the first place. 

His brow raised and his eyes darted back in the direction of the alley as he listened behind him. You watched as he processed what he was hearing, wondering what he could be thinking about: was he trying to calculate how far away the stalker was? How long you’d have to wait there? He was quiet for a few minutes as you stood, cloaked in the darkness.

He finally turned his eyes back towards you. “I think he’s gone.” You nodded, pulling your hands away from your mouth, now that it was okay to speak. 

His eyes looked into yours as he stood over you, looking over your features once before returning to where they had started.

“...You’re really close.” Was all you could think to say.

“Oh-- sorry.” He pulled away.

For a moment, you found yourself unsure if you wanted him to. 

He backed away and put his hands in his pockets. “Are you okay?”

“I-- Fuck,” you whispered, “something just occurred to me.” 

“What?” 

“If… he was just following us… and we have no real way of knowing if we lost him...” 

“Yeah?” 

“What if he sees me go to my apartment? What if he follows me there and-- and--” 

A lump formed in your throat as your brain cycled through tons of news reports and ‘realistic’ movies, all depicting what might happen to a woman when an obsessed man follows her home.

“Stay at my place.” 

“What?” 

“I have a roommate and we have a couch. You can sleep there.” 

“W-what about clothes and stuff?” 

“Umm…” 

“Wait, Yeosang has my spare key, in case I lock myself out. He can bring me some.” 

“He has your key?” 

“Yeah. I have his spare, too. He actually locks himself out quite a bit.” 

“Ah,” he chuckled. “Well, let’s go to my place and we can call Yeosang when we get there.” 

“Okay.”

“T-shirts are in the bag.” What else?”

“Okay, is it weird if I ask you to get me underwear?”

“I’ve seen you in your undies before.”

“Yeah, when we were three,” you laughed.

“I promise I will think of them only as one does when they’re looking through a catalog. ‘Oh, what a lovely bunch of fabric with no sexual meaning whatsoever!’”

You laughed again. “Well, I don’t even wear sexy underwear so get ready to be surprised.”

“Wait, so I’m the only one?”

You laughed.

“Get on my level, y/n.”

You laughed harder. “I’m going to tell Wooyoung you said that.”

He laughed. “Where are they?”

“The dresser my socks were in: open the top drawer.”

Yeosang switched the video call back to the outward-facing camera and walked back over to the dressed. The drawer slid open. “Ooooh!” He zoomed in on your underwear as he made ‘ohh~’ noises.

“Freak! You’re a freak!” You yelled. “Stop zooming in on them!” 

Yeosang guffawed and kept zooming. 

San looked over at you with a smile as you continued to guide Yeosang in getting your clothes over a video call. He listened to the sound of the line ringing as he waited for the person he had dialed to pick up.

“Hello?”

“Hyung, are you at the café?”

“Yes.” Seonghwa answered. “Wooyoung told Minsoo and I what happened. Your roommate is very nice, by the way.”

“I hope you told him that.”

“I did. You took y/n back to her apartment?”

“No. The stalker was following us.”

“What?”

San heard another ‘what’ in the background that sounded like Wooyoung. The phone rustled for a second before it sounded like it was put on speakerphone and set down onto a table.

“He followed you?” Wooyoung asked.

“Yeah.”

“Are you okay?” Yunho asked.

“We’re fine. We lost him in the alleyways in the area with all the restaurants and bars and shit.”

“I didn’t know you knew that area.” Minsoo said.

“I don’t. Not really. We were lucky he didn’t catch us.”

“Where are you now?” Seonghwa asked.

“At my and Yunho’s apartment. She’s on the phone with her friend Yeosang and he’s going to bring clothes over for her.”

“Is she okay?”

“She seems a little shaken up, but I think Yeosang is cheering her up.”

“Do you want these pink leopard print ones?” Yeosang asked saucily. “Oh! Do you have a matching bra? That would look nice.”

“I didn’t ask for fashion advice-- Get out of the bra drawer!” Y/n yelled back.

“I wasn’t giving any. I thought you said you didn’t have sexy undies.”

“Aaaghhhh!”

San suppressed a laugh and moved to the quiet of his bedroom, narrowly avoiding Wooyoung’s cackle coming through the phone.

“What was that about?” Wooyoung asked with a laugh.

“Yeosang is criticizing her taste in underwear, apparently.”

“He’s looking through her underwear drawer?” Minsoo asked incredulously.

