I am a very type “A” person. I also have ADD, so I tend to bounce around from project to project, furiously trying to get everything done. In the last year or so, I’ve learned that self-care is kind of key to my mental health and I’ve been learning more and more about what it means to me. Often times I feel too ‘busy’ to take a minute for myself to refill and refresh my mental state. It can be difficult to do this normally but I’ve also found it can be hard to do creatively. There is always the temptation to push for more. Push to get more done. Push to write more, draw more, create more.
Instead of feeling super accomplished after I push for more, I tend to feel like no matter how much I get done there is always more to do.
My Favorite Self-Care Rituals
1. Read
It can be tempting to get so into my own projects that I leave no time for reading, but lately, I’ve been trying to set aside 10-20 minutes a day to read something. A book, a comic, something with some kind of storytelling aspect. I’ve even gotten a little app called “Webtoons” on my phone where I can scroll through short comics and binge read entire creator-produced series.
2. Color
I’ve found that coloring is a great way to feel creative without the burden of creating something brand new. I spurlged on some colored pencils and markers and I have a mermaid coloring book I pull out sometimes. I’ll listen to music or watch youtube and just feel in the lines to my linking with purples, pinks, and blues.
3. Go For A Walk
I’m bad about taking my own advice on this one, but getting out of the house can be a great way to clear the mental/creative clutter. It’s also summer, so right now it’s a lot easier for me to take a stroll.
4. Declutter/Clean Up A Small Area
If it’s really for self-care, I try to pick a small cleaning task like loading/unloading the dishwasher or picking up my office. I’ve always found that small cleaning tasks can help me feel a little less disjointed and a bit more together. I have also found that sometimes it helps me work through ideas I’m stuck on. Something about using my hands/body, allows my mind to hum and work in the background.
Book Recommendations – Novels To Help You Avoid Feeling OverWhelmed
I also want to recommend a couple books that might help you avoid feeling completely overwhelmed in your creative journey. Sometimes their advice is a little at odds with each other but I’ve found gems that I cling to in each of them.
- You Are A Badass by Jen Sincero – I still re-read this book on a regular basis. It helps remind me that I have great to things to share with the world.
- The Life-Changing Magic Of Not Giving a F* by Sarah Knight. So yeah, this one does swear quite a bit, but Knight has a great approach to figuring out what things you should care about and what things are okay to let go by the wayside.
- Anything by Gabrielle Bernstein. – She is totally Guru-esque, but she’s also just full of light and love.
- Girl Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis – A really lovely book that helps you work on the lies you tell yourself (You’re not talented/good/skinny enough).
The Taming of the Muse 