#which is selfcare actually

[faedotexe]

So I'm building a tiny mix between a flip & write game and an incremental game, but it's actually interactive fiction written in ink?

And also you build your own adversary and I'm just kind of writing them with a vague "aren't they super hot? Why are they hot?" energy

But playing the game and winning means brutally killing your adversary through metaphorical game actions so there's that

[angorwhosebabyisthis]

i feel like i should start making more of an effort, when i talk about something in a piece of media being Upsetting to me, to distinguish between 'cathartic' upsetting and 'gave me psychic damage' upsetting. sometimes i mean OUGH OW MY FEELINGS THIS FUCKS ME UP IN A MEANINGFUL AND RESONANT WAY, MY LIFE IS ENRICHED FOR BECOMING AWARE OF IT and sometimes i mean that it is genuinely distressing and i want to shake the creators and ask what the fuck they were thinking

[hiibi]

Somebody needs to show me some compassion AND THAT BITCH IS GONNA BE ME BABYYYYY

[nartothelar]

AU were Emmets selfcare and self preservation subconiously takes form of Ingo to stop him from doing unhealthy things or destroying his own body.

Has the negative side effect of Emmet keep doing things because he is "with Ingo in a way".

Honestly sounds interesting and could also lead into a Emmet gets therapy situation.

(On the other hand the image of Ingo having this unknown man in white encouraging to keep going and avoid danger even if his amnesia sometimes frustrates him would also serve as a nice parallel. He doesn't know who he is but everytime he gets told to keep on going he can't help but do what he says)

subconcious Guardian Angel?

Hmm! That’s pretty much what this smoking series is sorta doing? These visages of Ingo are just his own subconscious (and old memories of his brother) trying to get him to not fall into old habits sksksk Emmet cares and depends on routines in his life, so having “Ingo” there, even if its not really him, aids as a reminder to not derail too much -> coping mechanism

As for Ingo’s case, this “man in white” that keeps appearing in front of him mostly appears only when he’s in danger, as a sort of “third man factor” phenomenon, to help guide him/encourage him to safety, which is something that has happened to actual people and something super interesting to read about!

“Subconscious guardian angel” au is an extrEMELY cool au name tho and I might have to snatch it whenever I draw something similar to these comics sksksks

[lessi-lover]

reveals and revels II a.russo & l.williamson

requests for the blondies have left the inbox x ★ reveals and revels II a.russo & l. williamson x reader

alessia

every night, since you shared the news that you had finally fallen pregnant, a couple of new rituals had taken place in your home. alessia, your girlfriend, had taken it upon herself to make sure that the baby knew exactly who her mama's would be when they were born.

meaning, that every night when the sun began to set, alessia would would light a few scented candles and place them around your bedroom. which to your surprise, allowed you to slowly unwind after a long day on your feet. she would then select a playlist she had created for you on her phone, which was a mix of calm music you had begun to appreciate over the months.

the blonde would tear your laptop away from your hands, reminding you that you had already done a hefty amount of work, to which you would remind her that you weren't technically meant to be on maternity leave until next month. although, she never really listened to you anyway.

guiding you up the stairs, the girl would allow you to relax your tired limbs onto her own, rubbing soothing patterns into your swollen sides. whispering sweet words into your ear. making your way into your bedroom, alessia began to tear away your clothes, kissing each part of your body as she fully undressed you. there was nothing sexual about her kisses, they were solely an act of intimacy the blonde used to ground your mind after a harsh day in the office.

alessia smoothly directs you to the bathroom, flicking on the lights as she makes her way past. she gently pulled you into her arms, sliding her hands underneath your thighs, before carefully lifting you up and onto the bathroom counter. she grabbed your chin softly, turning your head towards the mirror.

alessia made it her personal mission to make sure that any thoughts you had about your body that arose during your pregnancy were ridden from your mind.

alessia was constantly reminding you how beautiful you were, the small affirmations flowing effortlessly from her lips, like clockwork for the blonde. the little gestures such as; writing you notes when she made you breakfast every morning, taking photos of your belly through each stage of your pregnancy, talking your ear off about what she imagines your baby to be like, - which actually just consisted of her describing what an amazing striker they would be and all the things she planned to teach your child.

she simply just did those little things that made you fall in love with her all over again.

"so beautiful, my beautiful girl." she murmured lowly, your heart fluttered as her arms wrapped tightly around your pregnant belly. you felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the blonde, and it only seemed to grow stronger each day.

she lead you to the shower, making sure the water was not too cold and not too warm, something you paid such close attention too. pulling you into her arms, she maneuvered her body tightly against your own, letting the water fall gracefully on you both. she shifted you, so that your back was facing the stream of water and she began to lay kisses onto your collarbones, hands working tirelessly at your tense shoulders.

she dug her fingers into your hips, trying desperately to release any tightness she could. she weaved her fingers gently into you hair, massaging a light shampoo into your neglected locks. you rarely had the time for any type of selfcare, and your girlfriend was adamant that if you wouldn't take care of yourself, then she would.

she covered your body in a thick body wash, lightly moving her hands over every inch of your body, leaving small patterns where she could. she was kneeling at your feet now, lifting her chin upwards, so she could look up and place kisses on your stomach. she gently massaged each stretch mark, her fingers doing wonders to release the tension in your swollen body. placing kisses on each mark on your body, she picked herself off the ground, before grabbing the sides of your face in a passionate kiss.

the blonde moved her lips against your own, her tongue exploring each part of your mouth, as if she had never before. she kissed you as if she had never before, but also as if she never would again. she wrapped her arms around your stomach, placing her manicured hand on your side, the other sliding down to clasp your hands togethers.

drying off, alessia made a huge deal that only she could dry and your baby off, as she apparently knew best. she placed yet more kisses to every part of your body, before kissing you sweetly on your forehead. she cradled your head in her hands, pecking your nose, which you lightly scrunched.

your girlfriend then again, lifted your pregnant body onto the counter, her hands laying dormant on your thighs. bending down to open the drawer next to her, she picked out a headband and placed it over your head, smoothing down your hair as she did so. alessia massaged a light moisturiser into your face, careful to stray the cream away from your eyes. she positioned her thumbs underneath your eyes, softly applying an eye cream, soothing away the signs of tiredness.

