Life keeps moving at a pace that’s just a bit too fast for me to keep up with. As my stress mounts and my exhaustion builds up, it’s all I can do to come up with simple self-care ideas that help me get through the week without going insane.
At a time like this, it can be hard to find ways to recharge, what with work, errands, and last-minute plans life enjoys springing on me—especially when I, frankly, suck at saying no to some of them. Yet in the midst of this chaos, I’m lucky to find small comforts that make a big difference and help me keep my head above the water.
Staying Grounded With Cozy Comfort Rituals
I’ll be honest, I haven’t been successful lately at assigning much time specifically to care for my mental health. When you’re pressed on time, low on energy, and constantly in a hurry, even the idea of self-care rituals can feel like a stress factor. So the things that have kept me grounded lately are the smallest comforts that either don’t require much time or work well in combination with my seemingly never-ending to-do list.
1. Pet Therapy
This is the perfect moment to introduce my cat Katara, who has been a source of comfort and joy in my life for years without fail. She greets me at the doorstep when I come home from work. She rests on my chest when I’m in bed with a book. Her comforting purr is the first thing I hear when I wake up in the morning and the last thing I hear before falling asleep at night.
Katara’s presence in my life soothes me when I’m low and gives my joy a boost when I’m happy. She’s what makes my home feel like home, and when I collapse into bed after a stressful day, the simple, familiar comfort of her presence makes all the difference in the world.
2. Reconnecting with Yoga Through Reading
It is a beautiful thing to feel your body gently tired after a good yoga session, but these days, I don’t have it in me to step onto my yoga mat even for as little as fifteen minutes. Instead, I go to bed a little earlier than I would otherwise, and I read Yoga Mind, Body & Spirit: A Return to Wholeness by Donna Farhi.
I bought this book recently, hoping that it would help me rekindle curiosity about the practice, reconsider my reasons for doing it, and establish a deep and lasting spiritual connection with yoga. Even if I can’t find the strength to get on the mat, getting to know other aspects of the discipline better contributes towards my building a healthier relationship with it. I consider this as an investment into developing a long-term love for the art of yoga.
And, as a bonus, it’s a fantastic way to unwind before bed, with a cup of tea on my nightstand and Katara purring her heart away on my lap.
3. Returning to My Comfort Background Noise
Silence is arguably my favorite sound, but there are activities that pair nicely with a certain background noise, like cooking and jazz music, or doing home chores while listening to an episode of your favourite podcast. However, music can sometimes impact my mood in unpredictable ways. And although I love a good podcast as much as the next person, I prefer listening to them when I have the mental energy required to actually pay attention and take something useful out of them.
On low mental energy days, when there’s a load of dishes waiting for me or a pile of laundry in need of folding, I put my headphones on and get to work while (re-)listening to the Harry Potter audiobooks.
Have I listened to them forty-seven times before? Yes—and that’s exactly what makes them so comforting. Because this series is so familiar—a favourite of mine since I was little—it’s the predictability that makes it such a perfect fit for the days when I can’t handle either the joy of music or the chatter of another person in front of their microphone.
4. Looking Forward to My Staycation
One of the most tragic realities of adulthood—for me, at least—is the necessity of a full-time job that, to put it mildly, doesn’t feed your soul, and to put it bluntly, makes you listen to What’s Up by 4 Non Blondes on repeat while considering quitting at every minor workplace inconvenience. As I can’t afford quitting my job at the moment, I have to look for other ways to feel better during stressful times. A simple thing that’s been saving my sanity lately is looking forward to my two-week-long vacation at work planned for the first half of June.
I don’t think I’ve realized before how much emotional power there is in knowing something good is coming and anticipating its arrival in moments of overwhelm. As I’ve been struggling with overworking and burnout, I am planning to fill my vacation with soul-nourishing and, most importantly, low-effort activities.
I’m not traveling anywhere, not going on any trips. Instead, I’m going to rest and sleep, read for hours a day, bird-watch in the park, swim in the lake, and journal. In other words, I’m going to do whatever my heart desires, with no pressure, no hurry, and, ideally, no schedule whatsoever.
5. Prioritizing Sleep Over Everything Else
I consider myself lucky to have a ton of pleasures and joys in life—see above some of the things I mentioned from my list of soul-nourishing activities. But lately, I just haven’t had many chances to do any of those things. Emotions like joy or excitement can’t be achieved as easily when your body is in survival mode.
My ability to experience joy is definitely diminished by how tired I’ve been for weeks. What normally feels like a gift from life—for instance, watching a clever movie while having a delicious dinner and a glass of wine—just hasn’t felt the same recently, and I eventually started seeking these activities less and less.
Numbness as a response to doing my favourite things feels strange and unnatural to me, but I read it as a direct signal that I need rest to enjoy things again. It’s bizarre how we so often go online in search of simple self-care ideas when prioritizing sleep for mental health should be the most obvious answer of all. This is not to say that sleep is the ultimate medicine to your woes… but right now, it might just be to mine.
Emotions like joy or excitement can’t be achieved as easily when your body is in survival mode.
This is what my personal recipe for maintaining my sanity looks like this week. It’s not universal, and these are not your traditional self-care ideas, but they’re working. I look forward to the time when I feel like I’m thriving again, but for now, I’m surviving—and that’s okay.
If you’re surviving, too, what are some of the things saving your sanity this week? Whether it’s drinking tea from your favorite mug or binge-watching a comfort show you already know by heart, as long as it’s working, you’re doing amazing.
Questions to Sit With
- What small, familiar comforts help me feel grounded when life feels overwhelming?
- How do I respond when I’m too exhausted to engage in my usual self-care routines?
- In what ways can I adapt my practices to meet myself where I am, without guilt or pressure?
- What role do my surroundings—like a pet, a favorite book, or background sounds—play in my emotional well-being?
- How might I cultivate a more compassionate relationship with myself during periods of stress and fatigue?
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