Friendly reminders

Rebooting is a biweekly newsletter about how we can use technology to take better care of ourselves.

If I’m not careful, the faintest whisper of anxiety can quickly spiral from “I can’t do this” to “oh my god the whole world is laughing at me.” Usually, I’m pretty good about not letting these thoughts claw into my mind, but I’m not always successful—all of my accomplishments start to seem like flukes and everyone realizes it.

A few weeks ago my normal coping mechanisms failed and I was left in the worst anxiety attack I’ve had in years. My body felt like it was caving in on itself and I couldn’t catch my breath. My mind was racing so quickly that I wasn’t sure whether to vomit or cry. I had no clue what to expect next, and it took a few days before I started to feel like myself again.

My girlfriend came up with a simple suggestion that might help me avoid this in the future—posting sticky notes with positive affirmations throughout my apartment. Now, when I open my kitchen cabinet I’m greeted with “You didn’t make it this far by accident,” and these notes are sprinkled all around so I can get these thoughts into my brain before anxiety takes a hold. Sure, they may not mean much when my breath gets short and my mind starts racing, but, for me, daily self-care can be just as important as preventative care and recovery.

I don’t always have the luxury of being at home to see those reminders, though. I spend time out exploring new restaurants and scenic spots in Long Beach and travel out of town a lot. For those moments, when anxiety rears its head while I’m out and about, I like to rely on my trusty journaling app to keep my imposter syndrome at bay.

For the past month, I’ve written down three positive affirmations in Journey every day with the tag “possitiveaffirmations” so that I can dive in and splash myself with positivity whenever I need it, without having to pop open a cabinet or sit down at my desk.

Journey has a nice feature that lets you get notifications for entries from years past, and I’ve started setting it up to remind my future self of how far I’ve come. If I write down three affirmations today, my phone will surface them next year (along with every other journal entry I’ve written on July 18). I usually do a gratitude journal, positive affirmations, and a daily reflection, so I have plenty to work with. What I love most about the positive affirmation entries is that they aren’t just a way to look back at how silly some of my worries were, but that they’re messages directly meant for me, as a sort of self-sustained support system.It’s a great comfort to know that my future self will get the reminders I wish I had a few weeks ago when even a cuddle session with my dogs couldn’t get me out of my rut.

In the news

Collecting Your Thoughts Is Good. Organizing Them Is Even Better (The New York Times): If I didn’t have my trusty note taking app, I’d lose about 90 percent of the ideas that run through my mind. But, like a blank canvas to a budding artist, it’s tough to know where to start or what to actually do with one. This is a great little guide on how to get started, and what you can start tossing into your new scrapbook of ideas and musings. 

Something Nice

Field Notes: Sure, there’s an app for everything, but apps aren’t for everyone. Sometimes nothing beats pen and paper to jot your thoughts down on. I like to carry a Field Notes notepad around with me in case my phone isn’t handy, and their limited edition packs make it a little more exciting than your standard Muji or Moleskine. 

As always, if you have any questions, feedback, or just want to say hello, feel free to drop me a line on Twitter.

My thanks to Daniel Varghese for editing this issue.