It’s Okay to Take a Mental Break

This NYFW, I was planning on attending Thursday – Wednesday along with a lot of other bloggers and the majority of my roomies. There was a gut feeling telling me WHOA, hold up, that’s too long. Every fashion week is fun, but it’s a lot. You get maybe 5 hours of sleep a night, have to be in full glam makeup with perfectly coiffed hair, have the *best* outfits, take the *best* photos – by day three every year, I want nothing more than to watch Netflix in sweat pants.

On top of all of the mental wear and tear from overstimulation and lack of sleep, there’s something inherently competitive about it that takes a looooooot of mental strength to overcome and avoid as I try to every season. Sensing there was no way I could mentally make it a full week, I cut my travel plans short, and while I saw my roommates at the last few days of shows and events, I was happily on my couch without makeup on. I got a lot of DMs from girls I had met asking where I was or why I wasn’t at XYZ event – my reply was that I needed a mental break from it.

Our society glorifies being busy. It’s a sign of success and status, so everyone feels like they should try to be more busy. However, that can lead to major burnout, unhappiness and low quality of life. Work hard, have lots of projects, strive to succeed, but know when to take a break.

It’s okay to call in sick to work, to skip the gym, to stay in, to get the heck out of town because you just want to sit on your couch and take a breather – it is okay to take a mental break.

I’m not saying to skip work for a week, or to run away from your problems. Just know that your mental health is important, and if taking a break from work, school, dinner plans, etc. is going to give you clarity and a chance to hit reset, take it.