inspiration

Little Luxuries

The past few days (kind of Thursday through Sunday) were quite bumpy for me. I felt like I was in a funk. Last Monday, Amy and I had gone on this ridiculous Upper East Side excursion. We walked around for about two hours in the freezing cold on a mission to find this one cute apartment. We were on a mission, albeit a strange one. At one point, I started feeling cold (Amy was frozen quite early on), but we kept walking. Even though it was quite chilly, we had a great time. Until… we both got sick.
And then New Year’s Eve came around and everyone was still pulling themselves out of vacation mode, myself included. I had various spurts of productivity, but it wasn’t anything to write home about. I was missing my family/Garrett/the sun and simply not feeling well– not a good combination. On Friday night, I got in bed at about 5pm with my laptop to finish work, gave Teddy a Kong toy to keep him occupied, and then just stayed in bed for the rest of the night. Oh, I just hate feeling like that.
Saturday was a little better. A coffee meeting and brunch with Amy and Mackenzie… but still not feeling 100%. On Sunday morning, I was seriously about to just not get out of bed except for to make another pot of tea. I did stay in bed for a while and then just felt extra gross for still being in bed. So I got up and forced myself to take a shower, curl my hair, put on makeup. Feeling better (mentally; the sore throat raged on).

This fog that had settled over me simply had to go. I was so disappointed in myself for letting all these emotions get the best of me, especially the first week of the year! This is supposed to be the year of MAKING IT HAPPEN!

I took Teddy for an extra long walk (oh, he’s so cute) and just tried to clear my mind of all those negative thoughts that had wiggled their way in. Feeling a bit more energized, I popped into a bodega, grabbed the latest issue of Vogue, and then went to enjoy an hour or so by myself in Maison Kayser. It’s my happy place and I love their cappuccinos. Because I knew I wouldn’t be able to relax without really clearing my mind, I wrote out everything I needed to do for the week and then just sat back.

Chocolate croissant, a cappuccino, and  a cozy cafe. It was quite blissful. (And I got to meet two girls on a marketing trip with their school!) I was finally in this better state of mind. I wasn’t cooped up. I may have been sick, but I was feeling warmer and happier. And I could just forget about the things that were bothering me for an hour. I even swung by Francois Payard (the best macarons, ever).

The afternoon was a little luxury and just want I needed. An hour to take a step back and shed some of that fogginess that had settled.

When I woke up yesterday, I felt ten times more motivated (even though I was way sicker). Just taking that hour to really devote to myself let me shift to a higher gear and I felt great doing so. I tackled two HUGE tasks that were looming over my head, made quite the dent in my inbox, and did the usual Monday blog chores. (All with a great attitude.)

A little luxury, a big change in my outlook.

What’s your favorite “little luxury”? How do you pull yourself back up when you’re feeling gloomy?

xoxo
Say Hello





Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

29 Comments

Christina Quinn

This is such an apropos post because apparently yesterday, January 6th, is known as "Blue Monday," a day when people feel sad and guilty. (Thanks Twitter analysts!) I have to say, my favorite little luxury has to be getting a pedicure. There's nothing like relaxing, reading something fun, and being pampered all at once – as long as you aren't ticklish!

Reply
Taylor Cunningham

I've been working SO hard the past couple of days to get caught up on things for internships before the school year started up again, and tonight I'm just feeling so bleh. So I'm planning to go to bed early with a book and a cup of tea, the perfect remedy! 🙂

Reply
Julia Jean Kennedy

This past Sunday, I don't think I moved except to go to the bathroom. Wow, that's even more embarrassing when I type it out.

But I had the exact same feeling – just a funk hovering over me that I couldn't seem to shake. So even though I'm still on winter break (my last semester starts Monday!), when I received an email from a coworker about getting some hours in before the semester starts, I leapt at the opportunity. It's been fantastic to have a reason to get out of the house, even though it's still gloomy in Portland!

Fresh air can be ridiculously amazing for clearing the head – so is moving, haha.

Reply
Chloe Logan

Feel better, Carly! That feeling is the worst. Now that I'm back in Michigan (just a few more months until I'm gone!), there isn't much to do. When I lived in D.C. and France, going to a little café was my absolute favorite thing to do to unwind. Next time I'm in New York, I'll definitely have to stop by Maison Kayser–French pastries and coffee have a very special place in my heart. 😉

xox
Chloe | Wanderlust in the Midwest

Reply
Lauren

I hope you feel physically better soon; happy to hear you feel better mentally! I can relate to the feeling, I was in a little bit of a slump last week and that definitely is not the way I planned to start the New Year, but sometimes it happens. When I'm feeling down I usually take some alone time and just think about all the positives in my life and it puts everything back into perspective!

