NOTICE THIS: FEED YOURSELF BEFORE YOU START EATING YOURSELF

love always

Oct 1

6 min read

Updated: 5 days ago

NOTICE THIS… High Protein. Low Carb. No Nonsense.

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Notice this: you can spend two hours working, scrolling, creating, gaming, cleaning, writing, watching something or doing absolutely God knows what on the computer—and suddenly realize you haven't eaten anything since breakfast. But somehow you've had four coffees. How the hell does that happen? Welcome to being busy. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in what we're doing that eating becomes something we'll do “in a minute.” Then one minute becomes an hour, another hour passes and eventually your stomach is sitting there like, Excuse me. Are we participating today or not?

That's what got me thinking about snacks. Not fancy snacks. Not Instagram snacks arranged beautifully on a wooden board beside a flower nobody actually eats. I'm talking about simple food you can grab when you're busy and don't feel like stopping everything to make a full meal. Because your brain needs fuel too. One of my favourites is apple slices with peanut butter. Simple. Crunchy. Sweet. Filling. The apple gives you carbohydrates and fibre, while peanut butter adds some protein and fat. More importantly, it takes a little time to eat, which beats grabbing six cookies and somehow discovering the package is empty before you even realize what happened. And peanut butter has another benefit—it keeps your mouth busy. Sometimes that's useful too.

Then there are nuts. Almonds, walnuts, pistachios, cashews—whatever you actually enjoy. Put a reasonable amount into a little bowl instead of bringing the entire bag with you because apparently my hand loses all understanding of portion control when there's an open bag of cashews nearby. Nuts are also pretty friendly around the computer. Drop an almond? Pick it up. Drop a bowl of soup into your keyboard? Now you've got a whole different afternoon. Which brings me to something I've learned: if you're eating while working or sitting around electronics, think about the mess before the mess happens. Keep a napkin nearby. Actually, keep two because the first one will somehow disappear the second you need it. Use a spill-proof container whenever you can, and keep drinks somewhere your elbow isn't going to send them flying across the room.

And because we're talking about finger foods, let's talk about the fingers. Clean your damn hands. Think about everything you've touched today. Your phone. Keyboard. Mouse. Remote. Door handles. Shopping cart. Game controller. Maybe the dog. Then suddenly those same fingers are grabbing grapes. Notice that. Wash your hands with soap and water when you can, and keeping hand sanitizer nearby can be useful when washing isn't immediately practical. The point isn't to become obsessed with germs. It's simply to remember that when your fingers become your fork, maybe clean the fork first. That's self-care too.

Now back to the food. Greek yogurt with berries is another good one. You've got protein from the yogurt, fruit, a little sweetness and something that actually feels like you've eaten. Throw in some walnuts, chia seeds or cinnamon if that's your thing. And every time somebody says chia seeds, part of my brain still goes Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia. Remember Chia Pets? Anyway, I digress. If you're craving something savoury, try hummus with vegetables. Carrots, cucumber, peppers, celery—whatever you actually enjoy eating. And that's important. Don't buy vegetables you hate because somebody on the internet told you they're magical. If that celery is going to sit in your refrigerator until it becomes emotionally unavailable, buy something else. Healthy food isn't helping you if you refuse to eat the damn thing.

Popcorn is another easy one. It's quick, crunchy and gives your hands something to do. Just remember there's popcorn—and then there's popcorn swimming in enough butter to require its own flotation device. Want something ridiculously simple? Cheese and fruit. Cheese with grapes. Apple. Pear. Add a few crackers. Done. Your snack doesn't need twelve ingredients, a recipe video and somebody whispering, “You're going to LOVE this.” Sometimes cheese and grapes are enough.

And let's not disrespect the hard-boiled egg. It's not glamorous. Nobody's posting thirst traps with a hard-boiled egg. But they're easy to make ahead, portable and a convenient source of protein. Sometimes boring food is useful food. And now I'm going to say something that might divide the room: sardines. Yes. Sardines. Listen, sardines aren't exactly subtle. You open that tin and everybody within a reasonable distance knows you've made a decision. But they're convenient, protein-rich and contain omega-3 fats. Some varieties with edible bones also provide calcium. Put them with crackers, cucumber or a little toast and you've got something quick without turning lunch into a major production.

However, sardines deserve their own survival rule: step away from the damn keyboard. Get a plate. Grab your napkin. Eat the sardines. Wash your hands afterward. Please don't eat sardines with your fingers and immediately answer a text. Your phone has been through enough.

