How TikTok’s 13-year-old pug Noodle teaches us about self-care and living life to the fullest
Noodle.
Jonathan Graziano’s bones or no-bones shtick with Noodle has provided his 2.5 million TikTok followers with a daily dose of heartwarming entertainment, but more importantly, the pug has also bestowed some valuable life lessons. Like sometimes, it’s OK to just rest.
Every morning, Graziano shares what mood Noodle is in by propping him up and seeing if the dog remains standing (bones) or flops down (no bones). Bones days call for treating yourself and taking risks while no-bones days are a sign to “take it easy” or “flop on plans and activities if you don’t want to do them.” No-bones days are not the days for trying anything new, but they’re not exactly a premonition of a bad day.
“We really need to change the narrative on a no-bones day. So a bones day is a day where you have to go after your ambition… a no-bones day is a day where you have permission to wear soft clothes, self-care, take a bath,” Graziano said on the “Today” show Wednesday.
And amid an era of so much uncertainty, clinical psychologist and founder of Renewed Freedom Center Jenny Yip agrees we should all be taking cues from Noodle by prioritizing self-care and ensuring we lead balanced lives.
Noodle inspires followers to accept that life needs balance, Yip said: We can’t always give 100% or we risk facing burnout. Take life day by day, as Noodle does.
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“I think what happens is that people are too hard on themselves and they beat themselves up when they’re not able to keep up with the pace that life demands of them,” Yip said. “When you beat yourself up, you’re basically doing a lot of negative self talk, which is going to interfere or affect your mood, and then interfere with your behaviors.”