Small Habits That Helped Me Feel Human Again

Because healing isn’t always a grand gesture—sometimes, it’s just brushing your teeth.

There are days when surviving feels like the most you can do. When even the simplest tasks—getting out of bed, brushing your teeth, drinking some water—feel like impossible mountains to climb. I know that feeling all too well. Those slow, heavy mornings when your limbs ache and your thoughts blur together like fog. When the world feels far away, and you’re not even sure you want to reach for it. It’s in those moments I’ve learned to stop chasing the big, shiny transformations and instead lean into the smallest things that remind me I’m still alive. Still here. Still me.

Some days, I don’t have the energy to do a full routine, or even get dressed. But there are little rituals—soft, consistent ones—that help me feel just a little more human. These aren’t productivity hacks or glow-up trends. These are life rafts. And I wanted to share a few of them, in case you’ve also been treading water and need something to hold on to.

Created with WixAi

Music: My Emotional Lifeline

When I feel numb or far away from myself, music is usually the first thing I reach for. It’s not always about cheering myself up—sometimes it’s about giving myself permission to feel. There’s a particular kind of healing in letting a song crack open the wall around your heart, letting the tears fall freely without judgment or explanation. Crying doesn’t mean I’m breaking. It means I’m processing. It means something inside me still cares.

Whether it’s a song that makes me sway while I sit curled up on the couch or one that reminds me of who I used to be before everything got so heavy, music has a way of pulling me back. Of grounding me. Of reminding me that I’m still here. Still alive. Still capable of connection, even if it’s just with a melody. Even if I can’t say the words out loud, the music understands.

Here are a few songs that helped me feel something again—just in case you need a soundtrack for your soft return to self:

• “Haven” – Novo Amor Soft, aching, and gentle. Like a breath you didn’t know you were holding.

• “Rockabye” (feat. Sean Paul & Anne-Marie) – Clean Bandit A bittersweet bop for surviving through struggle and still dancing anyway.

• “Way To Go” (feat. Khalid) – Alec Benjamin Hopeful and tender—a reminder that progress isn’t linear, but it’s still progress.

• “Dust to Dust” – The Civil Wars Slow, haunting, and devastating in the most healing way.

• “The Sound of Silence” – Disturbed (or Simon & Garfunkel if you want a gentler ache)Both versions hit different. One feels like surrender. The other, like witnessing something sacred.

• “Heavy” (feat. Rain Paris) – Fame on Fire (Linkin Park’s original is iconic too) This one just guts me. It puts a melody to the weight I sometimes carry in silence.

• “Somewhere I Belong” – Linkin Park For when I feel lost and need to scream quietly into the void.

Escapism That Heals

Video games have been a lifeline for me, especially when connecting to my own emotions feels impossible. I’ve talked about this in my article on men’s mental health (link below), but it bears repeating: immersing myself in a character’s story, feeling their wins and losses, helps me process my own. Sometimes, I find clarity in a boss battle. Other times, I just need the comfort of a game world where I can escape, rebuild, and reset.

Reading has made a comeback in my life too. Not for business or productivity—but for fun. I’m deep into romance novels again. If you knew me growing up, you know I have a lot of them (like, 300+). Lately, I devoured Lights Out by Navessa Allen—and not just for the spicy scenes (though they were great). The character dynamics, the emotional push and pull, the suspense? Chef’s kiss. If you love that kind of emotional ride, check it out. The waitlist at the library might be wild, so don’t sleep on it.

Bonus tip? Audiobooks and YouTube-read novels are lifesavers when you’re too tired to hold a book. Welcome to Night Vale is a personal favorite—equal parts weird, wonderful, and deeply comforting. Podcasts too. There’s a lot of full-cast audio dramas out now that feel like cozy background friends.

Comfort That Doesn’t Need to Be Earned

There are days I can't get to my makeup chair—and that’s okay. Some days, lip balm is enough. Or snuggling under a weighted blanket with a soft eye mask. On migraine days when everything’s too loud, I don’t force myself to be productive—I give myself permission to just be.

Another thing I’ve added to my days is journaling. Not perfectly, but intentionally. A few minutes here and there, just to get the thoughts out. Even when it’s messy, it helps me stop spiraling. Sometimes I journal with help from my AI assistant (shoutout to: ChatGPT, Rosebud, and Replika 💜). I still see a counselor because no chatbot replaces a trained professional, but it helps me get comfortable enough to eventually say the hard things out loud.

Heat, Health & Hydration

Created with WixAi

Right now, the world is literally on fire—heatwaves, smoke, unsafe air. That’s not just “bad weather,” that’s trauma on your nervous system. If you're inside, use recirculation mode on your AC. Limit exposure. Take your walks inside or do some gentle stretching in the living room. Protect your peace—and your lungs.

And yes, I’m going to say it: drink some water. (I heard that groan—I’m grinning.)

Hydration is not just a wellness trend. It helps regulate mood, energy, and even your ability to focus. I use sticky notes and phone alarms to remind myself. I’ve even added random calendar events that scream “DRINK SOMETHING, MARCIE!” across my screen. Is it silly? Maybe. But it works.

What About You?

What tiny rituals have helped you feel a little more you lately?

✨ Wrapping yourself in that hoodie that still smells like someone you love?

✨ Letting the sun kiss your face while the world slows down around you?

✨ That one meme that made you laugh so hard you snorted a little?

✨ A sip of tea, a deep breath, a single moment where no one needed anything from you?

If something just came to mind—hold it close. Maybe jot it down in your journal. Or leave it in the comments, if you’re in the mood to share. Whether it’s a whisper into a voice note or a DM to a friend, your story matters. Your softness matters.

This isn’t just my story—it’s ours.

And every small act of care you give yourself? It’s a quiet rebellion against every voice that told you healing had to be hard to be real.

These Habits Aren’t Fancy—They’re Sacred

There’s this myth that healing has to look like hustle. Like 5 a.m. routines, color-coded planners, green juice cleanses, or yoga in matching sets on a beach. And don’t get me wrong—those can be beautiful, powerful rituals.

But when you’re deep in survival mode?

Brushing your teeth is a triumph.

Getting out of bed is a victory.

Choosing kindness for yourself at all? That’s radical.

The truth is, these habits aren’t glamorous. They’re not going viral. They don’t always come with aesthetics or applause. But they’re real. They’re grounding. They’re sacred.

It’s sacred to put on a playlist and sob through three songs because your body needed release.

It’s sacred to lay flat on the floor and feel the cool ground reminding you: you’re still here.

It’s sacred to move your hips while cooking, to take one deep breath between pain flares, to hold your own hand and actually mean it.

These aren’t acts of fixing.

They are acts of honoring.

Honoring the soft, weary, powerful self that keeps showing up—again and again.

Honoring the parts of you that don’t produce or perform, but are still deserving of rest and reverence.

Honoring your humanness not as a flaw to overcome, but as a place to come home to.

So take the nap. Light the candle. Cry to the song.

Be messy. Be miraculous. Be real.

We’re in this together.

And I’m so glad you’re still here.