"all done, my love," the blonde whispered lightly into your hair, smiling up at you. you tried to get down off the counter by yourself, but instead a pair of hands wrapped around your thighs, and you were lifted into your girlfriend's chest.

alessia carried you into your bedroom, the rooms were connected, something you were grateful you had pushed for when deciding where to live. the blonde lifted the covers, gently lowering you onto the bed. she settled next to you, pulling the duvet up to your chin, her hand finding your waist.

she encased your body with her arms, attempting to pull you on top of herself. "no less, i'll crush you," a reference to your growing baby bump. "no you won't, i'm big and strong." she responded stubbornly. "did you hear that baby? you're going to be big and strong like me one day." the blonde asked, head propped up against your stomach. you rolled your eyes, tugging lightly on her hair to bring her up for a kiss.

"my beautiful girl."

leah

you felt your wife hum contendently into your sternum, her warm breath gently tickling your skin. you lay there wrapped in each others embrace, the blonde's hair dishevelled over your chest. the soft london weather just sweeping through the window, you felt the sun wash softly over your face.

it was a rare day off from both your relentless lives, your internationals and club schedule lining up perfectly to give you both a much needed break from your fast paced careers. being able to have a moment to pause was important, and something you would always make time for, no matter how hard.

you let out a content sigh, tangling your fingers through the hair of your lover, gently scratching her scalp. you looked down at the blonde, her arms wrapped tightly around your midsection, her hands laying protectively on your growing bump. ever since you had revealed to her that you were pregnant, she had become even more clingy than she had been before, it was rare for your body not to be connected to hers in some way.

leah's mouth pressed against your belly, a tender kiss that looked as if it was meant for the baby, even as she remained in a deep sleep. you watched her for a moment, the soft rise and fall of her chest against yours, the usual tightness in her face now relaxed.

you watched the clock on the wall, you eyes following the black arms as they travelled past each number. as the hours went by, the blonde slowly began to wake up, her eyelashes gently fluttering against your arm, which she has nestled her head into.

your fingers gently brushed along leah's back, the pale buttons of her pyjamas having come undone through the night. your sheets had enveloped you both warmly, and you lay together in the middle of your bed.

the birds outside were just beginning to sound their chirps, when the sound of insistent knocking jolted you awake, their melody falling silent against your window. muffled voices could be heard from the other side of the door, unmistakably belonging to your australian teammates, - steph and kyra.

"come on, girls! everyone's waiting in the car. let's move it!" steph's voice felt impatient, as her loud knocking on your door never faltered. "whatever lovemaking you're doing can happen tonight! hurry up!" the younger girl chimed in, and you could hear a faint painful grunt, as no doubt she had copped a jab to the arm for her comment.

of course you thought it was a smart idea to include your house in the communal key chain, even if leah had tried desperately to talk you out of it. you claimed it was a safety measure, to which she replied, "the only hitlist you're on is mine baby." but now, you were certainly cursing yourself for your stupid judgement, of course this was bound to happen.

"sorry stephy!" you yelled out apologetically, struggling to you remove yourself from your wife, who was determinedly sticking to your body. the incessant knocking ceased, as the older girl gave her last warning and went to settle in your living room.

"come on love." you said sadly, rubbing you hand up and down her arm. leah, however, was in no rush to leave, her cheeky nature meaning she was always ignoring the likes of her teammates, and often getting herself into trouble.

"darling, we really should get up," you whispered, running your fingers through her hair. "just a few more minutes," she mumbled, her voice muffled against your skin. you chuckled, knowing all too well that leah's 'few more minutes' could easily turn into an hour.

she groaned softly, the sound vibrating against your pregnant belly as she buried her head further into it, seeking refuge from the long day of team bonding that was waiting outside her door. you giggled at her, your hand cupping her hair, as you curled inwards. her muffled voice came through, heavy with sleep, "do we really have to go?"

you chuckled softly, running your fingers through her hair in an attempt to rouse her. "come on, babe, the team's waiting. and you know how steph gets about us being late." but leah was acting stubborn, her body heavy with the desire to stay curled up in bed with you. the warmth of the bed and the presence of your growing baby seemed to weigh her down, anchoring her in your open arms.

again the blonde groaned, head planting carefully into your stomach, trying to relish in the last moments of the day she would have alone with you. kyra's voice rose again from outside your room, this time a hint of warning in her words, "we're going to start counting down, leah! don't make us come in there!"

gently, you nudged the girl, encouraging her to rise. "we can't keep the team waiting," you reminded her.

this elicited a playful grumble from Leah, who finally lifted her head, her eyes meeting yours with a sleepy yet affectionate gaze. "fine, fine, we're up, don't come in." she conceded, though her movements were slow and exaggerated as she chuckled at herself. with a gentle push and a shared smile, you both began to untangle yourselves from each other.

"alright, let's do this, baby" leah said with a stretch, straining her neck to place a small kiss on your forehead, before bending down to give one to your bump as well. together, you quickly got ready, the both off you flitting around your room, brushing your teeth, rushing into clothes and leaving a few minutes to finally kiss your wife.

"my beautiful girl." she whispered against your cheek.

_______

upon opening the door, steph and kyra greeted you with mock frustration but quickly broke into smiles.

"it's about time," steph said, her tone light and teasing, the girl pulling you into a hug not soon after.

kyra, with a laugh, added, "we thought we'd have to break down the door, to find the married couple."

the drive to the day's activity was filled with laughter and light-hearted banter amongst you all, the older girls copping most of the heat from the younger players, which led to a multitude of bets and dares being carried out. vic, had dared frida to stick her tongue out as a celebration for the next goal she scored, whilst katie who took a more gusty approach, had bet alessia that she could 'neck' more beers than her, the younger brit immediately agreeing and shaking her hand.

you watched as your captain, -kim, rolled her eyes at the silly antics of her teammates, quoting the competition was, "a load of rubbish." you and your wife being seperated the moment you stepped out the door, yourself being forced between your teammates beth and jen, but you didn't really mind, they kept you entertained enough.

although, you felt your eyes wander over to one grumpy blonde, squished between viv and laura, sitting with a scowl on her face, as she felt herself drift away from the two girls' conversation.

the team had planned a series of fun and engaging outdoor activities, designed to foster teamwork and let off some steam. leah, usually sporting a more competitive approach when it came to things like this, seemed more relaxed today, her hand finding yours as she gave it a gentle squeeze.

