Seven Things: "Accommodate Yourself and Enjoy" Edition
Things that make my life easier + things that I'm enjoying lately
Being neurodivergent, I’ve always been in this constant pursuit of making different areas of my life easier. Whether its for self-care, work, relationships, and household chores, I want to drop the demands and lower the barriers that I have when it comes to Doing Things.
Anyway, here are seven things that make my life easier, as well as the things that I’ve been enjoying lately! I hope you can pick up a thing or two.
Accommodations
Marukome’s Instant Wakame and Green Onion Miso Soup
I used to be a hater of miso soup. That used to be the case until Yabu’s unli miso soup changed me and I became a fan. As a result, I’ve made a few miso dishes at home to try.
However, part of the neurodivergent experience is the struggle to do food prep and make meals that are healthy and filling. While I’m lucky that my dad does a good chunk of the cooking at home, I also have to pick up the load and learn how to make healthy-ish dishes for myself and others.
One of the ways that I lower the barrier to cooking and meal prep is by buying my own instant miso soup. I usually get the one from Marukome, specifically the wakame variant. It’s easy to prepare and I can have my soup in minutes. To make it more filling, I usually put rice after the soup is formed. I also put some protein and added veggies on top. This way, I can eat a little healthier, even if I’m in a rush or I don’t have enough spoons to cook.
Having a bath sponge (or loofah) and using a body wash (instead of soap) + doing an everything shower
Used to be a soap and scrub towel girlie, but to save time (and spoons), I have resorted to using a bath sponge and and body wash to make my life easier. I also do an everything shower too, where I wash my hair, body, and face, as well as brushing my teeth.
Simplifying my skincare and makeup routine
Even though I enjoy a big collection of beauty products, I enjoy having a simple makeup and skincare routine. For the past few years now, I have stuck to a 4-6-step skincare routine, which usually consists of products like cleanser, toner, moisturizer, exfoliant, targeted treatments (usually retinol and acne treatments), and sunscreen. My non-negotiables in my routine are usually cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen. I feel like I’m one step closer to having my shit together whenever I do the bare minimum in my skincare routine.
As for my makeup routine, I try my hardest to simplify it. If I have the luxury of time (and spoons), I will make An Actual Effort to put on a whole makeup routine. However, if I don’t have the time and spoons to fix myself, I just stick to brows, concealer, and a lip.
Taking naps and/or breaks
I have a confession to make: I used to think that naps were not essential to my well-being.
During the early stages of my career, I was taught to believe that naps and rest were luxuries to be earned. When I worked in PR, events, and social media community management, tending to my needs felt almost non-existent.
However, as I continued to work under more flexible and accessible arrangements, I can’t help but gush at how happy I am to be able access my needs more concretely— such as rest and naps,
Because of these changes in my working arrangements, I feel like I’m allowed to be a person first now. I take naps or breaks after I finish major tasks and meetings as a way to regulate myself and deal with transitions in between tasks. If I don’t take a short nap or a break, I end up feeling awful.
Anyway, PLEASE TAKE YOUR BREAKS!! They don’t make you less worthy of a human being.
Things I’m Enjoying / I’ve Enjoyed Recently
Adidas Handball Spezial sneakers in Off White and Silver Green
Before I picked up this pair of Spezials, I thought about owning my own pair of Adidas Samba OGs. However, after trying the Samba OGs out at the Adidas store a few months ago, I opted for this pair of Spezials instead. It’s super comfortable and easy to walk in. I once wore them to an 18-hour shoot with lots of walking, and my feet did not hurt as much. Over time though, it becomes more comfortable and much easier to walk in, to the point that I can accomplish 10k steps wearing them.
Aside from the comfort, I also picked it up in an eye-catching colorway that still looks muted and versatile. I can pair it with a neutral-colored dress, a jeans-and-shirt combo, and a dressier top and skirt combo.
Revisiting Haikyuu!!
Haikyuu!! was one of my favorite shows during the first year of the pandemic. It was actually the show that healed my perception of anime, after years of being dismissive and snarky about it (an attitude that I actually picked up from upperclassmen who bullied anime fans, as well as same-aged peers who found anime weird). Haikyuu!! was a reminder for me to not take certain things for granted, such as community, teamwork, resilience, and fun.
When I first watched the show, I started out as an Oikawa girlie, but I think I’m more of a Hinata girlie now. I can just relate to Hinata’s level of eagerness towards his craft, you know? I still have to read the manga though, so will update you on that.
Enjoying solo food trips and cooking videos
I find cooking videos to be extremely relaxing. It’s also a source of inspiration for me too, especially when I’m uninspired to do something. I also enjoy watching food and cafe reviews on TikTok and sharing them with my best friend as part of our future bestie dates.
Because of these videos, I made a promise to myself to try out new restaurants and dishes. Some of my favorite meals that I’ve tried recently are Panco Cafe’s cheesy beef kaldereta with smashed potatoes, Pancake House’s breaded pork special set (not really new, but new to me I guess?),UCC Clockwork’s kaldereta omurice, and Kodawari’s chicken karaage with seaweed flakes. I still think about those meals a lot.
As for the ones that I’ve cooked recently, I had fun making Icoy’s chicken gravy recipe, the peanut butter and banana sandwich from Bluey , and a basic egg and avocado toast.
Because of these recent experiences, I’m starting to enjoy making food again— whether it’s for myself, or for people in my family. Not to mention, I am also looking forward to building a collection of pans and ingredients so I can cook the dishes that I’ve been meaning to cook.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this latest installment of Seven Things. Here’s to making ourselves comfortable and enjoying things again.
Until the next brain dump,
Lea