“He’s getting clothes for her. Underwear are clothes too.”

“She’s known him longer than I have,” Wooyoung offered. “They’re like OG bffs. Straight out the womb.”

“Ahh,” Minsoo replied.

“Anyway,” Seonghwa interjected, hoping to steer the conversation back into normality, “You’re sure her stalker didn’t follow you to your apartment?”

“We kept checking as we came back here, and we didn’t see him. So we’re pretty sure. Our building has a doorman, so he wouldn’t be able to come up on his own unless I told them I was expecting someone.”

Seonghwa hummed in acknowledgement.

“Do you think the cops will do something now?” Wooyoung asked, angry, but not at anyone in the call.

Seonghwa grunted as he thought.

“They’d have to, right?” Minsoo asked.

“You’d think they would…” Yunho must have leaned on the counter because San could hear what sounded like elbows hitting the table as voice got closer. “But what evidence do they have if they go to the police?”

“Of the chase, you mean?” Seonghwa asked.

Yunho hummed his agreement.

“Nothing, only their word.”

Everyone went quiet for a few minutes as they thought.

“We don’t have to stay here,” Seonghwa said. “It’s way past closing time anyway.”

San heard the sound of Yunho pushing himself up off the table. “I’m going to come back. I’ll pick up food so we don’t have to order.”

“Alright.”

“We are going to figure this out, San.” Seonghwa reassured him.

“Yeah… I know.”

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@rachs-words • @stayatinykatsy •

[hollyhomburg]

what is your review about the lesserafim workout

ooooh! i will totally give my review!

a bit of a disclaimer- i have an above average stamina and i've walked 3 miles every day for the last year so my opinion is of someone who already worked out everyday/had experience working out. your experience may be different! there is also a brief mention of disordered eating in this, just a disclaimer!!

My review of the lesserafim workout is that it has a high barrier for entry and requires more than just the workout to loose weight or gain muscle. alot of people claim you'll see results in one week and that is utter bullshit, i'd say it took at least 4 weeks for me to see/feel results- which is pretty good for a work out. if you're ever in online spaces and someone claims to have changed their body in one week- please realize that they are likely either 1. starving themselves while doing the work out or 2. taking steroids. Overnight results do not happen. thats just not how bodies work.

the lesseraphim work out is as follows:

100 jumping jacks (4 sets of 25)

100 burpees ( 10 sets of 10)

20 jump squats (2 sets of 10)

plank crawl - 3min (3 sets of one min)

20 plank twist/russian twist (20 each side)

plank up/down- 100 (5 sets of 20)

crunches - 100 (4 sets of 25)

Some exercises in it (like the plank crawls + burpees) have a really high stamina barrier that is really hard to overcome- it took probably a month for me to feel not-daunted by the prospect of doing them and at first i split them into 10 burpee sets. i would not recommend this work out to someone who isn't used to working out/already fairly athletic/used to exerting yourself- because i think it would be a really easy way to burn yourself out.

There are also some of the exercises that an inexperienced person would probably injure themselves doing- like the plank up/downs. if you have wrist issues whatsoever i would skip this step- and i actually ended up abandoning it after the first months because my wrists hurt too bad. Joint health >>>> results the only other exercise i ended up switching out was the plank crawls, now i just do planks, but you do you. i just don't like plank crawls, i need to strike a balance of enjoying working out and it taxing me and plank crawls where just too much of a mental energy sap for me to keep going with them. i did add 50 push ups to this work out- to make up the difference.

i've done the lesseraphim work out for about 3 months now 4-5 times a week and during that time i did gain 5lbs of muscle/chub- jurys up on which it was i'm leaning towards muscle because i have a lot more definition in my shoulders in particular from the plank crawls- like it definitely made me ripped in my upper body in a way that i did not anticipate.

