Permission Slips for Self-Care: Your Gentle Rebellion

Hey there, beautiful soul.

Can I tell you something? For most of my life, I lived in a world of invisible rules that nobody had actually written down. Rules like “don’t take up too much space,” “say yes even when you’re exhausted,” and “your needs come last.”

Sound familiar?

After my autism diagnosis in my thirties, so much clicked into place. All those years of feeling like I was failing at being human? Turns out I was just trying to follow a rulebook that was never meant for brains like mine. And maybe, just maybe, it’s not meant for brains like yours either.

That’s where Permission Slips for self-care came from. They’re my gentle rebellion against all the “shoulds” that had been weighing me down. These self-compassion tools became my way of practicing mindful self-care in a world that never seemed to slow down.

What if you already had permission?

Here’s what I wish someone had told me years ago: You don’t need anyone’s permission to take care of yourself. I know, I know. It sounds almost too simple, right? But think about it. How often do you catch yourself thinking:

• “I should stay at this party even though I’m overwhelmed”
• “I can’t say no, they’ll think I’m difficult”
• “I need to be productive every moment or I’m lazy”

Permission Slips are my love letter to anyone who’s tired of living by everyone else’s rules. They’re simple self-care practices. Small pieces of paper (or phone notes, or sticky notes on your bathroom mirror) that remind you: You already have permission to be human. Think of them as mental health coping skills that help you set healthy boundaries and practice self-compassion.

The magic of writing it down

There’s something powerful about seeing permission in writing. Maybe it’s because so many of us are visual learners, or maybe it’s because we’re so used to having our needs invalidated that we need the tangible proof. Self-care practices like this help us overcome perfectionism and reduce anxiety in surprisingly gentle ways.

My first Permission Slip was embarrassingly simple: “Permission to leave the grocery store if you’re getting overstimulated.” I carried it in my wallet like a tiny shield. And you know what? The first time I actually used it, walking out mid-shopping trip because the fluorescent lights and crowds were too much, I cried in my car. Not from sadness, but from relief.

I had given myself permission to listen to my body.

Your permission slip toolkit

Let me share some of the Permission Slips for mental health that have saved my sanity (and maybe they’ll speak to yours too):

For the overwhelmed empath:

“Permission to feel your feelings without fixing everyone else’s. Your emotional bandwidth matters.”

I used to think being sensitive was a character flaw. Turns out, it’s just how my nervous system works. This slip lives on my desk for those days when the world feels too heavy.

For the perfectionist in recovery:

“Permission to be gloriously mediocre today. Done is better than perfect, and you are more than your productivity.”

This one hit different after my diagnosis. All those years of masking and trying to appear “normal” had left me exhausted from perfectionism. Sometimes, mediocre is revolutionary.

For learning to set boundaries:

“Permission to disappoint someone today. Your ‘no’ is a complete sentence.”

Setting boundaries as a sensitive woman? It’s like learning a foreign language. But this slip reminds me that disappointing someone isn’t the end of the world, it’s often the beginning of authenticity and healthy relationships.

For the creative soul afraid to start:

“Permission to make terrible art. The goal is joy, not a masterpiece.”

I spent years not creating because I was afraid of being “bad” at it. Now I give myself permission to be beautifully, messily human in everything I make.

The ripple effect of self-compassion

Here’s what I’ve noticed since I started carrying Permission Slips: other people started giving themselves permission too. Self-care isn’t selfish. It’s actually contagious in the best possible way and the opposite of selfish.

When I left that overstimulating party early (with my “Permission to Leave When You’re Done” slip in my pocket), my friend texted me the next day: “I left an hour after you did. Thank you for showing me it was okay.”

That’s the thing about gentle rebellion, it’s contagious.

Creating your own self-care toolkit

You don’t need fancy stationery or perfect handwriting. You just need honesty about what permissions for self-compassion you’re craving. Here’s how I create personalized self-care practices:

1. Notice your “shoulds” – What rules are you following that nobody actually wrote?
2. Get specific – Instead of “permission to rest,” try “permission to nap at 3 PM on a Tuesday”
3. Write in your voice – Use words that feel like a gentle friend talking to you
4. Keep them visible – Phone notes, wallet cards, mirror sticky notes—whatever works

Some days, I write new ones. Other days, I just reread the old ones. Both are perfect.

Your invitation to gentle rebellion

Sweet human, you don’t need to wait for the world to get easier or quieter or more accommodating. You don’t need to earn the right to take up space or have needs or feel your feelings.

You already have permission.

The Permission Slips just help you remember.

Maybe you need permission to take mental health breaks, or to honor your emotional needs, or to love something “weird” with your whole heart. Maybe you need permission to be neurodivergent and proud, anxious and still worthy, or different and absolutely perfect as you are.

Whatever it is, I’m giving you permission to give yourself permission.

Because the world needs more gentle rebels, people brave enough to take care of themselves in a culture that profits from our self-neglect.

Ready for your own gentle rebellion?

I’ve been creating Permission Slips for women for years now. I’m a former therapist and found it helpful for clients. I’ve gathered the ones that seem to resonate most with my community of beautiful souls seeking gentle self-care. They’re available in my Etsy shop—ready-made reminders that you already have everything you need to take care of yourself.

But honestly? The most important Permission Slip is the one you write yourself, in your own words, for your own beautiful, complicated, perfectly imperfect life.

What permission are you ready to give yourself today?

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Find Permission Slips and more gentle tools for neurodivergent souls at https://gentlenookprints.etsy.com. Because you deserve to take up space exactly as you are.

Want to try Permission Slips for yourself first? I’ve created ‘A Little Permission Goes a Long Way’ – six gentle slips for when your brain is loud and the world is too much. Grab your free set by filling in the information below and see how it feels