Lately, we've been...anxious.

Anxiety is something that affects the young, the old, the middle-aged, it doesn't matter and it does not discriminate. Many describe anxiety as a devastating feeling that something terrible is about to happen. These negative feelings are overwhelming, cause you to act in a manner that you might not typically and are extremely hurtful to your all around mental health.

The symptom that is probably most earth-shattering, is the illusion of control that anxiety creates over things that are not at all within one's control.

With everything going on in our world, and as we are a struggling small business, our anxiety has been higher than usual. This week we felt these moments quite acutely. A few times, we even forgot how to step away from our feelings and find the tools we need to get through the panic.

At Klei we believe in self-care. This care includes skincare, love for your body, but most of all mental health. We think that everyone should have a tool-belt, so to speak, for moments of apprehension and lowness. 

Here are a few things we keep in our self-care-tool-belt that we encourage you to employ next time you find yourself in an anxious haze and you don't know which way is up and which way is down. Do not worry if these do not work for you and your needs, we are all different. Get to know yourself and find what works for you.

• Turn off your computer. Do your best to set boundaries for when you think is a good time to finish work each evening.
• Use aromatherapy to relax your body by lighting a candle. Once you get into the habit of this, it can truly serve as a way to communicate with your body that it is now time to rest.
• Color for 30 minutes or find a way to be creative. If coloring inside the lines brings you comfort because it is something you can control in a world that feels out of control, go for it. If scribbling all over the page is more cathartic to you, be my guest.
• Cuddle with your pets! Just having them near you will bring ease all over your body. 
• Movement, yoga, a quick walk or even running an errand might get you out of your headspace.
• Put on your favorite playlist and lose yourself in the music.
• Draw yourself a bath! Sometimes our bodies literally need to be told to 
• Fix yourself a meal that is truly nourishing to your physical body. Perhaps go for a recipe that you have been wanting to try for a while! Cooking is a great way to step away from your current worries and focus on something else.
• Practice gratitude. Every day. All the damn time.
• When all else fails, do something for someone else. A simple deed for another will remind you of your value and make your heart sing. Please welcome any act that will take you away from yourself and whatever you are experiencing in a healthy way.