One thing i did notice is that my overall appetite did increase on this work out, and i kinda started a bulk/cut cycle in the middle of it- so of course because i was eating more protein i gained more muscle. i just started my cut cycle last week and i'm down 2lbs already so! its hard to say what my end results will be! it definitely increased my metabolic baseline however- because i was feeling the drive to eat so much more. so if you are looking to increase your maintenance calories this would definitely help. My current cut schedule is at like 1,300 calories a day with 60g protein so- that is a bit extream depending on what you consider.

i will say i can certainly see more definition im my ab area and my shoulders above all else- but what i don't like is that this work out stresses your calfs with all the burpees and tbh- my calf circumference has increased a whole inch in the last year so- that is definitely not a muscle i am trying to grow. be mindful to streach before and after you do this work out!

some of the exercises like the crunches and jumping jacks and jump squats felt a little bit easy compared to the burpees and plan crawls and i either ended up increasing the amount of them or changing them up a bit because i didn't find them challenging. but it's all up to what you want to do.

my lesseraphim inspired work out now:

100 burpees (done in a 10 minute period, no longer in set just with 30 second breaks as needed)

100 crunches (4 sets x 25, sometimes 2 x 50)

40 jump squats (4 sets x 10 usually done alternating with the crunches since they are similar skill level)

planks (3 minutes total, 1 minute sets)

Plank twists (3 sets x 40, 20 each side)

crunches (2 sets of 50)

push ups (5 sets of 10)

finish up with a 3 mile walk at 10 incline for ~ 1hr.

Sorry to go on a tangent but here you go! i do this work out 5-6 times a week (i walk everyday but i don't always have time to do this work out) the longest it's ever taken me is an hour and 20 minutes, the shortest is just over 30!

if you have experience with this work out i'd love to hear your thoughts on it too!

[naumin]

PAIN!!!!!!!! & hypermobility. an update

so over the last 5 years i've developed a bunch of chronic pain conditions. are they getting better? kind of no not really but i have some answers now i didn't at the start and i'm writing a post about them in case it helps somebody in a similar situation 🫶

so at the beginning i started getting pain in my shoulder - it's honestly hard to say if it's muscular or joint-related but what i've gathered is it doesn't really matter in my case. the pain is constant even at rest and sleeping. i had massages, applied topical pain relief and saw a few physios over the years who advised me to stretch and gave me some exercises aimed at strengthening the trapezius and rotator cuff muscles, which i tried to keep up with somewhat but fell off because they were awkward and not engaging (sue me). i also couldn't afford to see each physio more than once lol so i didn't have any follow-up appointments to keep me on track, plus i was working jobs that made my pain worse every day so i just wanted to lie in da bed tbh.

my pain would get worse, i would lose strength and the ability to do different activities and for as long as i used to, but i believed it was all bcus i was inconsistent with my exercises/stretching and i just needed to give it a proper go before i pay to see a professional about it yet again. this went on for YEARS dawg.

eventually i left my job and was doing yoga consistently every morning. and it wasn't helping... i wasn't getting better. oops. on top of this i started getting super awesome debilitating ⚡NERVE PAIN⚡ so i went and saw a physio for it and she said something interesting to me.

she said i might be hypermobile -- meaning i was really flexible and had a really good range of motion, but a lot of instability and pain in my joints. we honestly didn't focus on that much bcus i was more concerned about shooting pains and numbness in my hand and fingers (carpal tunnel) but it was something ppl had said to me over the years. i could rotate my shoulder 360° even though it felt really stiff and locked up. lots of "wow you're really flexible! i can't find the source of the pain"

so over the summer i started looking into hypermobility more. i think this video sums things up in a way that's easy to understand. it was a really hard time for me. a lot of crying while doing the gentlest pilates routine on youtube. turns out all the stretching and yoga and 'push yourself to the limit' attitude around exercise was rly hurting me. i started focusing on building my strength by lifting weights, and i mean really light weights like 500g, 1kg, 2kg on a good day, just in my house following routines online. and that has really helped with my pain. of course it's been years of it getting worse and affecting all the joints in my arm now (elbow, wrist is a hot mess, finger joints) so it's slow going and i do get pain while lifting -- even though the stupid doctor doesn't believe i score high enough to count as hypermobile, i've been referred to a physio now who says i definitely am, in my upper body at least (u can be hypermobile in different areas, did u know that?) -- anyway he says some pain is to be expected but as long as i don't overdo it to the point where i'm in agony even at rest then keep going. i'm lucky my condition allows me to do this much.

and that's the thing, the more you avoid doing because of your pain, the less you're capable of doing. i avoided a lot of activity because i thought it would do permanent damage to my body. but it's kind of the opposite, funnily enough... so the healing is freaking hard work, and it's painful. i am still in a lot of pain ✌️ but i'm really thankful to have an idea of what da fuck is going on now, and i cried a lot to my friends and family who support me... and it's the weedy spindly artists online who talked about how lifting weights has helped them who inspired me to start. so i hope this longass post can help somebody too... love u. PEACE

[whumpbump]

Whumpee Care 101:

Cw: mention of restraints and malnutrition

Make sure to have a fully rested Whumpee by limiting activities that are strenuous like heavy lifting, traveling far distances on foot, etc.

