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Feeling Burnt Out? 6 Ways To Treat Yourself Right Now

Author:

Rachel Mansfield

July 11, 2017

By Rachel Mansfield

mbg Contributor

Rachel Mansfield lives in the heart of Manhattan with her husband, Jordan, and has her bachelor’s in business administration and media communications from Muhlenberg College.

July 11, 2017

Going into this year, I declared 2017 the "year of self-care." I loved everything about 2016 from the struggles to the successes and everything in between, but by the end of December, your girl was feeling a bit exhausted.

I spent all of 2016 building my brand and business to where it is today and didn’t really worry about taking care of myself as much as I should have. Sure, I worked out a few days a week and ate organic, non-GMO foods and all that jazz, but was that really enough?

So I wanted to start "treating myself" each day so I wouldn’t get burnt out. This doesn’t mean I get massages after lunch and manicures before dinner with friends (although that does sound really nice...). It simply means I take time out of each day to treat myself to something that may seem silly but brings extra happiness into my day. Above all else, it feels good to know I am treating my mind and body well.

These are the six things I try to do each and every day to treat myself a bit more and give myself a little extra self-care and love when I can:

1. Go for a walk in the morning.

Yes, some may view rest or sitting down as the "real" form of self-care, but as someone who works from home in a tight space, my morning walk is my favorite way to start the day. After breakfast each morning I head outside and walk along the water. I listen to a favorite podcast, call my mom or mother-in-law, and make sure I get some fresh air before starting the workday craziness.

2. Take a gummy vitamin.

When I was younger, I took my vitamins only because they tasted like candy. Later, I found out they basically were candy. Now I take mykind Organics Gummies from Garden of Life® because they are actually vitamins. They are made with nine whole fruits, they’re Non-GMO Verified, Certified Organic, and they taste absolutely delicious. It’s a win-win.

3. Keep fresh flowers in my apartment.

Talk about an immediate mood booster. Keeping fresh flowers and plants around our apartment makes the room feel so much more alive and adds a ton of color and oomph. We have everything from succulents to flowers to trees. (It also helps that my in-laws own a flower shop!)

4. Sit down for lunch in the middle of the day.

I stand pretty much all morning when I am doing work. It is hard to test recipes, food style, and take photos while sitting down, so, needless to say, by 1 p.m. my legs are feeling a bit tired. It’s easy to just eat scraps and snacks, but I make a conscious effort to sit down and enjoy a bowl of real food for lunch every day now.

5. Eat dessert.

It comes as no surprise to my Instagram and blog community when I say this, but I have dessert every single day. I love making chocolate chip cookies, crispy quinoa cups, or banana bread to enjoy after dinner each night. That is one of the reasons I started my blog: I wanted to have my cake and eat it, too. All my dessert recipes are refined-sugar-free and made with real food.

6. Switch my phone to airplane mode.

This is by far the hardest on the list, and it sounds like an odd way to treat myself, but I try to switch my phone to airplane mode by 9:30 p.m. so I can enjoy time with my husband and get off email and social media. It helps me clear my head a bit more before going to sleep.

This list is definitely going to continue to grow, but these are the current ways I try to give myself a little extra love every day. How do you treat yourself? Tell me! I am always looking for new ideas.