#10. Put together a weekly flower arrangement for myself, for one whole month.

Week One: $3.99 bouquet from TJ's.

I've learned a lot in grad school, but one overarching concept that we learn both in classes and at our internships is that of self-care. This idea certainly is not rocket science, but it was still foreign and unfamiliar to me when I first heard about it. Self-care, at least as it relates to social work, involves the idea that you can't be a good practitioner unless you yourself are sound mentally, physically and emotionally. 


In other words: be nice to yourself. 


Or, as they say on Parks & Rec, treat yo'self.

Week Two(lips).

(disclaimer: I highly recommend being nice to yourself and watching that video because it is amazing and you will laugh and then probably want either a mimosa, a cupcake or a crystal beetle brooch)




"Be nice to yourself" is something I first started saying to my therapy clients, and then began saying to some of my friends, especially when they started getting hard on themselves about stuff like work, relationships, even dieting. Be nice to yourself. Don't be so hard on yourself, you're a good person, you tried. Compliment yourself, value yourself and when you deserve it, reward yourself. 

But then I had to remember all this, too.

Week Three: happy yellow flowers.

I added this item to my list for a few reasons. First off, flowers are pretty and smell nice, and those are both good things. Secondly, I have somehow accumulated a weirdly high number of vases that occupy a rather neglected shelf in a kitchen cupboard. And third, sometimes you just have to be nice to yourself. And when it doesn't always come naturally, sometimes you have to add it to your to-do list...

Week Four: $5.99 bouquet from TJ's.

...but big ups to grocery stores,  for putting their fresh flowers right when you walk in -- a couple times it slipped my mind, but ambushing me with bouquets as soon as the doors open certainly helped remind me. Also, if you're looking for affordable flowers that won't die before you get them back to your house, I highly recommend Trader Joe's.

There's not really much to say about this item, except that I'm glad I did it. Every time I look at my flowers in my no-longer-relegated-to-the-dark-corner-of-the-cabinet vases, I smile. As I prepare to move from the world of social work potentially into a more corporate setting, I plan on taking this idea of "self-care" with me, and making sure the people around me take note. It may not be practical or cost-efficient to always have fresh flowers around, and I get that. 


But every once in a while, you just gotta treat yo'self.