There are days when I go from one call to the next without even noticing, and honestly, it’s always been this way back when I was freelancing, and now that I work at an agency too.
Emails, notifications, tasks piling up, ideas that spark and fizzle out within a couple of hours. And then there are the dreams. The ones that don’t fit into a to-do list, but that keep knocking anyway, even when there doesn’t seem to be any room left for them.
For a long time, I thought taking care of myself was something to do “whenever I had time.” Spoiler: that time never actually comes.
So I started shifting my perspective. No big overhauls just small daily habits that hold together work, life, and everything in between.
Carving out space that doesn't have to be "for" anything
One of the biggest shifts was learning to stop filling every free moment.
I used to have an empty hour and immediately think about what I “could get done” with it: answer messages, get ahead on something, be productive.
Now, when I can, I try to just leave that space as it is. A walk with no destination. A coffee sipped slowly. Ten minutes without my phone.
They sound like small things, but these are exactly the moments that clear my head back out.
Protecting my energy (not just my time)
Time matters, sure, but I’ve realized energy matters even more. Some days, even if I technically have the time, I just don’t have the clarity to get everything done. And that’s okay.
I’ve started asking myself: “Does this thing drain me or give me energy?”
And making choices based on the answer:
- saying a few more no’s
- not saying yes to everything out of habit
- not packing every single evening
It’s not always easy, but it makes a massive difference.
Creating simple rituals (that are mine)
I don’t have some perfect routine. I don’t wake up at 5am and knock out a thousand things before starting work.
But I do have small rituals that help me feel grounded:
- taking my time with breakfast
- getting properly dressed even when I’m working from home
- putting music on while I work
- jotting down thoughts whenever I feel the need
They’re simple things, but repeated over time, they become an anchor.
Not forgetting the dreams (even on the busiest days)
The hardest part isn’t managing the workload. It’s not losing sight of what you actually want.
Dreams on hold have this strange quality: they’re quiet, but if you ignore them for too long, they start to weigh on you. For me, that means: keep writing, keep thinking about new projects, keep imagining future trips.
Even just a little, even just mentally. You don’t need everything figured out right away. You just need to keep listening to yourself.
Accepting that not everything will be perfect
Some days I manage to do everything I set out to do. Other days, I don’t. It used to frustrate me a lot. Now, a lot less.
I’ve realized balance isn’t something you achieve once and for all. It’s something you keep adjusting. Some days are fuller. Others slower. And some go completely off script. And maybe that’s just fine.
Really taking care of yourself
Taking care of yourself isn’t just about stopping. It’s also about choosing. Choosing how to spend your time. Who to spend it with.
And most of all, how to treat yourself in the moments when everything feels like too much. Between calls, deadlines, and dreams on hold, there’s no perfect formula. But there is one simple thing: remember not to disappear into everything else.
And every once in a while, stop even just for a moment to come back to yourself.
