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Self-Care Kitsis a series dedicated to curating tips for specific communities, from specific communities.
Morgan Johnson
The thing aboutself-careis that it is never one size fits all.
To do
Lets be clear: Sex work itself doesnt automatically causemental healthtroubles.
For all these reasons, your self-care kit should include targeted healthy coping mechanisms andstress managementtools.
Morgan Johnson
If you dont know where to start, Bloomquist suggests creating a stress-prevention toolkit.
How can I check in with myself?
What do I have control over?
Morgan Johnson
Finding social support that is truly supportive can be difficult.
All of the sex workers I talked to named social media as a potential source of community and connection.
Instagramespecially can be a positive community around sex work.
For more info, scroll down to the resources at the end of this article.
Anyone on social media knows it can be a total shit show for your mental health sometimes.
I mute the word Trump, she says.
If I need that information, I can get it elsewhere.
I dont need to see that name when I go on Twitter.
Mary S., 25, is a performer who does cam work and used to strip.
Its about assessing your own needsand also being liberal with your use of the block button.
Also, if your business practices allow for it, Pitagora suggests taking occasionalbreaks from social mediain general.
It doesnt hurt when a soothing physical ritual also has job perks.
Im obsessive about myskin-care routine, says Mary.
It grounds me and I can also justify how excessive it is because, hey, Im a dancer.
My skin needs to look good.
I need to be gentle and loving towards my body when its being critiqued constantly, says Nora.
Pegging I just dont do because I feel like an idiot wearing a strap-on, says Heather.
Nora suggests creating boundaries that extend beyond the physical work and into your business practices.
Depending on what you do, your day-to-day work might be taxing in one or more ways.
It might be physically hard on your body or emotionally draining.
It might be annoying or enraging or exhausting or scary at times.
Writing helps me recontextualize some fucked up shit as something that could be cathartic or entertaining, she says.
Sometimes I need a reminder from my vanilla friends about what is normal human interaction, she says.
When Im around my sex work friends, sometimes all we talk about is work, says Mary.
Talking to someone who has been in that world was unbelievably helpful for my mental health, she says.
Im pretty candid to a fault, but even I get nervous talking to just anybody about golden showers.
Check out this guide to finding a sex work-affirming therapisthere.
Real talk: Stigma against sex work doesnt exist in a vacuum.
In the meantime, Heather suggests fighting back against yournegative voice.
I have to domme my brain, says Heather.
You know thats not true.
Plenty of people dont like their jobs.
To buy
Okay, yes, we just touched on how capitalism sucks, but hey.
Its sometimes hard working with a bunch of beautiful goddess women, says Heather.
Im a big fan of Savage X Fenty.
Masturbationis self-care for me, says Mary.
When she was stripping, Christine never went to the club without a stash ofteato keep her awake.
Definitely not the reaction she was expecting.
One of her favorites: an Earl Grey Lavender ($36,Rishi).
These therapy massage balls ($10,Amazon) are her favorite to toss between her hands.
Theyre softer than a tennis ball but harder than the average stress ball, she says.
I cant be so tightly wound for the body work I do.
AsSELF previously reported, cannabidiol (CBD) is a cannabinoid, or a compound present in cannabis.
Basically, theres not yet enough conclusive research out there to recommend CBD products for pain relief.
But,anecdotally, the trendy stuff has plenty of uses among its fans.
Nora recommends the brandRose Moon Ritualif you want to purchase CBD products from a sex work-affirming company.
They even have a Stripper Recovery gift set ($50,Rose Moon Ritual PDX).
To bookmark
Or any of Lordes work.
Its never a bad idea to have music on hand to get in the moodwhatever that mood may be.
Heather goes for empowering playlists to make me feel like a badass domme, she says.
Her current playlist has a lot of Cardi B, Blondie, and Grimes.
To reach it, call 877-776-2004.
(Volunteers will respond to all calls in 24 hours, the service says.
Its worth noting that this isnt a crisis line for emergencies.)
Nora recommends this podcast, hosted by two sex workers named Elle and Jon.
They cover lots of topics, including sex and the politics of sex work, she says.
Its informational and keeps me up to date on issues and laws affecting the sex work community.
Priority goes to POC and trans workers.
you might find their guidelines for fund requestshere.
*Names have been changed to grant anonymity upon request.
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