It Is Okay To Do Nothing

I want to talk about the importance of self-care. In this day and age, we are constantly surrounded by stimuli. We wake up, check our phone, browse our favorite social media apps, and we are immediately bombarded with images of people living their best life. Especially on Instagram, we see people with a seemingly perfect lifestyle. We see people doing the things we want to do with our life. Traveling, working their dream job, living in a beautiful city, etc. Sometimes this can serve as a source of inspiration and motivate us to take steps towards our own goals. But many times, it can be exhausting. We are shown that we should always be doing something. We think that if we’re not moving at a million miles a minute, we’re lazy. We’re unproductive. We should spend our free time reaching for our goals, making moves. And if we aren’t doing that, then what are we doing with our lives? But I want to tell you something very important and I want you to listen closely.

It’s okay to not be doing anything.

It’s okay to say “no” to plans. It’s okay to stay in for the night. Make plans with yourself. Spend time with yourself. Draw a bath. Read a book. Lay down, shut your eyes, and listen to your favorite album… or ten. Put on a face mask. Write in your journal. Whatever it is that relaxes you, set aside time to do that.

If we are constantly moving, we’re actually hurting ourselves more than we are helping ourselves. We need to spend time re-energizing. The sun shines brilliantly in the sky, but it order for it to rise it needs to set.

I know you put a lot of pressure on yourself. I know it looks like everyone is closer to where you want to be and it feels like you’re still near the bottom of the ladder. I know you’re tired and defeated and stressed. It’s okay to feel this way. Recognize when you’re feeling like you’re exerting more energy than you have. And, more importantly, before it even gets to that point… take time to just relax. Just BE. Whatever that looks like for you. We are all doing the best we can. Be kind to yourself.