dev diary: lazy summer vibes

i joked that i was going to take a month off after finishing treat 7, but that's really how my august has gone! i'm having trouble getting back into the swing of things, which just means i need more rest. that makes sense since i've still been putting stuff out despite calling it a vacation... anyway today's post is to say how it's important to take breaks!!!

i've had a lot of experience over the years trying to anticipate burnout and judging when my little energy meter will refill. but it always seems to take longer than i expect. and then i get into a cycle of feeling like i should've recovered faster, and getting stressed that i can't get back to my plans sooner, which just kinda adds to the burnout.

but i know myself pretty well, so i know i'll always feel like doing something again at some point--it's just a waiting game, and all i can do is try to optimize conditions for my brain to go back to normal (maybe that's a weird way to put it... maybe this is why i struggle with it so much! everything is a strategy game to me!! calm down, nami!!!!)

anyway here are some of the things i do to help myself when i'm burnt out:

• eat good food! really can't stress enough how much difference it makes to be eating nutritious meals. a lot of days when i'm feeling drained, i'll realize it's because i've only been eating garbage (or at least foods that aren't really filling me up). eating a good meal is always my quick fix for when i need a burst of energy in the next few hours haha
• get lots of sleep! i take naps when i'm tired, and let myself sleep in if i feel like it. i have a general bedtime that i'm not super strict about following, but i do end up feeling exhausted around the same time of night so i just naturally want to go to bed then... it's hard to think when you're not getting enough sleep! don't stay up all night!! more hours spent working does not equal more productivity.
• escape the daily routine! i start to feel trapped in a cycle if all my days look the same--waking up, sitting at my computer all day refreshing the same sites until i go to bed... it helps me a lot to stop and say "yknow what, i don't need to turn on my computer yet, i'll just sit on the couch and read some manga instead!" just, anything i can do to make my brain feel like i've gone away for a while (but i still never leave my house lol)

i spent a few days this week helping my partner unbox and organize her figure collection, which was really lovely! it's always nice doing a little activity with someone you love, and we got to decorate our house a bit which always makes me feel good.

i've also been playing through some games with her! so far this month we finished Summer in Mara and AI: The Somnium Files (which we both around 40 hours each)--THEY WERE REALLY GREAT!!! we loved them. i might draw fan art once i have the energy for that...

when i've been on a break for too long though, my brain starts getting restless whether or not i've actually recovered. which means right now i'm bouncing between potential things i could be working on and seeing what sticks. yesterday i transferred all my syrup 2 notes from trello to notion (i love organizing things) because i wanted to do a little work on that game, but i wasn't able to get back into it. oh well... some progress is better than no progress!

i'm not sure what i'll end up working on next (even though i really want it to be the her tears were my light steam release!) so for now i'll just keep taking it easy (mostly) and see what i fall into next week! thanks for reading~