"are you okay?" she whispered, her concern evident in her soft gaze. "just excited," you replied, giving her a reassuring smile.

the first event was an escape room, encouraging teamwork and patience, things you always strived for in your career. as leah navigated the course with her friends, her ability to work with others shone and watched as she began to enjoy herself more. you stood on the sidelines, waving off your friends with a poor excuse of a sore stomach, well you weren't entirely lying.

lunch was a picnic in the park, a moment for everyone to relax and bask in the rare english sunshine. the time had finally come, you and leah had decided it was the perfect time to share your news.

leah stood up, gaining the attention of your teammates. "can we get a photo please girls?" many of them agreed, moving around so they could all fit in the frame. you and leah volunteered to take the photo, you guiding everyone around and leah taking the photo.

"everyone ready?" your wife asked, much accustomed to the many 'photo blinkers' in her friend group. a string of nods rippled, and you both settled behind the camera to take the photo.

"one, two, three, say we're pregnant!" leah shouted out, her finger hovered over the camera button. as the words left her mouth, the faces of all the girls around her transformed into expressions of shock and disbelief. the camera clicked at just the right moment, capturing a perfect photo of their reactions.

"everyone, we have some special news to announce," she began, her hand instinctively resting on your stomach. you stood up beside her, feeling a mix of nerves and excitement.

"we're going to be parents!" you announced, your voice filled with joy.

the reaction from the team was immediate and heartwarming. cheers and congratulations erupted, with all your teammates rushing over, enveloping you both in a group hug. "we're so happy for you both!" exclaimed Steph, her eyes shining with happiness.

kim, always the team leader, added, "that's wonderful, girls! how far along are you?" she asked. "two months along, we were waiting for the perfect moment to tell you all. you responded, looking up at your wife, a look of pure admiration on your face.

"was waitin' for you to pop out a mini leah," an irish accent filled your ears, you turned over to see the brunette with a huge grin, her comment sparking a conversation of "what a mini leah or y/n would be like."

_______

the drive back home was quiet, with both of you lost in thought. leah's hand rested on your thigh, and you clasped your hand around hers, rubbing your thumb over her knuckles. you couldn't help but let your mind wonder to what the future might hold, after all you were about to start a family with the girl you loved the most in the entire world.

as you arrived home, leah made her way over to your door, helping your tired body out of the car. the blonde weaved her hands around your waist, as you unlocked the door, resting her chin on your shoulder. she helped you up the stairs, changing you out of your clothes before gently crashing you both in bed.

as the sun began to set, signaling the end of an unforgettable day, leah wrapped her arm around your waist, pulling you close to her, mirroring your earlier position. "today was perfect, exactly how i wanted to break the news." she whispered, kissing the top of your head. you nodded, resting your head against her shoulder. "It really was. i can't wait for the baby to come."

"i love you, leah," you whispered softly, feeling the warmth of her embrace enveloping you.

"i love you too," leah replied, her voice a gentle echo that soothed your busy mind. her arm tightened around your waist, and she nuzzled her head into your belly. in the quiet comfort, you felt time pause, as the two of you just lay contently in each others arms.

suddenly your phone chimed with a series of messages. sighing dismissively, you reached over to your bedside table, finding a flood of texts from the girls on the team. they were buzzing with excitement, each one requesting to be chosen as 'aunties' to your unborn child.

"can I be the cool aunt who teaches them football tricks?" one message read, from a groupchat with vic and kyra.

"official babysitter here, i demand first dibs!" another chimed in, this time caitlin requesting to be an auntie. and not a second later did her girlfriend katie message you, demanding that she be called 'auntie katie'.

"wait, I'm baking the first birthday cake, no arguments!" a third declared, your good friend lia showcasing her love for baking, that she wanted to share with your baby.

leah peeked over your shoulder, reading the texts and laughing softly to herself. "looks like our baby's going to have a starting eleven of aunties," you said, eyes sparkling with happiness.

"yeah, and the most amazing mom in the world."

[girlbossagenda]

Hi! I love your posts! Can you do one on: how to stop fawning over pretty more “seemingly” confident and educated women our age? I tend to do fawning and it’s embarrassing because I want to have more successful and confident friends but I end up being a pushover or weirdly admire them wayyyy to much and I become nervous speaking to them. Thanks so much!

HOW TO STOP FAWNING OVER OTHER GIRLS AND BE YOUR N°1 FAN

Omg, this is such and underrated topic!! Thanks for asking, we usually see the beauty and the light in other people, to the point that we stop seeing the true beauty inside of us, sometimes we ever become doormats to our own friends, Time to change! So here's how:

౨ৎCREATE CLEAR BOUNDARIES౨ৎ

Girl stop showing up for every single little thing, especially if they won't do it for you too!

౨ৎDON'T SPEND TIME WITH THE SAME PEOPLE ALL THE TIMES౨ৎ

Try to enter in different rooms with different people and found in which roon you are more appreciated, maybe you shine more in a place full of alternative people or in a place with the classic ig influencer!

౨ৎDON'T BE EASILY ACCESSIBLE౨ৎ

People are going to take you fro granted if you're the one who always shows up, especially if the plan it's last minute, ofc, I'm telling you to not skip every meeting or people will start to not invite you, but take in consideration to live more for yourself.

Sometimes saying "No sorry for this day I can't" or "sorry maybe next time" can help you gain more appeal and make you feel more confident.

౨ৎPUT THEM DOWN OF THE MF PEDESTAL౨ৎ

Why bow to them and not bow to yourself? What makes them so special? Are you not the main character of your life? So act like it! take space, act like the leading role!!!

౨ৎTIME FOR A GLOW UPPP౨ৎ

If you are bringing down your looks, I suggest to actually practice some for of selfcare along side with putting in practice some glow up tips, starting from the basics to then reaching the top level!!(I might post a glow up guide soon!!)

౨ৎGET TO KNOW YOURSELF౨ৎ

When you know yourself, you know how much you are worthy, do it for your younger self, once you get to know how you are inside, you'll start to idolize your own self

౨ৎEDUCATE YOUR SELF౨ৎ

If it's education the proble, gain more knowledge, get educated, but don't always talk about it randomly ofìr people are gonna take you for a show off, instead try to share that knowledge by going to acculturated places, or inviting them out somewhere like a museum, a book review meeting, a festival etc...

