Busy Babes, Unite! And Then Relax. Here is Why.

Regardless of what your insane schedule dictates (or what your parents say), it’s actually kind of crucial to relax on the regular. So go ahead and embrace that lazy day— here’s how.

- Kelsey Haywood Lucas

It’s 11:15 on Saturday morning and, after hitting snooze for the sixth time, you finally wake up feeling bright-eyed and bushy tailed. But when you grab your phone to start planning your day, panic sets in. Right before your very eyes, there’s Angie from gymnastics at the finish line of the Color Run…and as you continue to scroll, your feed fills with the pretty proof of everyone else’s early-bird achievements: the crumbly breakfast scones baked by your lab partner, the wildflowers your BFF foraged and artfully arranged. You groan—and instantly feel guilty for “wasting” the day on those three extra hours of sleep. 

Sound familiar? That nagging feeling in the back of your head—that whatever you’re doing isn’t productive enough or good enough or cool enough—is caused by time-shaming…and it’s a pressure we get from our parents, teachers, friends and, yep, even ourselves. And while it’s hardly ever intentional, the result is almost always the same: You’re stuck feeling like you just don’t measure up.

You’re not alone. Nearly every girl on the planet faces some sort of pressure to be constantly productive, yet most lack the time to do it all. But here’s the good news: If you’re on obligation overload, pressing pause on your whirlwind life can be good for you, regardless of whatever else awaits your attention (like homework, SAT prep, violin lessons, soccer practice and driving school, just to name a few). How?

“When you’re well-rested and veg out once in a while, you’re better able to cope with stressors in a healthy way, retain more information and function more efficiently,” says Erica Curtis, a licensed family therapist in San Juan Capistrano, Calif.