Fully rested Whumpees don’t just include appropriate sleep hygiene. It also means Whumpees who spend time relaxing and not using their brain to absorb new information. Reading is acceptable, reading TO them is better. Allow them to lay back and rest their body, eyes, and mind when you read to them quietly to soothe any upset.

Electric blankets are an easy way to maintain heat if your Whumpee is malnourished and cannot produce enough.

You can find fleece-lined clothing for aforementioned problem online or in stores near you for affordable prices.

If you have a Whumpee that was previously starved, do NOT feed them rich foods. Start with rice and watered down soups to save their poor tummies. They may have breads as long as it isn’t too dense. Then build your way up to heavier foods.

Sometimes, kind restraints are necessary if your Whumpee cannot act safely towards themselves or people trying to help. First, try to reason with your Whumpee as they may be able to calm down if prompted verbally to speak about why they are reacting like this. If this does not work, you may need to briefly restrain until they are calm again. Do this by getting behind your Whumpee, getting your arms over, around, then underneath their arms with your hands resting on their back. Do be aware that they could knock their head into yours. The restraint works best the closer you are so you may need to duck out of the way. Be sure to talk gently and quietly to your Whumpee and reassure them that you are not upset.

Clip a bell to you or another kind of noise-making element or hum constantly so your Whumpee always knows where you are and so you don’t accidentally sneak up on them. They don’t need any more surprises in their life.

Don’t be surprised if your Whumpee reverts backwards in age-appropriate actions as this could be them recalling a time in their life when they felt safe. Do call their therapist if you notice this to work out a support plan.

Absolutely take your Whumpee to a therapist, but be sure it is one who they feel safe with. Gender may be crucial to your Whumpee depending on previous trauma, as may experience with certain aspects in their life like religion or their gender and sexuality.

While attending these sessions, let your Whumpee know that you are willing to sit in on sessions IF THEY WANT YOU THERE unless it is pre planned with said therapist for a group meeting, intervention, or check-in.

Some Whumpees demand on helping. There are chores that can be done from the couch like folding and sorting laundry.

Getting your Whumpee home, you may notice that all they want to do is sleep. This is normal. They finally feel safe enough to let their guard down and sleep deeper than they have since their ordeal and stay in hospital.

Bandage changes may be difficult as your Whumpee may be reminded of their trauma each time you have to change them, which could be frequent. Keep their mind off of things. Learn about their passions or tell them silly stories like the time you tried to ask that pretty girl out and it went terribly and you sneezed on her by accident. You know the one.

Don’t be surprised if your Whumpee finds shame in their appearance due to scarring. Do consider finding ways to safely cover them like soft clothing, makeup and possibly even tattoos if they are healed enough.

Your Whumpee may be unaccustomed to the feeling of not being restrained and may need a feeling of weight on their wrists and ankles. You can recreate this safely by using wrist and ankle weights meant for exercise or sweatbands until you can wean them off.

While your Whumpee may be sleeping a lot, they may have night terrors and scream or cry in their sleep. It will be like having a baby. The best suggestion would be to sleep when they sleep so you can be awake for their strange hours until they can get back on a schedule.

[weenwrites]

Heyo! Could I have some headcanons about TFP Ratchet with a younger cybertronain s/o who can’t go out on the field due to past injuries and feels useless/is dealing with depression? Maybe Ratchet could help the reader stretch or give them a massage so they could possibly move faster, and the reader doing the same in return? The writing would mean a lot to me, thank you!

✎A/N: Please let me know if I've gotten anything wrong, and I hope you enjoy it!

[ Please do not repost, plagiarize, or use my writing for AI! Translating my work with proper credit is acceptable, but please ask first! ]

Ratchet

Ratchet was there when you were first told that your injuries were too severe for you to continue going onto the field. He was there to comfort you, to listen to you, to keep you company, and to take care of you through your recovery. And the chances are that he was the doctor who fixed you up, which means he feels immense guilt that he wasn't able to treat you well enough so you'd make a full recovery.

While he knows that feeling guilty won't change anything, he can't help but feel horrible anyway whenever he sees that you're having a hard time. Still, he tries to use this guilt to motivate himself to help you do simple exercises or stretches to try and improve your mobility.