Sorry for the late answer, you know In middle school I hed your same problem, but I solved it by simply avoiding this type of girls and focusing on myself, so every single time whe had some type of conversation I could handle it with my brain(I wasn't that much of a beauty back then lol). I hope you have a great day, and I hope I helped xoxo gougeous

-𝓐

[authormars]

Headcanon dumb bc why not?

We'll do one per character since I don't do that very often

Lucifer showers in the morning and night every day and, if he can, will brush his teeth three times a day (once in the morning, once after lunch, once at night)

Mammon sleeps in nothing normally, but if MC asks him to be in their room, is sleeping in his room, or he's sleeping over at someone's house, he has the decency to put sweatpants on (unless MC doesn't want him to 👀)

Levi is amazing at art and regularly does commissions for people. In Satan's room, above all the shelves, he has posters made by Levi for his favorite shows and books.

Satan goes to varsity Fangol practice, not because he's on the team, but because he likes watching the cheerleaders practice (and he has a crush or has had a crush on half of them)

Asmo regularly takes selfcare days, which almost always include shopping and treating himself in the morning at various stores and spending the afternoon (and sometimes night) at Purgatory Hall with Solomon.

Beel will often take food from anyone, but if he notices a particular person giving him their food a lot of the time (looking at you Asmo, Luci, and MCs with an ED) he will stop accepting it to make sure they're eating.

Belphie almost never sleeps in his own bed. Beel's is warmer, much more comfortable, and it has something to cuddle that occasionally bites his shoulder as he sleeps.

Diavolo has a shower that's enchanted by Barbatos to always spit out healing water, which is part of the reason bruises never last long (the other reason is that Diavolo has a crazy good immune system and it's hard to bruise him anyways.

Barbatos fell in love with Diavolo's mother and father and they were together until Diavolo's mother died. After that, since Diavolo's father was broken-hearted, Barbatos swore off love

Mephisto has a cane because of an accident when he was younger. He rode horses for sport and during one of the races (that little Diavolo was allowed to go to, I might add) another jockey purposely knocked him off his horse, leading to a permanent injury in his leg so he limps all the time and it causes lots of pain

Solomon has lived through three different earths. The first earth, where he was a peasant. This earth was wiped out because the ecosystem was falling apart (not the human's fault, for once) but the humans were allowed to go to the next earth as the first humans. The second earth was wiped out while he was in Devildom, so he wasn't wiped out with it. The second earth was wiped out due to Lilith and Belphie. The third earth is what we know today.

Simeon can actually use his phone a lot better than he lets on. He just absolutely adores the look on Luke's face when he helps him fix something.

Luke cannot seem to get any Devildom pastry right. It's always slightly off. He knows this because Barbatos always smiles sadly at him when they do their taste tests. For the life of him, he cannot figure out what it is

Thirteen was once a human who lived in the first earth with Solomon (she hated him there too) When she died, her sins and virtues were exactly equal, so the father and mother (God and Devil herself) decided to make her a reaper, a being to watch over the newly created life candles that hindered a being's lifespan.

Raphael isn't actually indifferent to most things. As an angel, he was taught not to show his emotions and be a perfect guard for Michael (pretty sure thats what he is) so he never learned how to properly express emotions (and he's a lil autistic)

I struggled with some of these, sorry if they're bad or inaccurate. I haven't met Mephi, Thirteen, or Raphael yet

[etherealkissed88]

I don't know if you've already made a post about this, but I wanted to ask: How can I be more positive about the protests, not being a privileged person? I'm not the prettiest, I'm not the smartest, I'm not rich (in fact I want to manifest better conditions), I feel mentally exhausted. I'm kind of just desperate to manifest a better life for myself and my family, but I feel so negative about it. I feel like I'm just going to become another one of the statistics about poor people; Sometimes I question the results of certain people, because I actually don't know if they are already privileged in a certain way, whether it's because she's pretty, smart or has money. Some people who talk about staying positive, manifest, selfcare, are privileged people, not rich people, but people with excellent financial and psychological conditions; I'm sad, because I really don't have money for self-care or therapy, I feel guilty, sad and insufficient because I don't have enough money:(

do not pretend these circumstances arent there. realize that you are self that chooses what to accept as true. yes, you have a choice. what you should do is become indifferent to what you experience. yes it is in the 3d but “it doesnt affect who i am and what version of myself i choose to be.”

i think the reason why u may be getting a mental burn out is because you are trying to persuade or force yourself to believe that what your human self is experiencing in the 3d, is not there. again - indifference. another important concept is the nuetral 3d. it never has original meaning. we give it meaning.

i know how you feel about being tired of life - and from my experience, i was so tired of living a life i didnt like that it motivated me to actually apply the law and use my power to get what i want. the law is always working for you so you are always in control, and when you live this “negative” life, it is you - the operant power, allowing yourself to stick in this “negative” life. you are choosing to be this version of you who lives like this. you are being the one who is living that.

know that it is not - the 3d shows me something -> then i become a version of me / i embody a version of me which matches the 3d. it will always be, i am a version of me -> the 3d follows that bc i am the 3d. signs follow, they do not precede.

you cannot let what you see influence who you become. bc who you become is why you are seeing what you see. who you are being is why you see what you see through that perspective, thro that state.

a lot of ppl have manifested great things and complete transformations without being privileged at first. stop focusing on other success stories and make yourself the success story. success story = changing self!

for the feelings of guilt and sadness, allow yourself to feel that bc emotions are human nature. what you shouldnt do is feel like those emotions are ruining anything, or try to suppress these emotions, or make imaginary and “negative” stories out of those emotions. they are always neutral!

when you are experiencing bad things, so what you need to do to make ends meet in the 3d such as getting a job to get that money you want. whatever you do shouldnt intertwine with the rich version of you that you are being. you can do whatever you want in the 3d while being/knowing you have what you want already. but you do not self-sabotage your human self because you think that doing stuff in the 3d will “ruin your manifestation”. example: you are broke in real life so you get a job while being the version of self who is already rich. it doesnt matter what you experience in the 3d bc all that matters is who self is being. if you didnt take that job but you are struggling financially, there is still the human self to take care of (you need money for food, shelter, etc) so again, nothing you do in the 3d matters as long as you are changing self.

to wrap up: it doesnt matter what you see in the 3d. clearly you claim: you arent the prettiest or smartest or richest. thats the issue. you are accepting those versions of you. you are being those versions of you.

