{Lace blouse & cami: Forever 21 // Pants & Booties: Tory Burch // Floral Crystal Necklace: here // My hair products: here}

I think I finally have my life back in order. After a hectic last few months, I’m happy to have reclaimed some of the time I have to myself and dedicate some of it to this space, which has suffered so much as a result of all the busyness.

You know what I’m also happy to have reclaimed? My sanity. Seriously. It may sound like I’m joking but I swear I’m not kidding. When life gets abnormally hectic (think: weddings, holidays, moving), and if like me, you think you can do it all while doing it in record time and doing it perfectly, and looking like a bad bitch while doing it all (fast and perfectly), eventually something’s gotta give. You’re probably thinking, “Gee thanks, captain obvious,” but please, allow me to elaborate.

Instead of making this a “How to Conserve Your Mental Health” post, lets put a spin on it and make it a “How to Guarantee You Reach Nervous Breakdown Status of Epic Proportions” guide.

This is the quickest route to crazy land:

Stop Exercising: This is the fastest and most effective way to really build up some inner tension. Do this for a few weeks and soon, you’ll feel like a Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon with the main exception that the balloons are deflated and rolled up at the end of the day while you continue to build more pressure and more tension not only physically, but mentally. Without exercise (or meditation), stress has nowhere to go so it buries itself in your muscles, joints and deep in your psyche affecting your overall health and messing up your vibe.

Give up your passion(s): Another fast track to bat-shit mode is making everything else in your life a priority except what makes you feel alive. When major events happen in our lives, we get so busy and we are spread so thin that this is one of the areas that suffers the most. I had stopped reading and writing for quite a bit and it came to a point where all I could think of was writing. So, I started writing again. Not for the blog. Not for anyone. Just for my mental health. I remembered that I always kept a journal while growing up because it is often better than talking to someone. Journals don’t judge. They don’t talk back, they don’t complain and they are the best secret-keepers. I highly encourage everyone, especially if you’re going through tough times, to keep a personal journal. It is a powerful tool of self-discovery and reflection.

Become a zombie: Yes, convince yourself that you only need four hours of sleep to function optimally and that sleep is for the weak. #TEAMNOSLEEP

Overdose:  Take your relationship with caffeine to new heights! Go from socially acceptable dependency to full-blown “Intervention” status as you try to make up for your lack of energy from not exercising and sleep deprivation by consuming offensive amounts of coffee. This will surely make you an expert at seeing sounds while permanently looking like a cat that got struck by lightning. If you’re a naturally anxious person like myself, abusing of stimulants like caffeine creates a “high-crash” cycle in which you need it to feel alert, but you’re so sleep-deprived and already frazzled that you can’t concentrate and carry out a simple task. This is the perfect recipe for a panic attack which I almost had at the movies while watching Deadpool a few weeks ago. NOT. FUN.

If you’re really the overachieving kind, throw in a processed and artificial diet, stop taking your vitamins and pour some alcohol all over this and voila! Mental Case a la mode.

Now, if this is your regular lifestyle and you’ve managed to master this, you deserve a prize. And you should let the rest of us mortals know how the hell you pull this off without having turned into The Joker.

So, reporting from my new balcony (which if you follow me on Snapchat, you know I’m LOVING), I leave you with some final thoughts:

Make time for the things that keep you healthy and feeling alive. Putting yourself first is a habit that may take some practice at first, but then gets easier with time.

Until next time, stay fabulous!