He'll take 50 minutes out of his day to do some wrist and ankle rolls, knee marches, torso twists, heel slides, calf raises, etc... Or if possible, he'll have you do some curls with some relatively light weights. And the moment you start feeling any discomfort or pain, he'll have you stop and try something else or sit and rest for a while.

He's told you before that you should do your stretches and exercises without him, but you've managed to convince him to join you anyway. Sometimes, other members of the team will join in on the exercising and stretching sessions just to keep you company and talk with you.

Since most of—if not all your time is spent at the base, he'll have you assist him with some of his work at times, just to give you something to do (he's started doing it ever since he learned that you felt useless). Though he won't have you doing any heavy lifting or rigorous physical activity, he'll have you help him with cleaning up his workspace, or perhaps bringing him light-weight tools. Or if you have some scientific or medicinal knowledge, then he'll have you help him perform regular checkups on the team, or simple patch-up jobs whenever they get injured. Or if your strengths lie elsewhere, in things such as military strategizing, mission coordination, or managing communications, then you can do that from the base as well.

He then learned about aquajogging online and performed some extensive research on its benefits and drawbacks. He was curious, and so using his connections with Fowler, he managed to find a massive indoor pool to use. Of course he tested it out himself to see if it would be beneficial for cybertronians before allowing you to try it out. Or if you don't like that, then he's taken the kid's advice and rigged an exercise video game set-up, if you want something more entertaining to motivate you to exercise.

At times whenever you feel down, upset, or mourn the loss of what you used to be able to do, he'll remind you that you've made much progress towards improving your mobility thus far. He'll point out things that used to be much more difficult, and how you're now able to do them easier after taking the time to exercise and stretch for however long it's been, and he'll place a lot of emphasis on how proud he is that you've made it so far.

Or if you're upset about being useless, he'll keep emphasizing that no matter what you think of the work you for the team from back in the base, it's still valuable and it helps them greatly. And depending on what you do, the team will be sure to back him up and tell you about how helpful your strategies were for winning a key battle, for example, or how your coordination during missions helps them work together better, so on and so forth.

[ozwuv]

If I have hand pains (as artists get) what’s should I do? Do you recommend any exercises?

hmmm so i don't get hand pains necessarily, but i did damage my ulnar nerve pretty badly end of 2019-2020 from the oz fanbook grind lol. this led to a constant, dull pain in my dominant arm and persistent numbness in my hand. for a long time, i couldn't hold a pencil at all and to this day my grip is pretty weak. i remember when acnh came out in march 2020, i cried out of frustration constantly bc my grip was so lax i couldn't play.

that said, i'm speaking from experience when i say that taking advice on stretching techniques i found online made things way, way worse for me because it exacerbated the nerve damage i didn't know i had until i saw a doctor. the wrong kind of stretches can be more damaging than helpful if you're not doing them correctly, and especially if you have some kind of underlying issue that would be counterproductive for. the same thing goes for wrist braces and such -- a lot of people recommend them, but the wrong kind of brace can damage you further, and you should not be constantly wearing a brace unless a medical professional has told you to; constant usage of braces weakens your muscles over time because the brace prevents you from actually using them. if you have the means for it, i would really recommend consulting a physical therapist for preventative care.

but i didn't have access to medical care for a long time, so i get that's not feasible for everyone. if that's you, basic harm reduction guidelines are good to keep in mind. these are going to be things you've undoubtedly heard before, but they're drilled into your head for good reason:

take breaks. set a timer for every ~30-60 min and every time it goes off, get up, walk around, flex your hands and wrists, etc. ideally at least 10 minutes.

keep plenty of water within arm's reach at all times. hydration manages/prevents pain more than you might think. as soon as my grip gets too slack, i know that i need to stop drawing and drink a ton of water, but you should be drinking fluids at a semi-constant rate so you don't get to that point.

if you're in pain, stop drawing. no "i'll just wrap up the lines and then stop" -- listen to your body. if you're hurting, you've already pushed it too far and anything more is just going to make it worse.

posture posture posture -- any kind of posture advice for office workers generally applies to drawing.

