Self-care is one of those things that everyone knows they should be doing, but not many people actually add to their schedules.
There’s a huge list of reasons that so many people (including me) don’t include self-care into our routines.
One of the biggest reasons is that self-care seems like this daunting task that takes loads of time and effort to do. And while there are certainly activities you can do that may take up lots of time, there are also a lot of ways that you can get some much-needed me-time that won’t keep you from having time for the other things you need to get done.
Self-care isn’t only about taking bubble baths and doing spa-like activities, even though it really seems that way sometimes.
We can certainly include things like that, but there are so many other ways to practice self-care.
Below I’ve listed some ideas of self care for busy people, especially those who are really short on time.
Self-care is flexible and can be adjusted to fit anyone’s needs.
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1. Listen to a podcast.
Chances are, even if you have a full schedule for the day, you will have some time where a podcast can come into play.
Find a podcast you love listening to, and allows you to get your mind off of your stressors for a while.
Turn it on anytime you have a chance to, whether that be while doing dishes, folding laundry, exercising, driving to/from work, or even while you’re working.
It’s something that doesn’t take any additional time from us, but can help us big-time.
Just letting ourselves focus on something besides the day-to-day grind allows us to rest and helps our brains to feel refreshed.
One podcast I’m currently really into is Happier by Gretchen Rubin. Gretchen and her sister explore the world of happiness and share advice that she has found helpful in leading a happier and healthier life. You can check it out here.
2. Journal for 5 minutes.
5 minutes. That’s it.
It may not seem like much, but even just giving ourselves this little bit of time to get all of our thoughts out can be really beneficial to our mental health.
Pretty much anyone can find 5 minutes in their day to do this.
I love to do this right before bed. There is something so freeing about emptying your mind after a long day
If you’re looking for a new journal, I highly suggest these simple and minimalistic ones.
3. Do a facial.
If you’re anything like me, your busy schedule probably means that your skin isn’t quite getting the treatment it deserves. If I’m particularly busy, I usually let my skincare slide until it’s absolutely necessary to make time for it.
Doing the occasional facial makes all the difference for my skin.
It’s something that I can take a minute to put on my face, then I can walk around and work on other things while I let it work its magic.
Then when the time is up, I have skin that feels so much better and healthier. If you feel yourself neglecting your skin, or even if you’re just in need of a little self-love, throw on a facial treatment.
4. Meditate for a bit.
Despite what you might think, meditation doesn’t have to be some hour-long ordeal where you sit on a pillow with your legs crossed, humming.
Meditation is simply a time when we let our minds either focus on one particular thing or focus on nothing at all. There are no rules, no time requirement, and you don’t have to be an expert at it.
The app I use, Headspace, literally has 3-minute meditation sessions. There are so many benefits to meditation, but more than anything, it’s just a time for us to give our bodies and minds a break, and that’s what self-care is all about, right?
5. Get some fresh air.
There is nothing quite like being outdoors. Spending time in nature is proven to increase our endorphins and dopamine levels, which helps literally make us happier.
Finding time to step outside during the day is so beneficial.
Take your dogs for a short walk, do some gardening, or even just take 5 minutes to sit on the porch and feel the warmth of the sun on your skin.
No matter what it is, getting outside in nature can help us out in so many ways.
6. Take a break from screen time.
No matter how busy we are, most of us spend a good chunk of time on our phones every day, whether it be on social media, or watching videos, or reading the news, etc.
Giving ourselves a break from all of that screen time allows our minds to be more present and focus on the ‘now’.
Next time you catch yourself pulling out your phone to pass the time, put your phone away, and instead try to be in the moment.
Take a few deep breaths, observe how you’re feeling and what you’re thinking, and let yourself just be.
So many of us are so quick to use our phones as a coping mechanism, whether it be to entertain our minds while we’re waiting, or to avoid feeling awkward in an uncomfortable situation, or whatever it may be.
But by allowing ourselves to experience those moments without a screen in front of us, we are giving our minds a chance to grow and process whatever may be going on in our lives.
7. Get up and stretch.
That’s it. Something so so simple that can have a big impact on our bodies and our overall wellbeing.
If we’re stuck in a pattern of sitting all day working or being sedentary, just taking a few moments to stretch can relieve tension, loosen up our muscles, help back pain, and increase blood flow, which ultimately helps our brains as well.
Simply taking 30 seconds to stretch, even once an hour can be such a good way to give ourselves some love.
8. Say no to a task.
I’m going to assume if you’re reading this post, it’s because you’re a busy person.
Such a huge and overlooked part of taking care of ourselves is making sure that we aren’t adding too much to our plates.
I go a little more in depth about this in my most recent blog post about breaking bad habits, which you can read here.
But the more and more to-dos and obligations we say yes to, the more bogged down we feel.
Listen to your body and mind. If you notice yourself starting to feel overwhelmed or burnt out, maybe take a step back where you can.
Don’t take on new tasks just for the sake of doing it.
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