Lately, life feels… full. And not always in a “my cup runneth over” kind of way. More like, “my calendar is overflowing, my brain has 78 tabs open, and I forgot to drink water again.”
Some days, we’re thriving. Other days, we’re just trying not to cry in a supermarket aisle. And then there are the days where we are the fire—everything is burning, but at least we’ve got glowing skin?
If you’re nodding along, welcome. You’re not alone, and no, you don’t need to be doing more, achieving faster, or levelling up every five minutes. Sometimes, just staying upright is enough.
Here are a few extended, real tips to help you through the madness. No perfection required.
1. Let it be simple (your skin and your expectations)
If your skincare routine is currently:
- Cleanse face
- Moisturise
- Collapse face-first into pillow
That’s perfectly okay. You don’t need 17 steps, a jade roller, and a deeply spiritual moment with your serum to be “doing skincare right.” Let simple be enough. You don't need extra pressure.
Want to make it feel fancy without the effort? Do your regular routine, but pretend you're in a silent wellness retreat. Bonus points if you're hiding from responsibilities/Slack notifications while doing it.
2. Choose one thing that brings you back to you
Not ten things. Not a “miracle morning” routine.
Just one.
Maybe it’s a proper breakfast. Or brushing your hair (yep, that counts). Or five minutes of doing absolutely nothing but drinking coffee without your phone in hand. Choose one small thing that makes you feel a little more like yourself, because when you’re stretched thin, that reconnection matters more than any productivity hack.
And no, laundry doesn't count as self-care. Nice try.
3. Lower the bar. Like… lower. Lower. There it is.
There’s no gold medal for burning out. No prize for doing it all. If you’re functioning at 40% and still showing up? That’s powerful. That’s enough.
We’ve all internalised the “go harder, be more” message, but let’s be real—some days, brushing your teeth and answering two emails is elite performance. Clap for that. Take a bow. Then lie down.
4. Add a joy, no matter how tiny
Joy doesn’t have to be some big, meaningful event. It can be lighting a candle that smells like a rich woman’s weekend house. Or putting on a face mask and pretending you’re at a $500 spa instead of your actual bathroom with suspicious toothpaste blobs on the mirror.
It might be blasting your “teen angst” playlist and dramatically lip-syncing while cooking dinner. Or standing in the sun like a sleepy cat. Whatever makes you smile, even for 30 seconds, is worth adding.
5. Unfollow anyone who makes you feel like a potato (although they are tasty)
Seriously. If a social media account makes you feel like you’re not doing enough, not thriving enough, mute, unfollow, or flat-out walk away.
Because let’s be real: social media loves to scream at us. Hustle harder. Girlboss it. Work out like a machine. Eat three organic meals a day. Save more. Invest better. Tidy everything. Be present with your kids. Maintain a sparkling home and a thriving social life.
Exhausted yet?
Meanwhile, you’re just trying to remember if you paid the electricity bill, where you left your keys, and whether cereal counts as a balanced dinner (it does, by the way).
Social media should inspire or entertain, not spiral you into comparison guilt while you're rocking a hoodie, eating cereal straight from the box, and surviving the chaos.
Like your toddler wiping peanut butter on your clean shirt. An unexpected bill. The coffee you just bought deciding to swan-dive out of your hands. Or seeing yet another post that says, “If you’re not up at 5am journaling, working out, and trading stocks, do you even want success?”
And when you’re already juggling cost of living pressures and trying to stretch your energy like a two-day-old hair wash, it’s no wonder burnout creeps in.
Protect your peace. Your pace is perfect. And honestly? Being human, messy, tired, glowing, and all, is more than enough.
6. Talk to your people
Your real people—the ones you can message and say, “I’m at capacity, please send memes.” The ones who’ll reassure you that you’re not a failure for cancelling plans or eating cereal for lunch. If you looked at my chat threads with my people, they're all memes. This is our way to say "I'm here for you, I get it".
And if you’re not sure where those people are? We’ve got a whole group of kind, honest humans (plus skincare chat, behind-the-scenes chaos, and memes that hit too close to home). Come hang out with us in the RAWFAM Facebook group. No pressure. Just good humans.
Bottom line?
You don’t have to be thriving every day. You don’t need to glow up or girlboss your way through burnout. You are allowed to rest, simplify, and laugh at how utterly chaotic life can be.
You’re not alone. You’re doing your best. And that’s enough.
(Send this to someone who needs the reminder. Or print it out and stick it to your fridge next to the artwork the kids brought home last week.)
