Self-Care - Recharging and Recovering From Mental Fatigue

The last few days I have been completely uninspired by everything around me. You could say I'm going through a bit of a burnout. On a good day, I have the tendency to try to do "ALL of the things" and I've been known to start multiple projects as soon an idea comes to me. (we're going to ignore the fact that I start more projects than I actually ever finish. It's just part of my personality. #NoShame)

When I'm inspired, I negotiate with myself daily regarding which task I want to work on. I'd love to all of my projects each day, but let's face it. I won't. It's not that I haven't finished anything these last couple of days. Oh, no. I haven't done anything at all. I haven't worked on any of my art, written a blog post, watched TV, fixed my hair, etc. I've just been a lazy bla for a while. It's like Monday came to visit and settled in for the long haul. Well, no more.

How to get out of this rut? I decided to do a bunch of little things that I enjoy to perk myself up and relight my creative fuse. I ditched the stress that nagged at me saying I wasn't being productive and dived headfirst into the world of self-care. For me, self care looks a lot like a homeless woman with uncombed hair and zero makeup, binging on coffee and taking an over-the-top bath as if I'm scared I'll never see water again for the rest of my life. Nice visual, right? Right.

Start the day with self-love and words of affirmation (All Rights Reserved)

Let It Begin

As per usual, I started my day by diving into coffee before my last two remaining brain cells could kill each other. This has to be one of my favorite mugs. Who doesn't love their coffee calling them a straight up Goddess? As the morning started I quickly realized I didn't have the mental energy to entertain my toddler all day. I usually don't mind giving her my undivided attention, but burnout is no joke. This child is obsessed with our record player and ABBA's Dancing Queen is her favorite song. I set her up with a vinyl and let her cut a rug. Okay, so maybe the rug wasn't really in any danger of being cut, but she tried. See? 

She's killin it, man... Slowly (All Rights Reserved)

I literally spent the morning couch surfing and browsing on my laptop about ancient astronaut theories and all that jazz. I did some small doodles in my sketchbook. Nothing worth mentioning, really. Mainly I explored my own mind and daydreamed. I can't really remember everything that happened because I lost track of time. It's all kind of one chill blur. Bits and pieces stand out as therapeutic and the rest just faded away. The day wasn't about remembering everything I did. It was about letting go and relaxing. Switching off, if you will.

Me, Myself, And I 

When my kiddo was napping I drew up a bubble bath with essential oils, bath salts, and a white sage smudge stick burning calmly to the side. B-L-I-S-S.

Relax the day away (All Rights Reserved)

My absolute favorite bath products are Village Naturals Therapy Mineral salts and Honest brand bubble bath. These guys are a must on my self-care days. I love the scent of these salts specifically. It's like a home spa. And I don't really like to buy separate bubbles for me and my kiddo so this one is perfect for us both. The lavender relaxes her for bedtime and happens to be one of my favorite scents. It's organic, non-toxic, kid friendly, and vegan so that's a "yay" in my book.

You can find these items here:

Village Naturals Therapy Mineral Salts

Honest Bubble Bath

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Follow up your bath with a nice hair care day. Nothing makes me feel less grunge than taking the time to care for my hair. Just simply blow drying and adding the right treatment can work wonders. I don't personally use a lot of products, just these few here:


I totally recommend checking them out by clicking the images. It'll take you to amazon, which I'm obsessed with, by the way.

Laze On, Friends

When my threenager woke up (yes, that's a thing), I wasn't in the mood to sit through an episode of Peppa Pig or Terrific Trucks. I plugged my little in with her bluetooth headphones and let her go to town with her show while she had lunch. And you know what? That actually felt weird. Yea, it was strange to see her awake and the house so quiet. Not going to lie. But it was also very nice to have that quiet time while she was awake. 

She gets a show. I get quiet time (All Rights Reserved)

Literally a sanity saver. These headphones are super convenient when I need to work on something that requires focus or just don't want to hear the constant repetitive nature of toddler shows. I'm sure I've seen ever episode of each thing she watches about a million times. These headphones are available on amazon here:

You're welcome in advance.

It's Okay To Make Time For Yourself

I know there's this stigma that you should take care of everyone around you first. That if you take the time to put yourself first you're somehow being selfish. I actually believe that's reverse. If there are other people demanding so much of you that they make you feel badly about taking time to recharge, they're the ones being selfish. You can't properly take care of anyone if you don't take care of yourself first. Don't stress over the world. It'll still turn and lives will be lived without you overseeing them for a few hours. 

By the end of my mini vacation from responsibilities I came back with new ideas for multiple areas in my life. I felt so mentally refreshed that I woke up around 6:30am this morning (naturally, without an alarm) and felt like I had slept for 9 hours straight. I hate mornings and typically don't wake up until 8ish and that's only due to the promise of coffee. This morning I got the urge to clean the house, anchor a bookshelf to the wall, write up this post, work on my art, plan a nice dinner, etc. 

Just a dork and her beloved coffee (All Rights Reserved)

See? Just look at that happy face. Who hugs their coffee? Me. I do. This is how you start the day. Well rested and over caffeinated. Be lazy occasionally, just not all the time. Laziness gets such a bad wrap because it's often used in excess and therefore it doesn't boost your mental clarity or recharge your batteries. 

So, if you're overwhelmed, struggling, smothered, bogged down, drowning, or overstimulated by today's world, take some time to do absolutely nothing. Refocus and realign. 

What are your favorite ways to recharge?

What's type of activities do you enjoy on your days "off?"

What type of self-love do you find most beneficial?

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