^if you use a screen tablet (like cintiq or ipad) it's going to be virtually impossible to maintain good posture without buying a tablet arm or something. in cases like that, you should place even more of an emphasis on harm reduction or maybe even consider switching to an analog tablet so your monitor is at eye level. personally i'm in it for the longhaul with my ipad though lol

unfortunately advice like this kinda sucks for ppl with ADHD (meee) because pausing in the middle of something can cause you to become distracted or lose motivation. i don't really have a solution for that, but ultimately i got to the point where the nerve damage was so bad that i solidified these habits to prevent making it worse. i do get distracted and lose motivation a lot, but i did that to myself by not treating my body with the care it deserved.

if you take one thing from this response, let it be this: if you don't already experience chronic pain and/or nerve damage while drawing constantly without taking necessary precautions, it's not a matter of "if" you develop these issues, but "when". if you don't already have chronic pain from drawing, your goal right now should not be to preemptively look into things to remedy it, it should be seeking to prevent these issues altogether. work in some good habits, even if it's just taking breaks every now and then. even just one break per drawing is better than no breaks at all. i thought i was immune to these issues for over a decade & then i developed arthritis in my upper vertebrae at 20 years old lol nobody is immune i prommy<3

[kiyoowomi]

anyone know where to find that amazing sakusa x reader fic where basically he’s immortal and you die because you’re not and he marries you in some lifetimes, sometimes not, but he always finds you. the fic basically starts with reader being an old woman and then she dies beside him, then he meets you again at a supermarket, then he finds out you’re the new msby manager….then there’s a scene i remember when reader and him are sitting on the curb and she’s massaging his wrists because she found exercises online. then they date and suddenly he finds that he’s getting grey hair and he finally breaks the immortality curse and grows old and dies with reader as a normal human. oh, and he also tells reader that she’s reincarnated every single time.

[birdantlers]

Yo so I'm still alive, I just got carpal tunnel (STRETCH YOUR DAMN WRISTS EVERY DAY) some weird bone spurs on my wrist still waitin for x-ray results, and I think a smidgen of depression from assorted life shit lol. Haven't been able to draw much but I'm not in like. Severe or anything so I can still draw, I just haven't felt like it ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ sorry for disappearing so hard tho. I love y'all, I'll try to be more active here, socializing is just really hard rn and it kind of has been, at least online.

Good news tho! I started Wellbutrin and I already feel like my ADHD is a bit more manageable. I want to try taking better care of myself (mainly exercising/actually focusing on school) and trying to save up for a house, so idk if I'll be crazy active, but ive had a lot so time to reflect and tbh i think a little less social media for me is not the Worst Thing Possible like it seems when im in full blown adhd mode. Anyway just wanted to give y'all an update

(I'm not as depressed as garf I just thought it was funny I had a depression garf image)

[jinmukangwrites]

I'm not poetic, everyone knows this. I'm blunt as can be with my words, and I don't usually know how to figure out flowery metaphors.

But there's something poetic, isn't there, about how the numbers on the scale aren't as low as I'd hoped they'd be at the end of this year, yet there's 5 kinks in my leather belt and I'm considering buying a smaller one. I can wrap my hand around my wrists, and touch my thumb to my ring fingers. When I shake my hand, my rings fall off. When I lift my arms, you can see the muscle. I have stripes of stretch marks, I've had them since I was 13 years old and its took decades to love them, and now I love them even more because when I pinch them and pull, the skin comes loose. I can wrap my fingers around my hip bones, they've never stuck out before.

6 months ago, if you asked me to run a small distance, I'd groan. Now I look for every opportunity to use my legs like that. The drinking fountain is a minute away, and by the time I get there, my heart rate hasn't even raised much.

I look forward to going to the mall and seeing if the numbers on my jeans are smaller. My mindset when shopping online has moved from "maybe I'm a large or extra large?" To "maybe I'm a medium or large?".

Yet the numbers aren't as down as I'd expected them to be, and I'm okay with that.

I'm not poetic, but this feels poetic to me. There's no way I can truly express how this feels, how good it feels to take my health into my own hands and understand my body and love every step of the way. Maybe I could write a fic pushing these feelings onto a character, or maybe I should keep it to myself.

But I hope I'm eventually an inspiring story. I hope someday people can ask me how I did it, and I can tell them it was easy. Slow, incredibly slow, sometimes frustrating, but easy. Because I didn't give up pizza, or cake, or ice cream. I didn't obsess over the gym, or exercise, or try those weird little trends that change every other day. I hope someday people can look at me and say "woah, I had no idea you used to be 40 pounds heavier, how'd you do that?" And I could say, "I never gave up."