First of all, happy 2016! I hope you guys are excited for this year to be better than ever!

Second of all, I am (obviously) not a doctor. I am a mentally ill teenager. Of course, as with all things, not everything I say will apply to you, but it's still good to share these things and to keep the conversation going.

So to be quite honest, I've been doing these things for a long time without knowing that they were self care routines. I only just recently heard the term from a Buzzfeed video during their mental health week.

If you are unfamiliar with this terminology, to put it simply, self care routines are just things you do to make yourself feel better.

So I decided to share what I do personally to keep my anxiety and depression at bay. Hopefully these things will help you find a few of your own!

1) Journal

I know I made a chapter about this already, so I'll summarize.

I like to complain a lot, ask anyone. And it helps me to just complain to the page before bothering other humans. This way I don't feel like I'm being annoying, and at the same time, I'm acting as my own therapist!

That's not to say I don't vent. Believe me, I do. But normally, after writing down my worries, I can solve lots of the troubles on my own. Then I take those remaining nuisances to close friends, to see if they can maybe help me feel better.

2) Shower

My depression makes it difficult for me to wanna move, most days. I'm not usually sad, but I'm tired, and I never feel like leaving my bed. After staying in the same place for so long, I start to feel like one of those layered mountains, where all the different sediments have settled to form rings upon rings of negative energy. I combat this with a nice hot shower.

I just like getting clean. I brush my teeth, wash my face, hair, body, maybe shave my legs if I'm feeling extra crappy. Then I just wrap up in my towel and bask in the remaining steam until I'm all dry. It's like hitting the reset button on everything.

3) Isolation

Now, this one only applies after I've been around people or loud noises for too long. Too much isolation can make me feel worse, so I make sure to keep an even balance of alone time and family hours.

But don't worry! The isolation is purely physical!

When I'm alone, I spend my time applying my mind to many different things.

a) Movies/Tv shows

Fictional universes are the best for curing a bad case of the Realities.

b) Art

Writing! Drawing! Creating cool stuff! It reminds me that I'm not useless and that I've got something going for myself!

c) Mindless Scrolling [Tumblr, Facebook, Instagram]/YouTube

Sometimes it's best to just wait until the bad thoughts go away. Might as well distract the hell out of my brain to make it easier.

And that's about it!

My biggest resolution this year is to stop hiding behind my mental illness, to stop using it as a crutch or an excuse. These things definitely help me be my best and brightest, and I hope I helped inspire you to feel the same!