Raffles & Giveaways

I've been trying to eat enough meals a day to be healthy and last night I made a really banging grilled cheese with the good white bread and a nice amount of butter it was excellent

@Voltsy You asked for a last day ping, and I sort of forgot until recently that today is the last day - I meant to have this event run until Sunday 11:59 pm, but oops, I said Sunday at midnight. I hope my late ping isn't a big issue, friend!

Ahhhh this is beautiful! Thank you so much for doing this <3

I would consider myself pretty good at self-care. I wasn't always the best, but I always remember to take walks and get exercise even with my job being the way it is--a lot of the time I take walks over going on the Internet. However, I've been adding onto that as well.

Recently I've been doing a lot to unpack some of the long-term stressors that I've been slowly building up over the course of my life, stressors from psychological trauma and insane workloads that have done a serious number on my physical health in ways that I was not aware of. Fortunately, one part of the solution was quite simple: don't go online right before bed and right after waking up. It's a massive struggle for me to get off the computer given how addicted I’ve been to the Internet all my life, but it has made all the difference for me. I used to wake up feeling like death, wanting nothing more but to curl up and go back to sleep yet not being able to fall asleep. Then I would be completely floored with exhaustion, sometimes pushing myself to edit 5-10 essays while almost falling asleep on my desk, through much of the day. And in spite of my tiredness, I would literally check my phone as soon as I woke up, even if I could barely keep my eyes open to read my texts, which would only add to my troubles. In terms of undoing the stress damage, the other parts of the plan will take a while more to kick in. But after not staying up 1.5 hours past my bedtime and not pushing myself to respond to messages as soon as my head left the pillow, suddenly that exhaustion and lack of motivation went away. I know I have a long way to go until I’m cured of what ails me, but that one little change makes me feel like I’m cured already.

But most of all, I'm self-caring in another way: taking a step back from a community that has been toxic to me to the point of traumatizing. I don't know if you've heard of Tumblr's awfulness, but if you have, I can confirm that it is just as bad as its reputation makes it seem. Its culture encourages and rewards--or at least fails to do anything about--the most toxic behaviors. Like cutting off friends you've known for months or years over a single mistake or moment of discomfort that could be resolved. Like never communicating or attempting to solve your issues with someone, even if those issues could end up damaging or ending the friendship. Like pretending to be someone's friend and roleplay partner to their face while secretly hating them and their writing behind their back. Like trying to cancel someone even after they have apologized and moved on from bad behavior. All of which have happened to me and/or my friends, and which have made me realize I should focus on a better community like Flight Rising. I'm eternally grateful for this community because every time I talk to people here, I feel uplifted, positive and supportive--I feel like I can let go of everything that hurt me and be my best self. This is in stark contrast to interacting with people on Tumblr, where I am often anxious at best and dwelling on things that hurt me at worst. Sometimes I am still tempted to go on mass follows like I used to so I could gain more footing in the community and become even more popular than I already am. However, I have resisted the temptation: keeping to my groups of trusted friends and limiting the number of new people I interact with has done wonders for my mental health.

Thanks again for doing this and I hope you're having a good night!

I read a book for the first time in a long time. I know that doesn't sound ike a big deal, it really isn't I guess but I haven't been able to read anything since this epidemic started. normally I read 50 books a year and this year I've barely read 10 books. then yesterday I decided to sit out in the sun for a while and I started reading. it was hard for me to concentrate at first, I kept thinking about co-19 and my family and my classwork and all of that stuff but after about 20 minutes I really got into the book and pretty soon the sun set and I had been reading for 3 hurs! I ended up reading all night and by 8am the next day I had finished my first book since Feb!!

@adrienne Oh my gosh of course not!! Thanks for the ping, I just wanted to read them all before the end of the giveaway, the posts make me smile :D I feel like I just want to reply to everyone and say "I'm proud of you!!!" So glad that everybody has been doing things that help them <3

@Smudgecat @Kilonian @pepperbug @BruseRuby @Bistre @apprehensive @SkyistheGround @wuushi @szardoo @luckybarbarian @BFD666 @Screenmaster @MyMorningGlory @Hananathenerd77 @Cherryfleck @Voltsy @NuclearFudge @Lunartwist @AWB @hydrangxas @asstrollogy @Vhitmire @Dinolee @Boop707 @Xayxayx @COparade @Lykantos @Asteraxeae @FlyingPeanuts @VMaelor @RevHellebore @doctorshrooms @Marabis @Skeletina @BeckAlistiere @SymposiumMagarum @daimondai13 @AttilaThePun @nyausgris @TaviStars @Mitski @FreyaShadow @Forsake @kawoofy @LunaChi @NuovoSangue @TheFatRabbit @PeachTeaLatte @Voltsy @Morax @Homuncullus @aurallene @DarkYnx @Sealterbloind @csp57222501 @UwiBami @IcyGlaceon471 @DemonKid @DracoLunae @WatermelonWolfo @Twalio @Juanita @Asimiii @Self @Wyakin @furo @KiyaEldrahash @KiyaEldrahash @CaptainSili @Aeraki @Stormfly @Dynamix @ClickTwelve @MysticTales @Skyfrost @phoxdraw @CheshireGata @Digimon11 @WickedPixie @BirchConcentus @Deathstalker @RedWolfRedRose @SpiritFlower @NopeRopeSnoodle @Draconia34 @HammySammyWhammy @Koobi @ThornsofaRose @Dragonraven21 @ilan @elduwen @repretwan

Thank you all for the amazing submissions.

