Wednesday

Welcome to the midweek! In today’s newsletter:

• Why you should give your brain a rest

• Activities to improve your mental health

• A small change to help the planet

• The benefits of incorporating nature into your creative activities

Why You Should Give Your Brain a Rest

A general perception of time-wasting may make us feel guilty for doing things like scrolling our phones. We may feel that we always have to be doing something productive, or else it’s time wasted.

However, giving our brains downtime to do more mindless tasks (or nothing at all) isn’t bad — in fact, it’s good for us!

As shared by Forbes, our “time-wasters” may fall into three categories:

1. Necessary administrative tasks like getting organized

2. Beneficial tasks that don’t directly contribute to productivity but are helpful to our well-being, like movement, reading, and so forth

3. Tasks that may feel the most like “time-wasters” but can actually give our brains a break, like watching TV and playing games

In a world that often praises hustle culture, we may feel guilty for doing activities in the third category — the ones that aren’t necessarily productive.

However, just because they aren’t productive doesn’t mean they don’t contribute to our well-being.

As shared by Scientific American: “Downtime replenishes the brain’s stores of attention and motivation, encourages productivity and creativity, and is essential to both achieve our highest levels of performance and simply form stable memories in everyday life.”

Remember that everything has its limits — while we may all need a day full of movie marathons from time to time, it’s important to be sure we’re practicing holistic self-care and still incorporating tasks in those other two areas.

Don’t feel guilty for enjoying those tasks that require less brainpower, though. They can be a good thing!

Activities to Improve Your Mental Health

Whether you’ve had a long day, are going through a challenging season, or just want a little pick-me-up, there are so many activities that you can do to give your mind a boost!

Some activities are grounded in mindfulness, while others focus on doing something that feels physically good.

Ask yourself what would feel best and what you need in the moment, and take note of how you feel before and after.

Here are a few of our favorite activities to improve mental health:

• Mindful movement: From releasing endorphins to improving our mind-body connection, mindful movement, like walks, yoga, and other activities, is powerful.

• Cleaning: When we have a tidy space, we often feel less cluttered mentally, which can help improve our mood!

• Journaling: This practice is a great way to put your thoughts out in the world. It can help you sort through conflicting emotions and solve problems — all by simply putting pen to paper.

• Deep breathing: Taking a few moments for some deep breaths can feel calming, lower blood pressure and heart rate, and help you manage stress more effectively!

This New Toilet Paper Just Might Save the Planet

Every 24 hours, 27,000 trees are cut down to make toilet paper. To us, that feels like way too many — and Honeycomb agrees. That’s why this small, female-founded brand created luxury, three-ply toilet tissue made from bamboo. It feels just like regular high-end toilet paper but doesn’t harm trees.

So why bamboo? It’s the fastest-growing plant in the world — growing 100 times faster than the average tree — which means thousands of rolls can be produced in the time it takes for a single tree to grow back.

Even better? Code NTS30 will give new customers 30% off their first order for the next 24 hours.

Get started here.

Thank you to Honeycomb for sponsoring Note To Self. 

The Benefits of Incorporating Nature Into Your Creative Activities

Nature has been a source of inspiration for artists, musicians, and creatives for centuries.

However, nature isn’t only something that inspires us — it can provide real benefits to our hobbies and self-care practices, too!

• Mindfulness: Nature and creativity can help us practice mindfulness, focusing on nothing but the beauty of the world and how it connects to our expressions through art.

• Connection (and disconnection): From painting in the park to writing a poem about something in nature that inspires you, this is the perfect opportunity to connect with the world around you. It’s also a great way to disconnect from life’s stresses, unplug from your phone, and enjoy the moment.

• Intentionality: Seeking out creative ways to incorporate nature into your hobbies is a great way to practice intentionality and specifically dedicate time to unwind with some self-care.

Tons of research shows simply being in nature provides incredible benefits — like easing stress, boosting mood, and more. Creative activities have also been shown to increase life satisfaction, ease anxiety and stress, and more.

On their own, nature and being creative have clear benefits for our wellbeing — so imagine how powerful it is when you blend the two!

A Note From Us

Parting Thoughts

• ✅ Did You Know: The human brain is made of 60% fat! This is why fatty acids are so critical to our health.

• 🎁 Our Holiday Self-Care Picks: Don’t forget to check out our 2024 gift guide, a collection of thoughtful, wellness-focused products that help you feel your best, inside and out. Shop our gift guide here!

• 🙋🏼‍♀️ Snapshot Of The Day: We'd love to see moments from our readers lives that they are proud of! If you recently accomplished an achievement, experienced a joyful moment, or are proud of a picture you have taken, be sure to capture it on camera and send it to us for a chance to be featured next week! 

• 💭 Final Self-Care Thoughts for Today: Take some time to reflect on what you'd like to add to your self-care routine.

Enjoying Note to Self?

Know of a great self-care tip or article you'd love to share with the community? Want to send us pictures of you completing one of your self-care rituals? Email us at [email protected]!