Outfit Details: Lightweight V-Neck Cardigan (wearing size xs) // Ruched Back Tank (wearing size xs) // Live-In High Waist Pocket Crop Leggings (wearing size xs)

One of the trickiest things about this pandemic that I’ve noticed is that we’re all going through this crazy, scary time, yet we’re pretty much expected to live/work like normal. And when I say “expected” I don’t necessarily mean expectations from your boss or partner, but it’s more like a pressure that’s coming from within. Anyone else feeling this way? Emotions are running high and at least for me, it’s been really hard to focus and feel like I can reach max productivity, yet it’s what I still expect from myself and when I can’t do it, I beat myself about it.

This has been weighing pretty heavily on me lately, and I figured there’s no way I’m the only one, so I did a braindump with a focus on how I could still fill my cup when I just do not feel productive. Like the little things I can do throughout the week that make me feel like a human even when I’m feeling the weight of everything going on.

The below bullets are what I came up and they’ve honestly been really helpful for me, so I wanted to put it out there for anyone else needing ways to feel good about themselves right now.

Cook/find inspiration for meals

Cooking and planning meals can feel like such a daunting task, which is why I’ve been trying to be a small resource for you guys on this front lately. I’ve put together a few weekly menus on BTD, but I also recommend hopping on Pinterest and saving a few meals to your recipe board that look yummy. This way you have something to fall back on when you don’t know what to cook. Plus pinning feels more like something fun rather than a task you have to do. And if you don’t want to cook, order from a local restaurant! D and I like to order a little extra when we get takeout so we have leftovers for the next day.

Clean or Pick Up One Little Thing

Okay so I know this sounds like it’s definitely being productive, but hear me out. I did this three different times last week when I was feeling SO blah and NOT motivated and it really helped me. I think the key here is to do something very attainable and not too overwhelming. Pick one small thing you can do around the house, set a time for 10 minutes, put on some music, and just do it.

I think the reason why this helped me is because cleaning is mindless. I was able to get my mind off of what was giving me anxiety and just *do* something that kept my hands (and mind) off of what was holding me back. If you give it a chance, there’s something truly therapeutic about cleaning and tidying up – especially when expectations are set aside. The expectations part is crucial because once you start putting pressure on yourself to do more than you can handle, that’s when things get overwhelming and (at least for me) start to feel parlyzing.

Like I said above, I did this three different times last week and it REALLY helped me. One time, I wiped down the counters in the kitchen (took me 5 minutes), another time I unloaded the dish washer. And then another time, I hung up 3 shirts that were on the floor in my closet. I know that sounds so ridiculous, but something about setting a tiny goal and then accomplishing gave me the momentum I needed to get back to work or something that was *actually* on my list.

Have you been following along with the little cleaning series I’ve been doing on my Instagram the past few days? I teamed up with a friend (Go Clean Co) who knows a lot more than I do about cleaning. She’s been walking me through how to clean certain areas of my house and it has been so fun! I’ve also been sharing the stories to a cleaning highlight too since most of the “content” and tutorials have been happening there! It might give you some inspiration if you need a little kick!

Learn a dance instead of your typical workout

I know some people love working out from home and do it regularly, but if you’re not someone who enjoys it or finds it hard to be motivated to do push-ups in your living room (ugh, hate push-ups), try dancing instead! Even if it’s outside your comfort zone, do it! You don’t have to record it or post it anywhere, just do it for you! It adds a small dose of fun to your day AND gets you moving –  Check and check!

I’ve been doing several Tik Tok dances lately and have truly been having so much fun with it. I felt silly at first, but after giving it some time and letting myself be okay with feeling out of my comfort zone, I started to have so much fun with it! And now I’ve done several and am always eager to try another! I’ve been sharing my journey with the dances on Instagram and saving them to a Dance highlight if you’ve missed it! Did see the Alladin dance I did last week?! That has probably been my favorite so far!

If you want an easier one to learn, I *really* love this one and think it looks like so much fun!

Watch some TV

Netflix has been serving up some really good movies and series during this time, so give in and let yourself indulge in them for the night! Duncan and I have been watching a good amount of TV (here’s a list of some of our faves) lately – mostly because I think it allows us both to decompress and not stress about everything going on. So stay up past your bedtime to binge a bit and hit the snooze button a few times the next morning if you can! ;) There’s absolutely nothing wrong with taking this time for yourself and relaxing instead of doing ALL THE THINGS.

Last week, there were a few afternoon where I literally just could not get motivated to do work or anything productive. And you know what I did? I watched an episode of Gossip Girl one day and then another time I watched Grey’s Anatomy. And I don’t’ know why, but something about just letting myself chill out for a second helped me and made me feel better.

Give back to your community in some small way

Something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately is giving back to the community in some small way. Finding ways to give to others and bring joy and smiles to people always does a lot for me when I’m not feeling like myself. You don’t have to do anything huge or expensive – you don’t want to make it feel like another thing on your to-do list – but maybe if you have some extra canned goods you can donate them to a local food bank, or if you’re able, make a monetary donation to an organization helping to support others during this time.

Make time to connect with others

If you’re married or live with your partner – or even a roommate – be sure to carve out some time to connect and spend with them. If you have kids, let them watch their favorite show for 30 minutes before dinner so you can have a drink and time to talk. I think during this time of isolation and quarantine, finding human connection is SO important. It makes you feel more like yourself getting to connect and share how you’re doing with someone. If you live alone, be sure you’re scheduling some zooms and FaceTimes!

If you’ve been finding new ways to fill your cup during this time, please share! I’d really love to hear what y’all are doing to get through everything.

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I wanted to share a full body of this WFH outfit (outfit detailed linked below the first image!) because I’ve been wearing it a lot lately – or some version of it. This cardigan is 50% off right now. It’s super lightweight so it’s great for Spring/Summer time!