I think it’s safe to say that 2020 has been e.x.h.a.u.s.t.i.n.g. Between all things COVID, working towards social change and emotions that come with that, figuring out how the f*ck to survive without seeing friends and family, all alongside regular life shit, I’m exhausted. Are you?! I’ve been taking the last couple of weeks light in terms of commitment and what I’m forcing myself to do because I needed it. Because like most people, I’m not the best version of myself if I’m not taking the time to recharge.
After consoling my therapy group aka my Girl’s Only Facebook Group, I realized that there are several ways to recharge that I don’t do often enough. First I’ll share my usual tactics to chilling out and then I’ll share from your guys’ list. So good!
WHAT I DO TO RECHARGE
+ Cook. Cooking has always been therapeutic for me. Probably because it’s hard to even think about other things when you’re trying to follow a recipe and not f*ck everything up. I blast music (Bob Marley, Lana Del Rey…something chill), get braless and barefoot, and spend time in the kitchen. The key is to make something that takes your mind off of life but isn’t so intricate that you’re even more stressed. I have tons of simple recipes BTW.
+ Hangout with my family. May was chill in our house and I was loving it. With stay-at-home orders in place, we were able to enjoy each other’s company, especially as work slowed down. We spent lots of time in the backyard, snuggling in bed, etc. It’s a good reminder for me to turn the rest of the world off and focus on my Capri Sun and Paul when I’m feeling overloaded.
+ Sit by water. It’s likely because I usually have a beverage in hand when I’m by any body of water, but it really makes me chill out. Paul often reminds me to sit by the pool or to end the night with a bath if I’m being a crazy b*tch and am stressed. The beach and pool are definitely my happy place.
+ Do nothing for a weekend. I’m honestly pretty good at this and even without COVID, I’m very picky about social obligations. So a weekend at home doing absolutely nothing always does the trick. I try to limit my screen time, not work, order takeout, and just completely clear my mind of responsibilities (other than keeping Capri alive).
+ Spa night at home. I’ve shared my beauty maintenance schedule and it’s all very relaxing to me. There’s something about sitting in your robe and doing face masks or taking a long ass shower to recharge. I try to up my self-care in the form of beauty stuff when I’m feeling exhausted and turn my usual routine into something more boujee.
+ Go for a walk without headphones. I love music and podcasts but sometimes you just need to turn off the noise. Between everything I consume daily and all of Capri’s light-up music toys, it’s A LOT. Even if it’s a 15-minute quiet walk, it’s recharging AF.
WHAT YOU GUYS DO TO RECHARGE
+ Listen to classical music
+ Bake
+ Disconnect from social media
+ Meditate
+ Call a friend
+ Go for a drive to a favorite place while listening to music
+ Smoke weed
+ Make a cup of tea
+ Reorganize
+ Yoga or a run
+ Watch TikTok or mindless TV
+ Read or journal
+ Alone time
+ Draw
+ Blast music with headphones on and dance
+ Get a massage
+ Time time off of work
+ Have sex
+ Clean