getting recharged

"Beauty Sleep" Vogue US, January 1991, Photographer: Irving Penn

I don't know about y'all, but the holidays are exhausting.  I love the hustle & bustle of Christmas, but between my surgery, holiday happenings, gifting, preparing for NYE, moving (will touch on this soon) -all within two weeks, I feel like I've run a marathon.  Hope you all had a Merry Christmas, by the way.  Sometimes I feel a huge need for recharging my batteries.  

Here are ways I recharge myself when I feel it's needed...

// Sleep.

Getting the proper amount of sleep makes a HUGE difference in how I feel.  I try to shoot for eight hours of ZZZs, but I usually get about six (working on this.).

// Make a physical change.

No, I'm not talking about anything drastic, but sometimes a new haircut can do far more than change the way you look.  A change like that, even if it's just adding a few layers or subtle highlights, can make me feel so refreshed.  For me, I get the same feeling from tweaking my makeup routine, too.  Be it a new foundation or even a new nail polish, little changes are sometimes the key to breaking a rut.

// Remove the unnecessaries. 

Unsubscribe from annoying emails.  (I have limited myself to receiving email updates from 10 of my favorite stores).  Clean out the closet.  Organize the junk drawer (or drawers, if you're like me).  Donate clothes you haven't worn in a year.  Throw out previous month's magazines that you've read, or let's face it, don't have time to read (and so they just accumulate).  And once in a while, say "no."

// Indulge.
Give in to a guilty pleasure or two.  Maybe it's a piece of cake, maybe it's a day at the spa.  Do something that you normally would say say "no" to.

// Identify & conquer.
Identify solvable problems and actually solve them... little by little, one at a time.  Have you been meaning to make a dentist appointment for a few weeks?  Well, sit down and do it.  I always feel 10x better when I can cross little tasks like that off my list. Which brings me to the next one...

// Make lists.
I like making a list of only tasks that are a reality at that particular moment in time.  Put the easiest things first on the list. Sometimes, I like to make one master list of things to do, then group that into many micro lists that can be tackled on different days (guess you can now tell I'm a big list person).  The key is to set attainable goals on your task lists.  Also, write down anything on your brain before you go to bed.  I hate lying in bed just thinking of things I need to remember the next day.  That's why I always keep a journal in my bedside table.  Writing things down lets the brain rest a little.

// Take a bath.
Sometimes, I find it hard to allow myself to completely relax.  Whenever I take a bath, I suddenly remember how I never feel as relaxed as I do when I'm soaking in the tub.  Lavender Epsom Salts are my favorite product to put in the bath.  They smell amazing and help to remove toxins from your body.

// Surrender.
...and take a "me" day.  Get some rest.  Don't get dressed and go anywhere.  Just be.  We all need it here and there.

// Be thankful.
Write down things you're grateful for.  If you're at work or at home and reading this post, then I can guarantee you that the good always will outweigh the bad things that may seem so important to you.

When all else fails... there's always wine and Netflix.

p.s. I added a tab labeled "our wedding" on the right column underneath the categories list.  Check it out if you're new here and are interested in my wedding prep and pictures from the big day.  Also, under my header, you can now see a "collaborations" tab.