& “how to be more positive?” : decide you are positive and happy. i can recommend visualizing yourself living the life you want and eventually you will fulfill yourself and be this new version of you.

skim this for other questions: 🧼

- cutie jani

[somewhereincairparavel]

How would Jason Grace spoil you? boyfriend hcs list

author's note: ik i have an angsty jason grace prompt in my asks and i swear im working on it! But this idea just popped up on my mind and I've been thinking about it all night yesterday omgg. Let me know if you guys want a Leo/Percy/Frank version of this, I mostly write for Jason since he's my bbg but I might actually do the others this time since the idea is so cute!

I'll start off by saying, Jason is a selfcare supporter bf.

Okay so yk how the Romans in CJ have such high standards? They literally exhibit royal/regal energy, and are super fans of luxury stuff.

Jason despite being influenced by greeks would always be a roman. Whether he likes it or not, there will always be roman blood in him. So he makes these cute/simple ideas for dates/gifts but his execution is just pure sophistication. He's SO simple yet so fancy, and Ik they're contradictions but I promise I'll explain.

like this boy would make sure to run you a nice warm roman bath after you come back from a dangerous/tiresome quest to ease your muscles. Cute and simple right? Wrong. This man would buy all sorts of expensive bath perfumes, bath bombs, fragranted petals, etc to make it extra special for you.

See so this is what I mean when I say his ideas are cute, but executed in a very fancy way.

He LOVES spoiling you with self care products, like sheet masks, lotion, cleansers, hair masks, etc. like he simply does NOT care about the money, as long as his girl is taking care of herself?? That's all that matters tbh

This is mostly because Jason, as a kid soldier, never had any time for himself, the closest thing he's ever done to "selfcare" is probably take long baths + trim his hair lol

jason was blessed with his mother's ethereal actress beauty okay. So selfcare or no self care would have zero effect on him physically bc bro would still look majestic.

ANYWAYS he feels like his inner child just kinda heals when he sees you prioritising yourself and he admires it sm :((

would be ecstatic if you rope him into self care. He would be sceptical at first but then as you're applying a face mask on him he'd be like "wait this is actually so relaxing what" and you love the way his face muscles soften at that. Like he really deserves a break and some relaxation, you'd often trick him into using your skincare products intentionally bc he deserves self care.

once he felt so soothed with the lemon facemask he was wearing that he fell asleep on your shoulder and was all zzz 🥺

and would make sure to restock all your products if they run out.

he feels that the self-care has more of a mental and emotional effect on him rather than physical

Which is what matters to him

honestly?? He supports you if you want to wear makeup. Like he'd think you look gorgeous either way but if you like wearing lipgloss? So be it. You get any lipgloss you want he's paying. He just LOVES that you love yourself too :( and would do anything to make you feel comfortable.

also

Food.

This man loves investing on food. Again, it's bc he never even had the time to properly eat as a legionnaire :(

So he'd love to take you out to places and just munch on tasty food and talk. New Rome has bomb food okay. Bro just never got to eat them.

Lmao he's like everyone's grandma when it comes to food. "Have you eaten? You HAVE to eat!! I'll get you food! Go back to your room!"

would spoonfeed you soup if you're sick bc nuh uh you ain't going without eating hun 😤

hes the worried anxious mother hen bf okay fight me.

Food + selfcare = Jason Grace's love language

[survivalove]

Katara the selfcare queen

Every canon instance or mention (that i can rmr) of Katara indulging in selfcare in the middle of a war because I find it quite amusing yet fascinating.

I may or may not have made a post like this before but I wanted to expand on it.

1. Skincare routine

In 1x14, The Fortuneteller, Katara reveals she has a special seaweed lotion that she carries with her for soft skin. (Avatar Extras also made a point of saying that it smells…?) She even offers to get Aunt Wu some, as if she has extra. So my question is, who is this plug that she gets her steady supply of seaweed lotion from? 😭

Real-life: Seaweed has been used in skincare for thousands of years, first recorded in ancient Chile. Nowadays, seaweed extract is pretty common in skincare products especially from emerging brands in Nunavik and Iqaluit, Canada.

My headcanon: This is probably a recipe Katara picked up from the older women of her tribe, so she just plucks some seaweed whenever the gaang stops by a body of water. And she definitely makes it in cute glass jars and shares it with her fellow healers in the Republic City Hospital ✨selfcare queen✨

2. Spa Day

I just find this funny because when and how did she even find this spa? How long has she been going by herself? Look how comfortable she is like dhjfjcd she’s definitely a regular and they all know her.

Real-life: Saunas are pretty modern, starting up in Finland around 1112. (In canon, I think a firebender and a waterbender run a sauna in Republic City so hey.) Mudbaths on the other hand have been around for centuries and people have been doing it at any naturally occurring hot spring they can found. I don’t even have to tell you about massages so

My headcanon: Katara always knows where the spas and selfcare places are wherever they go. I definitely think she scooped up some stuff at the perfume abbey in season 1 (because she’s a kleptomaniac). I also headcanon she would have a spa setup in the back of Republic City Hospital because selfcare is healthcare too. Also, Aang gives her massages at home and he’s surprisingly good at it, but, Katara sucks at massages and Aang never lets her do it to him after that one time 💀

3. Yoga

In 3x11, Nightmares & Daydreams, Katara teaches Aang yoga to de-stress in a hot spring. My thing is, when did she learn about yoga and how often does she do it? We needed the Katara yoga mini shorts special. The kids would’ve loved it.

Real life: Yoga originating from ancient India is practised in a variety of forms in Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism. The poses they do are the Upward Salute and the Wide Legged Forward Bend.

My headcanon: I imagine Katara must have read about this at the Air Nomad Section of the Spirit Library, given the cultural heritage. Knowing her she found a yoga scroll and swiped it (can you say klepto?). This is another selfcare thing she does with Aang because it’s his culture! They do it every Saturday until he starts complaining about his old bones 😅

4. Hair care

Katara also wears a special cap on her head when doing yoga which I assume is to protect her hair from the steam 🤔 I just found it very interesting since we hardly see her hair covered. Then I also realized Katara is the only character shown actually combing her hair and styling it like 4 times: from the bun-braid, to the formal earth kingdom look, to her fire nation look and finally the bun with her hair out.

