Your brain isn’t designed to run at full speed without rest. If you’ve been under constant pressure, dealing with ongoing uncertainty, or trying to meet impossible standards, your mental bandwidth is likely running on fumes.

While there’s nothing wrong with massages or candles, those things alone don’t create the kind of restoration that prevents burnout or emotional exhaustion. Real self-care is about tending to your relationship with yourself, not just taking a break from stress.

Stress itself isn’t always bad. Short bursts can motivate action. The problem is when stress becomes constant and your nervous system never gets a chance to reset.

Your nervous system is designed to keep you safe, but it doesn’t always know when you’re truly in danger versus when you’re just uncomfortable. During family gatherings, even subtle cues, like tone of voice or body language, can activate old fight, flight, or freeze responses.