Oy, Miss Witsend! It is very altruistic to put other people first all the time. But in doing so, it’s way too easy to neglect yourself! Ever flown in a plane? The flight attendant demonstrates the air masks and tells you to put it on yourself first, before putting it on your child, right? Our reaction is Save my child first!! But that’s not the right thing to do. By taking care of your oxygen supply first, you are able to then take care of your child and make logical decisions.

For me, my creative side IS my oxygen! I never feel guilty for taking the afternoon out to make books/journals, paint, sew, make paper, etc… it’s my time. I do my work in the morning and play in the afternoon.
Echoing what you’re saying about winding up so tightly that you’ll lose your mind…well, if I don’t create, I am wound up tighter than an 8-day spring! I even had my little pan of watercolors, paper and a water brush in my hospital bed. I sketched my first chemo infusion while the nurse hooked me up! It’s a visceral thing for me to be able to express myself in some form, whether it’s writing, painting, fiber arts, sewing, etc…it comes from within!

Having a creative outlet is a valuable part of taking care of yourself first! I planned on writing a whole little schpeel about creativity and its benefits but found this instead. This article pretty much sums up what I wanted to say.

It https://tscpl.org/art/why-is-creativity-important-in-everyday-life

So unleash your inner child and have some fun for yourself during the day. It’s a way of rounding out your sense of self. Give yourself the permission to write, sew, exercise, create! You’ll start feeling better about yourself when you see some positive products emerge from your creative efforts!
If writing isn’t your thing, although it is a wonderful outlet, do you enjoy sewing, or knitting, drawing, quilting??