Real life: I typed so many things and I finally found something similar called a chinoiserie satin skull cap? (sorry pic limit). It’s similar in design and even has a tassel like Katara’s. Focusing on her hairstyles, the signature “hair loopies” are actually based on a traditional Inuit style known as qilliqti and her earth kingdom look is based on a traditional Manchurian style called liangbatou.

My headcanon: Like Katara’s mysterious seaweed lotion recipe, she probably makes several haircare products for herself, and has a major hair routine. So, it would make sense she wears protective caps from time to time. I also think both Hama and Katara are tied to the myth of Senna, the Inuit sea goddess, through the comb Katara uses which I headcanon is the identical comb Hama had in her home (again klepto).

If there’s any more selfcare moments I left out, please feel free to share or reply with your own Katara ✨selfcare queen✨ headcanons!

[suguru-getos]

could u do denki or hawks head canons?? it can be sfw or nsfw i dont mind! also your rules page is broken😭😭

ikrrr i just fixed the rules page !! thankyou for reminding me nonnie 🤗

୨・┈﹕✦﹕ hawks headcanons (sfw)﹕✦﹕┈・୧

-> keigo is a safespace, for you, for the civilians of tokyo, for anyone who’s fortunate enough to be with him. some might say it’s because of the stern and detailed training he had been given by the hpsc. how to behave, how to interact with civilians, how to make people essentially trust you. it’s partly that — but mostly keigo’s behavior. he wants people to feel safe around him. he wants to be approachable & he wants to help people. before that; he should be someone approachable enough so people come and ask for help. which is exactly what he does.

-> he can be quite vocal about everything especially if it’s you. don’t get me wrong he takes a lot of time to actually open up. but when he does you’re thankful to have someone like him in your life. he would never ever let you go! random texts of him saying the cringiest pick up lines, i love yous, asking if you’d like the random piece of jewellery he loved. he’s a baby. okay? okay.

-> he praises a lot! okay? imagine it being like an aftercare for everything. you worked out? wow — his baby’s so strong? gasp! you’re such a good girl, you bought something for yourself yay! you deserve to be spoiled. i’d say he’s the best you can have even on his bad days. ;)

-> loves collecting little trinkets, bird instincts you know? you’d get silly random gifts from him which can range from a pretty stone he found while he was patrolling, to a new diamond necklace which just shined better. takami keigo sugar daddy supremacy!

-> he usually tries to be as human as possible but sometimes his wings talk more than he does. they’d inflate, they’d falter, they’d puff up with excitement seeing you in his favorite red lingerie. keigo’s wings are a doorway to his emotions. you could always make out what he likes/not with them.

-> he has a selfcare routine and would force you to have one if you don’t have it already. don’t be surprised if keigo’s standing next to you washing his face and cleansing it, applying serum and whatnot. he has a lot of modelling contracts and has to be in debris, fly in the dust, be exposed to the sun a lot! he needs to take care of his pretty face

-> keigo’s spice tolerance is not much, but if you love eating spicy, you’d find him trying his best to accompany you, panting like a rabid dog. would 101 eat a pint of ice cream to soothe the burn in his mouth. :p

-> keigo works out every day and trains everyday, its a given since he is the number 2 hero of japan. there are days when he uses the gym of your shared apartment. carefully created to suit his needs, and will be flabbergasted and flustered if you decide to show up in your booty shorts. sheesh~ what a distraction ;)

-> he’s very cuddly and touchy and has no concept of personal space. he would live inside your red blood cells if he could. always wrapping you around his wings, always hugging you, kissing you. he just needs to be close to you, okay? he loves you that much ovo

[thestrawberrygirly]

romanticize your life🍓🍰

⋆｡‧˚ʚ🧸ɞ˚‧｡⋆

𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒗𝒂𝒍𝒖𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒚 𝒃𝒊𝒕𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒖𝒍 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆. 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒂 𝒎𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒇𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒅 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒚 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒂𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖. 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆, 𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒇𝒖𝒍 𝒂���𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒂𝒖𝒓𝒂. 𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒇 𝒊𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒆 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒖𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔. 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒎 𝒊𝒏 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒖𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒍𝒚 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒃𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒖𝒑𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒖𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆. 𝒕𝒓𝒚 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒕, 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆, 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕'𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒆 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒇 𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒔𝒎 𝒐𝒇 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒔𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒊𝒏.

~ let's learn about how to enjoy the little moments of your life in few major points ~

🌷art of living a slow life🌷

learn to do nothing at times in your daily routine without getting bored. do not touch your phone or any electronics you own, just try to feel that moment of life by silently sitting under the nature listening to the little insects talking to eachother or quiet wind trying to communicate with you. ground yourself feeling the mother earth loving you. sitting under a tree helps you get positive energies flowing in your body, hugging a tree also cleanses from all the negativity you might have carried from other bodies and it converts into positive ones.

rest your body giving yourself some time to recharge yourself. hustling isn't always a solution of chaotic life, give yourself some time for selfcare and embracing the simplicity of slow pace life. show gratitude towards what you already have in the present moment and love your life.

🌷journaling is important🌷

owning any journal can actually change your entire life. build a habit of writing about your day and your feelings in your daily journal, it not only improves your precious mental health but also keeps you away from mindless scrolling in your phone.

if your mind goes blank by the time you pick up your pen like

"what should i write in my journal?!"

then i got you girl!!

don't stress your mind thinking of writing perfect story of your life, do not think about mainting any aesthetic of your journal. simply just start writing about your day, write about the tiny parts of your day which made you feel good, may it be the group birds flying towards the west or clouds trying to chase you. if you feel like to not write anything at that moment then just doodle whatever your mind imagines. i'm sure your mental health gonna be healthier and your life will be improved. you will literally start loving your life and yourself.

🌷 flower selfcare 🌷

treat yourself like a fragile little flower, water yourself with all love and care for yourself. wake up early in the morning like 6 am or 7? and open your windows let the fresh air hit your body and your environment. clean your room with a bright mind thinking with all positiveness. take a cozy shower and do your beautiful skin care. drink enough water daily to make your skin glow. move your body, do pilates and also stay still for 5 minutes or so being calm going in your meditative state.

go on a walk especially in early mornings, it will make your mind fresh and you will love the early morning atmosphere I swear. reading books also helps you think widely and positively, learn to add the habit of reading any book (non academic ones) daily. one important thing I would like to add is forget the need to always be doing something; it's completely okay if you didn't worked anything important today, it's completely fine if you rested today, give yourself some rest.

