GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK.

I thought I would have a week off from writing my blog and release this weeks the evening before my usual Saturday upload. Also, apologies for my terrible writing in my last post din’t write shit a day after having surgery. 

This week I wanted to talk about giving yourself a break. Those who know me personally know that I am pretty much constantly working, even when I say I’m not, I’m just sat there still working. For someone with chronic conditions, I overwork myself a lot. I have a need to constantly work because the creative industry is tough enough as it is so I feel I need to work even harder than normal to prove that my health doesn’t always get in the way (but it eventually does). I love what I’m doing as well so I don’t always see it as work which makes it even harder to realise when I am overworking. Then I end up in this constant cycle of worse flares because I overwork myself. I can’t help it. Creating is also a good outlet for me to work through things I’m struggling with or I’m trying to understand: I’m awful at verbally talking about things and I let myself internally panic until something I create helps me out. 

Anyway, I had this past week…mainly off from doing work. I’ve done the odd thing here and there: a self portrait on my birthday and another the other day. This past week I’ve mainly been stuck in this pit of being physically and mentally exhausted (physically typically due to the laparoscopy). Mentally I feel completely burned out. I’ve been shitty at talking to people over the past couple of months (honestly a good job I have a small friendship circle) and I’m in that state of overthinking everything and anything, more so than usual. So all I’ve been doing is be in a cocoon and just watching TV or listening to music. Sometimes that’s all I can manage and that’s okay. I’ve already spoken about how chronic illnesses changes relationships but it’s nice to know who understands that sometimes you just need to have a breather as well as people who understand that you will go into these states of overthinking.  

So if you feel mentally and/or physically drained, give yourself a break. Slob the fuck out. Cocoon. Binge watch your favourite show. Listen to your favourite music. Sleep lots. Just let yourself breathe and give yourself time to build back up. 

*A note to myself: listen to your fucking advice, Lauren.