Staying on top of your physical, mental, and emotional needs can be tiresome. For those days when you don’t feel up to doing much at all, I got you.

I promise that if you do just one of these things, you’ll feel 10000% better.

Rest!

Yes, this is your permission. Research shows that resting makes us more productive, creative, and thoughtful. Think of it as saving up energy for the next task—whether it’s work or cooking dinner.

Our bodies tell us what we need. It’s OK to listen to it.

Drink some water.

This is a simple one, but you’d be surprised how much better you *truly* feel when you’re hydrated. Who knows? You could be feeling worse because your body is yelling at you for some water.

Brush your teeth.

If you haven’t already, this will make you feel fresh and clean.

Take a hot shower or bath.

This one goes with the above. Put on some music, use your favorite soap, and revel in your ability to clean your body. It’ll feel nice.

Put on your favorite music.

Music is an energy release. Put on your favorite album and sing along or commiserate with Lana Del Rey.

Stretch.

Even if you don’t watch to bust out the yoga mat, do a big back and arms stretch in bed. Moving your body in any way helps, even if the movements are small. Don’t pressure yourself.

Make your bed.

This is the ultimate self-care on those days you can barely even get out of bed. Doing just this one thing will make you feel so accomplished.

Read a book or article.

Read anything that will nourish you intellectually or creatively. Fill your mind with thoughts that aren’t yours for a moment.

Let yourself cry if you need to.

Don’t listen to advice that crying is bad. Cortisol, the stress hormone, is in our tears, and when we cry, we release that cortisol out of our body.

If you feel like crying, let it out.

Listen to your body.

It may be asking for rest or exercise, to cry or to sing it out. Feel around for what your body craves. Don’t know how to do that? Try a few different, easy things to figure out what your body wants.

Eat fun food.

Permission to eat yummy junk food. Just don’t binge until you get sick. That will make you feel worse.

Eat something.

Food is comfort, food is nourishment. Maybe your body is begging you for some food.

Spend time with an animal.

Pet your cat, snuggle your dog. Play with your pet, take them outside if you can. Studies show that spending time with your pet helps reduce stress and anxiety.

Go outside.

Fresh air and sunlight can do wonders for a bad mood. Vitamin D has healing powers. You don’t have to spend long if you don’t want.

Make tea.

It’s a step above water and it can really be relaxing. On some of my worst days, making tea makes me feel so productive and accomplished, as silly as that sounds.

Write it out.

If you’re upset about something specific, thought dump on a piece of paper or Google Docs. If you’re upset and don’t know why, journaling can help you get to the root.

Talk to a loved one.

It’s an obvious cliché, but talking to someone you’re close to really helps. Talking about what’s going on can help you process your feelings, but if you don’t want to do that, a fun distraction is always welcome.

Sleep.

If you really want to get through something, sleep through it. Our brains remain powerful while we sleep, so you may continue to process while you dream.

Put on a comfort movie or show.

Hide from the world for a little with a story you enjoy.

Practice gratitude.

This one never fails, and even if it may seem like work when you don’t want to, it is instrumental in helping your conscious mind think positively. The more you do it, the more positive you become. Gratitude practices are proven to improve our physical and mental health.