🌷 be calm 🌷

have patience, do not get triggered

learn that no one can trigger your emotions without your permission, be calm and think about only yourself not caring about what others are trying to feed you in your mind. become your own positivity and don't ruin your aura.

"becoming less reactive is a huge part of growth and decreasing stress. if you let everything get you worked up. you're damaging your mind, body and spirit."

neurologists claim that whenever you resist acting on your anger, you're actually rewiring your brain to be more calmer and loving. also being calm makes your mind find solutions of every problem that might occur. just trust yourself and love the calmness. being calm also makes you 10× more attractive so.......just don't think much, got it beautiful?

make your life like a movie! snap nice pictures, feel like the star, light a candle, read books, take walks, dance to your favorite tunes, treat yourself, do what makes you happy. It's your life, own it, and don't let anyone steal your joy!

- 𝘫𝘯𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦 🍓🧸🍰

[winterflxwrs]

How to actually start improving?

~ a mini not so mini guide

It’s unorganised, by the way, kinda more like an essay on what I found out. Summary is at the end tho lol.

So, I don’t know if it was just always me but I used to base my goals off of the ‘general/default’ goals tiktok selfcare accounts and whatever used to make. Like those ‘glow up tip’ accounts.

Well, I am now here to tell you that is not the way to go.

I’ve being reading this book, which is unrelated to glowing up, but somehow opened my eyes. I’ll gatekeep it for now because it isn’t available in English, it’s only in my native language (yet) so if it ever gets translated I’ll drop the name.

Anyway instead of making a checklist of “oh.. and I need to lose x amount of weight, I need to start taking care of my nails, …„ which can be great goals, don’t get me wrong. But they aren’t really personal.

Take a minute to think: what would make ME happy? Like truly happy.

It honestly might be making a change in your physical appearance, that’s completely possible. But instead of following what others say like taking care of your nails, getting teeth whiteners, etc.

What would you like to see a change in?

For example making some physical changes to my appearance are on my list - I have never being satisfied with my hair and I would like to get a new haircut, colour it and learn to take proper care of it.

You can obviously take inspiration from others, but think about why you want to take inspiration from them.

For example I aspire to be like this girl from the book I’m reading. I thought about why, why did I aspire to be like her. And figured I also want to be very involved in certain communities like my college.

So to turn theory into practice - I aspired to be like this girl in my book. Why? I also want to be involved in my college. Do I think that will make me happy? Yes, because it makes me more productive.

So what to do:

Think about what would make you happy and write it down.

These are probably your goals now. For example making new, less toxic friends would make me happy. Boom, goal!

So, let me know if this works for you because it honestly made the whole proces of setting goals a little les overwhelming and more personal!

~ summary

Stop taking default goals from pinterest, tiktok, other blogs.

Instead figure out what would make YOU PERSONALLY happy. For example working out and eating healthy would make you happier? Good, now you have a goal.

Of course it can be a ‘default’ goal as long as you know that it’s something you will be happy with. And of course you can take inspo from other people, but stop to think why you are inspired by them and if it will really benefit you.

[alfrungrima]

About grimoire making

All those 24 years of practicing witchcraft my grimoire literally was a large shoebox filled with notes, ideas, recipes, how-to's etcetera from things I got tested and things I work with. A few weeks ago I reached the moment that I couldn't close the box anymore because it was so full. After throwing away the things I didn't want to perform in my witchcraft from today I decided that I finally would like to have a book in which I collect everything.

All those years I was to lazy to call my box the complete word grimoire and it became the shorter grima instead.

I started in a paperblanks book and the drawing is so meditative that I came to the conclusion that making a grima is actually an act of self care. It is me-time and it puts my brains to rest. That is quite important, as a healthcare worker and musician/music student I need those selfcare moments.

Update: I started in another bigger book. I couldn't get used to a small book and I wanted to add thoughtform magic binded onto the drawing of the first page. I can't show it anymore, it is to personal and I don't want to get other energy than mine in my book. If people want I can share in the future how the thoughtform was binded to the book, but not now on this moment.

You all be lucky, sometimes I can share things about methods, magical exercises/training I did. If I find something interesting in my box, I will share it.

[lostbetweenvampiresandmusic]

11 and 14 with David 🫶🙂 I love ur writing it’s amazing

11. "Star said you were out of town."

14. "Do you want me to kiss it better?"

I hope you'll like this!💜

---------------------------

I sighed deeply as I locked my door behind me. The past couple of days had been exhausting. Making calls, day in, and day out. Running errands. Making sure everyone was exactly where they were supposed to be - which none of them were even if they were told multiple times where to go. Sure, organising the event had been fun, but damn - I'd be kidding if I said I felt alive at this very moment.

I dropped my bags on the welcoming mat, kicking my shoes off, dropping my coat on the floor. Tomorrow, I'd probably regret doing that and force myself to tidy it all up, but now I couldn't care less.

I walked into my kitchen, searching the cabinets for a wineglass. I knew I had them somewhere, but - this I also knew - I probably hadn't cleaned them up since last time I used them. It had been last Sunday when David had come by to wish me luck on my gig. I'd dropped the wineglasses in the sink the following morning, which is where they were right now. I really didn't want to clean them, so I decided to just pick a normal glass - it would still fulfil its purpose.

I grinned as I saw that the bottle was still half full, and with both glass and wine bottle in hand, I walked up the stairs to my bedroom. I'd decided on my trip back that tonight I'd do some well-deserved selfcare, have a good night's sleep afterwards, and sleep the day away.

The bathtub filled itself with hot water, the air quickly taking on the smell of my rosemary soap. I poured some wine in the glass before looking at it. It'd be easier to just drink straight from the bottle... putting the glass aside, I stepped into the bath, taking a long sip from the bottle.

The water was hot against my skin, soothing the soreness I'd gotten over the past few days. I closed my eyes, washed my body and hair, and only thought about getting out of the tub when the water turned cold. Once out, I decided that I had enough time and energy to also shave my legs - it's not that I thought it was a necessity to look nice, it's just that the softness of the blankets was much better appreciated with freshly saved legs. I put my bathrobe on, gathering everything I needed.

