Life is really hard sometimes. We spend our time working, taking care of our families, and households…generally trying to be adults. Not to mention the chaos of the world around us. If you’re anything like me, you also find yourself doom scrolling, spending endless time on social media or games or whatever your mode of decompression may be.

But we know these things don’t actually help. And who has the time or energy to do “self care” or exercise or anything else society says we should be doing. Even when writing this entry, I got distracted and left it unfinished for longer than I want to admit!

I’ve been trying to find little moments of quiet whenever I can. My new favorite thing to do is to change into comfy clothes when I get home from work. Then I make myself a hot beverage, whether it’s tea or even just hot water with lemon juice. I curl up in my cozy chair with all of the mismatched pillows and the cozy blanket.

But the most important thing is I don’t bring my phone. I leave it on the other side of the room, or even in a different room altogether. Some quiet music, and a good book complete my little cocoon. And finally, I set a timer on my watch for 30 minutes. That way I don’t even get distracted by looking at my watch.

For those 30 minutes, there are no distractions. Any messages I get on my phone can wait. Other responsibilities will still be there when I’m done. But I might just feel refreshed enough to be able to get on with the rest of my evening without feeling so drained after a long day.

How do you unwind? Do you have a cozy spot you can make your own little cocoon?