Adulting can get rough. Long work hours, stressful deadlines, bills, trying to maintain a semblance of the social life you once held, and a thousand other things can sometimes seem a bit…well, overwhelming. It’s incredibly important to take some times for yourself and find something that soothes you and helps relieve some of the pressure of life, for a while at least.
This can come in many ways: the gym, art, stamp collecting, or just spacing out in front of the tv with a bottle of wine and the cat. There is no right or wrong way to take care of yourself, it’s self-care, and only you really know what you need to stay sane.
I typically try to do little things throughout the week to keep calm and focused, mediation, piano, reading. In addition to these smaller, more common refuges from my stressors, I also take the occasional “man-night’ when Cassey is working late.
Typically, these ‘man-nights’ involve some music, a good book, and a drink. I make sure that I’ve already taken care of cleaning the apartment and other pressing errands before, just to eliminate any stressors that could creep their way into my head.
The Drink
The traditional Manhattan cocktail has three main elements: whiskey, sweet vermouth, and bitters. It’s a drink that is simple and sophisticated. Mine take on it doesn’t stray too far from the classic, adding some herbal liquor that adds a nice layer of depth and a warm finish to the drink.
Something Like a Manhattan
- 2oz bourbon (don’t waste anything too fancy for this. I used Four Roses Yellow)
- 2oz sweet vermouth
- 1oz Amaro Tosilini (this herb liquor lends warmth to the drink that’s pretty nice)
- a dash of Peychaud’s Bitters
The Book
This is a super personal choice. Really, just read whatever you’re currently digging, no need to pick up a special book just to relax. If you’d like a suggestion, however, here’s a couple of my favorites:
- The Beautiful and the Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald
- Love in the Time Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
- A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking
- All of the Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling
- Anything by Kurt Vonnegut
- Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman
The Music
I picked up this gem recently at this little store in Yucca Valley, Black Luck Vintage. Ol’ Blue Eyes Is Back is one of my favorite Sinatra albums. Coming back from his brief retirement, each recording radiates. This is Sinatra doing what he loves most, a man who couldn’t stay away from the microphone. If you can find this guy on vinyl, pick it up, otherwise Spotify has it. If you can only listen to one track, check out “Nobody Wins.”
In the end, just remember that everyone needs a break every once in a while, whether that means a mid morning coffee somewhere peaceful, or a cold drink in the evening. Take care of yourself, friends.
-Josh
slightly luminous 