For something sweeter, dark chocolate with nuts or fruit can hit the spot. Notice I said some chocolate—not an entire emotional-support chocolate bar because Tuesday wasn't cooperating. Which brings me to something more important than any snack on this list: ask yourself why you're eating. Are you actually hungry? Or are you bored? Stressed? Tired? Procrastinating? Watching television and your hand simply believes it has a job? Sometimes we eat because we're hungry. Sometimes we eat because something inside us wants comfort, distraction or something to do. There's no need to beat yourself up about it. Just notice it.

Before grabbing something else, get up. Stretch. Drink some water. Look outside. Give your eyes something different to look at. Then ask yourself, Am I actually hungry? And speaking of water, drink the damn water. Coffee is wonderful. I respect coffee deeply. Coffee and I have a relationship. But coffee cannot be expected to carry the entire operation. Keep water nearby, especially when you're spending long periods sitting, working, creating, studying, gaming or scrolling.

Here's another little self-care trick I've learned: prepare your snacks before you get busy. Think about that. Instead of waiting until you're starving and then grabbing whatever happens to be closest, prepare a few things beforehand. Wash some fruit. Put nuts into little containers. Boil a few eggs. Cut some vegetables. Have yogurt ready. Fill your water bottle. Put your napkins nearby. Grab your hand sanitizer if you need it. Use containers with lids so one clumsy moment doesn't turn your snack into something you're cleaning out of your keyboard for the next six months. Nothing fancy. Just make taking care of yourself easier.

Because one of the strangest things about being busy is how much attention we give everything else while forgetting about the person doing everything. We'll charge the phone while we're exhausted. We'll clean the computer while ignoring ourselves. We'll finish the project while running on caffeine. We'll answer everybody else's messages while our own body has been sending us one for three hours: HELLO. I NEED SOMETHING. Notice that. You are not a machine. Actually, even machines need maintenance.

Maybe your setup doesn't need another app, another screen, another notification or another thing demanding your attention. Maybe it needs some water. Something decent to eat. A little movement. A napkin. Clean hands. And maybe even the radical self-care strategy of closing the damn laptop for twenty minutes. Because whatever you're doing will probably still be there when you come back.

Feed yourself. Take care of yourself. And remember, self-care doesn't always look beautiful. Sometimes self-care is an apple covered in peanut butter. Sometimes it's a hard-boiled egg. Sometimes it's sardines and crackers. Sometimes it's washing your hands before you eat. Sometimes it's wiping peanut butter off your fingers before touching your phone. Sometimes it's realizing you've had four coffees and absolutely no water. And sometimes it's simply asking: Have I taken care of myself today—or have I only taken care of everything around me?

That's the bigger conversation. These little Survival Tips are born from my blogs and the ordinary things I notice in my own life. I take something I'm actually doing, thinking or experiencing, pull on the thought a little and usually discover there's a self-care lesson hiding somewhere inside it. That's what makes these ideas mine. They're not about pretending I've mastered life. Hell, I'm still trying to remember the napkin. They're about noticing life while we're living it.

So here's today's reminder: Feed yourself before you forget yourself. Napkin nearby. Clean hands. Water filled. Snack ready. Spill-proof container closed. And please... wash the sardine fingers before touching the phone. 😂

Take care of you. One love—and Ashe for the ancestors. The cure is conversation. Self-love and self-care will get you there.

— QueenB.Divine

This article is general self-care and educational commentary, not individualized medical or nutritional advice.

FEED YOURSELF BEFORE YOU FORGET YOURSELF

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THE “DON’T-WRECK-YOUR-STUFF” SURVIVAL TIP

And please—don't forget the damn napkin. 😂 If we're eating finger foods while working, scrolling, gaming or creating, let's not leave peanut butter fingerprints across the keyboard like evidence from a crime scene. Keep a napkin nearby, some hand sanitizer for when you need it, and put your snacks in a spill-proof container whenever possible. Clean hands, protected electronics and fewer crumbs hiding between the keys for the next six months. That's self-care too. Nothing spiritual here—just don't eat sardines with your fingers and immediately answer a text. Your phone has been through enough. 😂

Eat. Wipe. Sanitize when needed. Close the container. Carry on.

Sometimes surviving the day really is that simple.

— QueenB.Divine

This article is general self-care and educational commentary and is not individualized medical, nutritional or financial advice.