There was not a single story here that was not powerful in its own right, not a single person who didn't take their mental health seriously. Whether you were giving yourself a break or making time to do something important, or even venting your feelings about this very difficult year, I'm proud to see the people in this community making strides in the way of self-care. I hope you can continue to make that time for yourself. Fortunately, it sounds like many of you will.

This contest was never about choosing an "important" story. All the stories written here are subjective and personal, and to pick based on "importance" simply wouldn't be in the spirit of self-love. So, when it came to making a choice, I tried to select stories that I thought provided lessons that others could most benefit from. (Yes, that's plural! There are multiple winners.)

That said, there were many stories from people who are clearly going through a very tough time. To all the people who used this place to speak out about your struggles, I wish you the very best. Grief, mental/physical illness, and toxic relationships are never easy to face in a normal year, and are particularly distressing now. When I read your stories, I felt my heart reach out to you. I think it's especially important for you individuals to remember to be loving to yourselves. You deserve that love. You do.

There were also quite a few stories from people who wrote about how they asked for help. Reading these stories was wonderful for me on a personal level. I'm learning to get better at this too! And I think it's something that a lot of people forget. I'm proud and empathetic towards anyone who mustered up the courage to reach out to others. Whether you needed help with something vital or with something fun and creative, your stories were inspiring to read.

And now, to announce the "winners." There are... four. Yep. Yeah. Four. It was that hard for me to narrow it down. But I think these users' stories each encapsulated a lesson that is important for us all right now.

Initially, this contest was proposed as a way to convince people to practice self-care over the course of the past week. The majority of responses were about things people had done prior to the competition. I decided that this was what people felt the contest needed to be, and so that's what it became. Still, I did enjoy reading the handful of entries from those who practiced self-care by using this giveway as a springboard.

@Cherryfleck is a user who falls into that category. She admitted that she may not have practiced self-care if she hadn't seen this post, and then she acted on it. Her way of self-caring was to leave her room, go downstairs, interact with people a little, and grab a bite to eat. 2020 has been a year of weird schedules. It can be especially easy to fall out of patterns and even forget your own basic needs. So sometimes the most vital self-care can just be reminding yourself to do something routine. Talk with others. Eat something. Look at a different scene. And for Cherryfleck, I could tell this came with a bit of struggle, but I'm glad she did it, and she was too. I hope other users with anxiety and/or trouble with executive functioning can be inspired to add a little normalcy to their life. It can make all the difference.

@Voltsy is another user whose post was a great reminder for something we should all do: be our own cheerleader. She practices self-care by telling herself what she's proud of. If you read her post, you'll see great examples of how to deliver positive self-talk. Voltsy also shows that you can turn a negative thought (such as "this pandemic sucks" [my words]) into something useful and kind ("in spite of things that I do not like but cannot control, I have been able to continue living my life and being happy" [her words]). Learning to appreciate yourself isn't always straightforward, but it can be a fantastic skill to have. Ask a doctor or check out online resources to start practicing for yourself!

Making friends is difficult for some of us in a normal year, but in 2020, it's especially easy for that skill to falter. @Vhitmire reminds us that we can even make new friends in these crazy times: we don't have to let the pandemic ruin that too. Even though their depression and health have held them back, Vhitmire was brave enough to expand their social circle in an online chat. It sounds as if it's been nothing but a positive experience for them, and fully worth taking the leap. Don't let your so-called "flaws" hold you back from trying: there's always going to be a friend out there for you. Vhitmire is a prime example of how being brave enough to say hello can lead to something wonderful.

And lastly, @phoxdraw's story. Like many of you, this has been a tough year for phoxdraw. When I read their story, at first I was deeply saddened. But, as phoxdraw put it, "there's a point where that all becomes too much, where the weight of everything becomes too much to bear and threatens to crush you if you do not change." You can read their story and see the changes they are nurturing within their own mind. It's beautiful to see, and I think truly inspiring. And, admittedly, I do relate to it personally. I know how hard it can be to decide to put yourself first. And oh, it is scary. But it's also a beautiful journey, and I was touched to see someone else going through that. Phoxdraw has had a lot stacked against them, and they aren't the only one in this thread who does. If you read their post, I hope you'll be reminded of your own power, your ability to flourish. Even if it feels impossible, the truth is that we are all capable.

Some of you have been going through and reading all the entries, which I think is great. Each of these stories has wisdom to share. The ones I selected here were the ones I thought imparted some of the more universal messages. But they're all good, and I enjoyed reading every last one.

Thank you all for participating. Whether or not you got a scroll, I hope you felt something was earned from your experience or the experiences of others. Stay safe, and be well. <3

Winners - message me to get your Veilspun scroll! I just think it's a bit more exciting to see it on the post first. Maybe that's cheesy. In any case, anyone who doesn't shoot a message within twenty-four hours will still be sent their scroll after the day passes.

I really love this thread (and everyone in it <33), it's a huge inspiration and reading back through all the entries was both a very emotional and personally important experience for me. I hope next year will be kinder to all of us, and I hope we can start it off that way by trying to be kinder to ourselves <33

This is a super nice thread.. it gave me a reason to express a little kindness to myself and I loved reading other people's experiences. Stay safe everyone <3

Congratulations to all the winners!