Lauren,
http://www.atouchofsoutherngrace.com/

Reply
Amber Lee Rosenzweig

I was having something similar going on yesterday. I was coming off of a great break and woke up sick, but ready to dive back into vet school. Problem was I kept getting side tracked by a million little things and by lunch time I felt completely blah. I remembered something I'd learned recently and instead of getting frustrated with myself and forcing myself to push through I stopped, grabbed a cup of tea and went for a quick walk. Sometimes we just need to regroup a little! My mum had also been visiting here in London and the day after she left I was definitely feeling a bit down. I grabbed vogue and town and country and headed to my favorite coffee shop and settled in with a cappuccino and some cake. It was just what I needed! In a way, it's learning to respect yourself and your own needs. We just aren't machines as much as we'd like to think that.

Reply
MissK

I felt the same yesterday and the day before. After being at home for Christmas and New Years Eve I didn't want to go back to the city where I study. But I had to.. And then I had to start writing essays for Uni, which made me sit in my room for two whole days. I was in a really bad mood yesterday and was laying in my bed by 6 pm.

What's really important to me, when I feel like that, is that I don't let myself slip into this mood even more. I need to get dressed then, put on some nice clothes, put makeup on and just go out. After that, I usually feel better.

Reply
Hunter

My favorite little luxury is sitting back and taking time to read. I hardly have time with school to read for fun, so it is really relaxing when I can sit down and settle my mind with a good book!

Hunter
Prep on a Budget

Reply
Kelly Crusenberry

A cappuccino and chocolate croissant sound amazing! I love just undwinding in an upbeat workout class at my gym. It lets me focus on myself doing some workout moves, while thinking everything else out in my head.

Reply
Beth

"The difference between a bad day, and a good day is your attitude."

I love this quote and use it as a constant reminder that I am in control of my day. However, I am definitely feeling the same way this week, as my grad school classes are starting again. I hope your sore throat goes away soon. Thanks for giving me something to look forward to reading each day! =)

Beth

Reply
SCpearls

I always make an inspiration board for the coming month! It lets me see all the good things in my life and it makes me happy!

Reply
Jeanni Floyd

Ugh with the weather in the midwest how it is I've barely left my house. Plus, I pulled a muscle while shoveling the driveway, so I've mostly been in bed, nursing my muscles. I feel you so much. But actually getting dressed and putting on clothes I like helps so much with not feeling so bleh.

J

Reply
Laura

When I'm in a gloomy mood, one of my favorite things to do is go for a run (weather permitting, as I live in Wisconsin and we are in the middle of an arctic blast that has temps with wind chill at -37) or doing even 10 minutes of yoga, usually a sun salutation does it for me. That movement seems to help me clear my mind and clarify my thoughts.

Reply
jess @ Quaintrelle

It's not secret that when you look good you feel good – When I'm in a funk I do what you did – shower (more like bubble bath), do my hair and makeup, get dressed, and go out for coffee. There aren't any cute little shops where I live, but Starbucks suits me fine – I just bring a book and spend some time out of the house 🙂

jess | Quaintrelle

Reply
Olivia Stieren

When I get in a funk, I force myself to dress nice and do my hair/make up, like you, then get out of the house always! I love to go to cute little gift shops/boutiques then head to a cafe where I can have a latte while reading. Also…Barnes and Noble. Oh my, that's my happy place. I could spend hours in there…

Reply
Sonya Mann

You might feel better if you eat something like chicken soup with lots of veggies! All the carbs and sugar won't help your body fortify against the sickness =/

Reply
Dana

This sounds so great. I usually do some yoga or some type of activity to get my energy levels back up. If I sit down to read a book, I get lazy and tired – but sometimes Pinterest helps me get inspired: whether it's through fashion, interior, lifestyle, or food.

Pink Champagne Problems

Reply
girlseeksplace

Glad you're on the mend, Carly. I've been in a funk since NYE. Every year starts the same, albeit with family, and it's just got me in a funk. I can't wait to get home on Saturday and get into a work/school/writing routine. I recently moved to a new city and I'm ready to get out and explore, now that I'm over this homesickness crud, which I swear was worse than being physically sick with a cold or something.

Reply
Jessica Wuensch

My favorite way to cheer myself up and get back in the groove of things is similar to what you did: stop, pause, treat myself, and refocus. I tend to find myself getting coffee during the week for the caffeine to get through my busy days, but I when I need to take a break and get out of the gloomy attitude, I treat myself to a coffee break that I actually ENJOY. Sipping my salty caramel breve without any distractions running around my head seems to help me refocus.

Reply
Jo

Loved this. Definitely, feeling the pressure of looming deadlines. I should be studying for the LSAT right now but instead my taking a moment to catch up on my blog reading. Have to do the little things to keep you sane.

Reply
Puddle Jumper

I am trying to be a bit more thrifty and being shut in with the cold in the Midwest and all its cancelled plans had me down. With so much running through my head, before I treat myself with anything I grab some water, a coffee and my journal. Sometimes getting that 'stuff' out on to paper helps so much. If I'm still acting funky a run, cleaning sesh, or grabbing a beer with a neighbor always helps.

Reply