For those of you who really know me, you know I’m a crazy, anxiety-ridden mess pretty much all of the time. My mind is always turned on & working at maniac-speed, which can be a pretty serious pro at times. What usually happens, though, is I’m thinking of five million things at once ( some bad things, some good things, but mostly just looming tasks & my ever-growing to-do list ) and I can’t help but feel like my brain is going to absolutely explode. You know what I’m sayin’?

Now that I’ve started blogging, yet another entire section has been added to my to-do list ( on top of freaking classes [<— uuuuggghhh], trying to stay active, eating healthy, taking care of my [beautiful] pup, planning the Holidays, organizing my move to California in two months, etc. etc. etc. ) and sometimes, it just gets to be too much. Don’t get me wrong, ROAWO has been an incredible creative outlet and a major stress-relief in many ways, but its still a lot of work ( usually a lot of work that goes unnoticed… blogging is weirdly complex ).

Anyways, because of all this craziness, I take my alone time very seriously & I make sure I get to relax / just veg out for a little while every day ( even if its only for 15 minutes before bed! ).

Obviously, real relaxing starts with cultivating a designated zen, chill-out space. I try to make my room my ‘worry-free-zone’ ( with 4 roommates, I don’t really have a choice ) by decorating it as such, keeping it clean, flower-filled and well lit. Am I the only one who is weird about lighting? It affects my mood in a really intense way. Am I crazy, orrrrr? The flicker of candles has some sort of crazy power over my anxiety levels.

K, Speaking of candles…. I am a real candle-addict/ fiend/ obsessor. I mean, I have 8 candles lit in my room as I am typing this. Alright, 1 is flameless, but only because I’m pretty sure I’m reaching fire-hazaard level… and most of them are unscented because, um, that is too many smells for one room. My serious obsession lately is my Spa Collection candle set from Old Factory Candles, which includes Lemongrass, Cucumber, & Green Tea scented candles. Anything spa scented is a +++++ for a zenned-out (<– not a real word?) space. I just had to join the campaign for these cutie candles.

A quick run-down of Old Factory’s dealio: The candles are hand-poured in the US of A ( y’all know I like anything handmade.. feels so special ) with natural, soy wax. They burn evenly ( so no annoying, leftover wax stuck on the sides… such a waste ) for 20 hours… which is crazy because they’re fun-sized / cutie candles.

Old Factory Candles has some seriously badass candle sets that come with three separate candles that are inspired by a certain theme. You just choose your fav theme & you’re done. They’ve got some pretty scandalous options… so obviously I’m a fan. Here are a few of my other favorite theme/set options:

∇ 50 Shades (insert sly-face emoji here): Leather, Jasmine Bubbles, & Vanilla Sex

∇ High As A Kite: Cannabis, Incense, Bag-O-Cookies ( <– lolz )

∇ Romance: Rose Petals, Champagne, Dark Chocolate

∇ Fresh & Clean: Lemongrass, Olive Blossom, Fresh Linen ( <– similar to the Spa theme )

There are sooo many other options ( including various Holiday-themed sets!! ). I’m probably going to try that 50 Shades set soon, because I’m really interested to know how insanely good that Leather candle smells. So, stay tuned for that. These candles are also perfect for gifting, so keep that in mind for the coming celebrations.

After I light my ( five million ) super-zen candles, I turn on some chiller music ( or Netflix: Gillmore Girls is my shiz lately… a little late on the bandwagon ), grab myself a glass of hot tea or lemon water, close my door, take a sec to deep inhale/exhale a few times, & just relax. Like a said, it may last only 10-15 minutes, because I do have to study sometimes, but those 10-15 mins are so glorious.

Relaxing like that is so necessary for your wellness. Yes, school is important. Yes, work is important. Yes, your friends/ pets/ kids/ parents/ etc are important. But everyone deserves at least 10 minutes to themselves every day, no matter how long that to-do list is.

So, find out what kind of surrounding makes you calm & chilled out, and create your own zen-space. Then, make a promise to yourself ( and your poor, poor, over-driven brain ) that you will put your wellness & comfort first, if even for a small portion of your day. It’ll make a huge difference, and its something really amazing to look forward to at the end of a long day.

[ I make sure to put one of my leetle candles on my convenient table, so I can smell those goods as soon as I walk in my zen-space ( aka my bedroom ) ]

Also, after my F-ing Fab Fall Giveaway with Meghan from Boho Nouveau ends ( in 9 days! ), I’ll be teaming up with Old Factory Candles to bring one of you lucky ladies ( or gentlemen ) a free set of candles in the theme of your choice!  Thats right, back-to-back free shiz situations!

Stay tuned for the details xx

What makes you calm & at-one-with-yourself? I’d love to know what I can add to my serene-routine!

[ PS ]

∇ Shop My Room Decor: 

This is a sponsored post, however, my opinions & views are 100% true. I wouldn’t have joined the campaign if I didn’t love these candles!