I sat on the edge of the bathtub, one leg on the outside used to keep myself steady, the other stretched so I could reach everything. I began to shave, working quickly - only to pause when I heard a strange noise.

A sound as if glass was slowly being broken, wood being pulled apart - I frowned. I listened. But when it stopped, I continued to shave. The first leg was done, and I moved to get access to the second. I was way less steady this time, still sitting on the edge of the tub, but now really needing to balance myself - the bathtub was still slippery and I didn't feel like actually turning around so I could feel a bit more balanced. I began to shave, and once again stopped when I heard a noise.

"Hello?"

No answer. I waited. Still nothing. I continued to shave, being almost done when suddenly -

"Hello kitten."

I jumped, slipping - my limbs went everywhere, and before I fully realised I was halfway upside down in the bathtub, my leg bleeding from a small cut made.

"Jesus fucking shit! You can't just barge in on people like that!"

David chuckled, taking my hand as he helped me up. "Sorry love. Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I think so."

He looked at me, kissing me softly, before I noticed his eyes taking on a slight hint of orange. "You're bleeding."

"You- have you fed?"

"I wouldn't endanger you." He grinned at me. "But you do smell divine."

"Awesome," I mumbled, looking at the cut. "It hurts, though."

"Do you want me to kiss it better?"

I bit my lip as I looked at him. "You just want to taste me."

"I think I've already done that many a time."

"Pervert."

He chuckled. Before I knew it, his mouth was on my leg, leaving soft wet kisses on the skin around the cut. I could have sworn I heard him moan when he actually licked up my blood.

"I- I eh think I'm okay now," I said softly, not trusting my voice.

"Come," he pulled me towards him, leading me to my bed. "How was your trip?"

I blinked - before telling him. How one of the bands had been running so late they'd missed their performance time, how angry they got when I told them that we could not switch around anymore, that they couldn't play. How two staged had happened to get the same name, and how every single artist got confused. How shitty the food was. But also about how wonderful it had been to see my vision come to live. How most of the artists had the time of their lives. Yeah, it had been great.

When I was done telling, I lay on his chest, smiling as he brushed his fingers through my hair. He'd taken the glass of wine I'd set aside taking a sip every now and then.

"Why did you step by? I mean, I wasn't supposed to be back until tomorrow."

"I saw your lights were on."

"Ah, you were stalking me again," I said with a grin, causing him to chuckle.

"No. I was just checking up. Star said you were out of town. Still that is."

"You worry about me?" I asked with a soft smile.

"You know what I think of you."

"Remind me." I grinned, trying to hide a yawn behind my hands.

"You're a bloody gift from heaven itself."

I chuckled. "You only say that because I'm your mate."

"It must be true then, hm?"

I smiled, sighing softly. "Will you stay with me?"

"I'll stay till dawn." He kissed me gently, wrapping a blanket around me. "Sleep tight, kitten."

[violetsandshrikes]

ok you have made good science and health posts. Is it worth taking a probiotic as part of my selfcare routine?

Note: Not a doctor! Not medical advice, only a summary of useful information out there.

Ehhhhh, it's one of those things that is debated. Some research points towards usefulness, other research says it doesn't do much. There's also issues with what strains are in said probiotic, if they're even useful for you, if they can even survive your digestive tract (and your personal microbiota)…science is mixed on this too.

A recent review (2024) has concluded there is evidence enough for doctors and patients to consider using specific probiotics for uses in specific people (like supporting gut function during antibiotics, reducing respiratory tract infections, etc.), but not enough evidence to recommend it unconditionally in the population as preventative medicine.

This is another recent (2024) review that's similar, but they've helpfully included a couple pages at the end of specific studies, probiotic strains used, and their specific impact/mode of action studied on specific illnesses/diseases.

Interestingly, they've also just dropped another 2024 meta-analysis that suggests probiotic use saw a 51% reduction in symptoms reported by COVID-19 patients, including cough, headaches and diarrhea. They included 9 studies (3 of which were clinical trials), so they likely will need a larger sample size to say conclusively, but that could be a promising angle in a post-COVID world.

To add another confusing angle, postbiotics are becoming of increasing interest in research. They're bioactive compounds that are produced when probiotic bacteria are feeding on prebiotic foods in the colon (like fibers), and it's beginning to look like health benefits associated with pre/postbiotics actually come from postbiotic production. I have yet to see any available on the market, but apparently they are out there. I would also be aware that as a new frontier (and product) I couldn't say much about their individual efficiency, product contamination, etc.

If you decide to:

You can just make sure to frequently consume probiotic foods (yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, tempeh, kimchi, etc.) although I would also suggest you make sure you're eating enough fiber to feed the friendly bacteria already inside you.

Bacteria is very specifically named. You'll have a genus, species and a strain - Bifidobacterium longum W11. All three = you got it right, and this is important because probiotics are researched down to these specific strains. It also means that when you read a probiotic bottle, if you don't see all three of those names (as a general rule), it's probably useless to you.

Check your labelling, especially generic store brands. Yogurt starter is typically made with Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus, and if they advertise these as the "probiotic benefits" they're usually full of shit - these strains usually get destroyed in your stomach by acid and don't provide any benefit.

If you have a weakened or compromised immune system, don't take probiotics without medical advice. This includes if you're having chemo, you're critically ill or you've recently had surgery.

Lots of people experience gas, mild abdominal pain and changes in stools when first using probiotics, but you're probably going to want to keep a note of that for your doctor, just in case. Plenty also have additives and digestive aids, so look out for allergic reactions and things like soy/gluten if needed.

Probiotics are measured in colony forming units (CFU) - the number of viable cells. They might say 1 x 109 for 1 billion CFU or 1 x 1010 for 10 billion CFU. Some contain up to 50+ billion CFU. A common mistake made is assuming higher CFU = better for you. Most countries only require labelling to list the total weight of the microorganisms in the product (which can include both alive and dead microorganisms, not viable ones). Probiotics can die during their shelf-life and must be consumed alive to be of use. Ideally, you're looking for products labelled with the number of CFU at the end of the product's shelf life (vs at the time of manufacturing).

If in doubt, ask a doctor or pharmacist.