We often think about rest as something we need once we’re already exhausted.
We push through the busy week, finish the jobs that need doing, take care of everyone and everything that needs our attention, and then eventually reach the point where we can’t keep going at the same pace.
That’s when we decide we need a break.
But what if we didn’t wait until then?
The idea behind October’s Cozy Spa Retreat Washcloth is choosing to retreat before you burn out. Not because everything is finished. Not because you’ve finally earned the right to stop. Simply because you’ve noticed how you’re feeling and you’re choosing to respond to it.
I Don’t Want to Recover From Burnout
I’d much rather avoid getting there in the first place.
That’s why I try to build regular time-outs into my life and pay attention to how I’m feeling. I know there are going to be busy periods. There are going to be weeks when work takes more from me, when life gets fuller than I’d like, or when there simply seems to be a lot happening at once.
I can’t always change those things.
What I can do is notice what they’re doing to me.
Am I getting tired? Am I finding it harder to switch off? Am I spending my downtime doing things that aren’t actually helping me feel rested? Am I starting to feel like everything is another thing I have to do?
Those are the times when I need to create some space rather than convincing myself I can keep pushing for a little longer.
And that space doesn’t always have to be a holiday, a weekend away or even an entire day off.
Sometimes a small time-out is enough.
Your Retreat Doesn’t Have to Be Somewhere Else
When I think of a spa retreat, I think of comfort. Big fluffy robes, soft towels, somewhere quiet to sit and absolutely nowhere you’re expected to be.
It sounds lovely.
But realistically, most of us can’t disappear to a spa every time life starts feeling a little too full.
We can, however, create little pockets of retreat in our everyday lives.
Crochet can be one of mine.
Sitting down with my crochet gives me somewhere to put my attention that isn’t work, a list of jobs or whatever else is competing for space in my head. My hands have something to do, my mind has something different to focus on, and for that little bit of time I can step away from everything else.
It doesn’t need to be hours.
Sometimes even a short period of doing something purely because I enjoy it is enough to change how I feel.
The Cozy Spa Retreat Washcloth
I wanted this month’s washcloth to feel like the crochet equivalent of wrapping yourself in a thick, comfortable spa robe.
The stitches are squishy and dense, creating that lovely tactile texture that makes you want to keep touching it as you crochet. It’s deliberately comforting rather than complicated.
This isn’t a project that needs to demand more from you when you’re already feeling stretched.
It’s something you can pick up, settle into and allow the repetition to do its thing.
And at the end, you have a washcloth that can become part of those little moments of retreat too.
Use it in a long shower. Add it to a bath. Make yourself a cup of tea afterwards. Put your phone somewhere else for a while. Pick your crochet back up.
Nothing revolutionary.
Just small choices that say, I’m paying attention to what I need.
Rest Before You Need Rescuing
I think we’ve become very good at recognising rest as something we need when we’re running on empty.
I’d like us to become better at recognising it earlier.
To notice when our energy is changing. To build regular pauses into our lives rather than waiting for our bodies or minds to force us to stop. To understand that taking some time out now might actually help us continue doing everything else we want and need to do.
That’s what “I choose comfort before collapse” means to me.
It’s not about avoiding responsibility or retreating from life.
It’s about looking after yourself while you’re living it.
So while you’re crocheting your Cozy Spa Retreat Washcloth this month, perhaps ask yourself:
What would preventative rest look like for me?
Not what would you do if you were completely exhausted.
What could you do before you get there?
Maybe your answer is more crochet.
I wouldn’t argue with that.
Join the Washcloth Club
The Cozy Spa Retreat Washcloth is October’s pattern inside the Washcloth Club.
Each month, you’ll receive a new washcloth pattern designed around more than just the stitches. There’s a meaning behind each design, an affirmation, a journal prompt and an invitation to use your crochet as a little bit of intentional time for yourself.
You’ll also get everything you need to make the washcloth, including the written pattern and supporting instructions delivered directly to your inbox.
If a new washcloth and a reason to protect a little crochet time each month sounds like something you’d enjoy, I’d love to have you join us.
Seona x
