One thing I have done is volunteer. Some at major annual local events, one at a local live theater, some with my professional association. I live next door to a community college, so have sometimes taken a class there. Most of my neighbor friends have moved over the years, but once the weather cools down, I may begin meeting some of the newer neighbors. I have developed a few close friendships over the years, but think I need some in the neighborhood. Hugs.

Aside from the daily basics, what I do for self-care depends entirely on what is going on in my life. When all I am doing is working, eating, sleeping, rinsing and repeating, my self-care is to balance it with some fun stuff.

Perhaps some random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty? Some benign goofery, just for the silly of it?

I love painting to help calm me down and boost my mood.

I know what you mean about it being hard to make it a habit/routine. Sometimes I have to sit down and literally force myself to start painting, but I always end the time calmer even if the painting isn't great (it often isn't!).

Depending on your funds and time, Michael's has great affordable beginner paint supplies. To start, I would recommend:
-10/15 acrylic paint colors (I buy the little craft bottles for $1)
- 5 different size brushes (buy the ones that are a couple dollars more, because brush bristles on the canvas = very frustrating)
- some craft sponges
- a couple different size "Level 1" canvases

If you don't know where to begin, I love scotch tape paintings- easy, pretty, and colorful (example https://thewhoot.com/whoot-news/crafty-corner/geometric-tape-painting). Start with small canvases and see if you like it, and work your way up to bigger ones.

Hope you find something you love!! Hugs.

Thanks cooltonepaints!

Volunteering or joining groups is a good place to start. Have you considered church? Also, check your local library for an artist or author club. You could also check into art classes through a community college, studio, or museum of art. They might be able to get you started with a group of people on a new hobby.
If you are looking to explore writing at home, you might check out journals that have writing prompts to get started. Hope that helps!

Thanks for mentioning Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain. I'm teaching a death and dying psychology course to nursing students at my community college this summer. Two classes began this week with obituary writing for each of them by my students. The point was not to endorse suicide, of course, but to show respect for those who pass regardless of how.

In addition, I've spoken at two churches about PTSD once a month, and I've earned support among members in both even though I'm just a guest speaker and not their minister. We're going to see Steely Dan together in concert this summer, and we're going to a Major League Baseball game on July 4th.

Lastly, I gather all the support I experienced in a day every day in my gratitude journal at night before I go to bed. Like I said to someone else here today, my PTSD makes me so hypervigilant for bad things that it's important to report the good things, too, just as much to balance things out. Viktor Frankl called therapy writing like that "logotherapy," in which "repetition brings mastery," He ought to know; he survived the Holocaust, but writing helped him overcome bitterness to live beyond 90 afterward.

My gratutude journal is simple. On each page I have a template sentence at the top of the page: "I am grateful for ______________ because __________________ ." I fill in the blanks, and the first person has to be a real one, like somebody here at DS PTSD or a neighbor or a coworker. Then the "because" part helps me apply what I'm grateful for to me and my healing needs as therapy. It's something I got from a DS PTSD member here, and it's been working for me for a couple of years now.