A few weeks ago, I was meeting with my nutritionist virtually before work. It was the Monday morning before Memorial Day weekend, and, despite it only being 8 AM, I was already feeling stressed about everything I needed get done.
My nutritionist asked me what I had planned for dinners during the week — an innocuous question if there ever was one — and I burst into tears. I was so overwhelmed by everything else on my plate that deciding what to make for dinner seemed like an insurmountable task. Seeing my stress, my nutritionist made the suggestion to simply take dinner off my to do list for the week. “There are plenty of great fast casual, healthy options near your apartment,” she said.
Though an obvious solution, the relief I felt in that moment was instant — I could easily skip the grocery store and the mental load that comes with it in favor of my neighborhood Cava, Sweetgreen, or Chipotle. (While this type of fast casual rotation used to be my norm, over the past year, I’ve really made an effort to cook at home, especially during the week!) And it got me thinking — are there other ways I could be letting myself off the hook when I need to?
Over the years, I have come to realize that I hold myself to really high standards and put a lot of pressure on myself to always do my best. As such, I have a hard time letting myself take the easy way out if I know there’s something else or better I should be doing. But ever since that conversation with my nutritionist — and the delicious week of fast casual that followed — it’s become obvious to me that, sometimes, letting myself off the hook is the best form of self care there is. I can always get back to cooking — or whatever else it is — when my schedule, and mental capacity, better allows.
While this type of thinking may seem rather obvious, it can sometimes be really hard for me to give myself this type of a pass. Like many, I am my own worst critic and have a tendency to want to try to do it all, even if it means I’ll run myself down in the process. We’re all works in progress, and letting myself off the hook is something I’m trying to do more often.
POSTSCRIPTS —
+ I just picked up this romper from Old Navy from their Fourth of July collection — it also comes in Navy gingham, and I have no doubt it will be a part of my summer wardrobe rotation.
+ This Lucie de Moyencourt Platter from anthropologie had been on my eye for a while, and I recently picked it up for summer entertaining. I love the coastal vibe it gives off — the seashell shape is absolutely beautiful!
+ Speaking of anthro, I recently picked up these taper candlesticks and these raspberry taper candles for a sideboard I bought on Facebook Marketplace last month. I’m excited to share more as I get it styled!
+ After a recent iPhone spill, I restocked my favorite iPhone glass screen protector — it now comes with a contraption that makes it absolutely foolproof, ensuring the perfect alignment without any air bubbles.
+ I recently purchased another faux bamboo vintage dresser — I’ll share more about it as soon as I get it styled. But, I grabbed these three coffee table books for it and am obsessed: The Stylish Life Golf, The Stylish Life Skiing, and The Stylish Life Tennis.
