Check those Self-Care Practices for Busy People
When you’re super-busy, it’s hard to make time for yourself. Unfortunately, when we don’t take care of ourselves, we can’t do a good job taking care of others. These eight self-care practices will help you relax, get centered, and calm your mind, so you come back stronger than ever.
There is a phrase that says something along the lines of, ‘if you don’t have time to meditate for 10 minutes, you should meditate for an hour.’ The meaning of this is simple: make time to take care of yourself.
Unfortunately, making time to do anything outside of normal daily activities can be difficult or seem impossible. Luckily, self-care doesn’t have to conflict with your schedule.
Once self-care practices are developed into a habit, you will notice that you have more positivity and energy while experiencing less stress, depression, and anxiety and no more questions about how to prevent tension headaches. We’re going to take a look at 8 self-care practices to incorporate into your busy life. Keep reading for surviving and thriving!
Mind, Body, & Spirit
You don’t have to be a yoga-teaching, barefoot, always-calm person to be successful in connecting your mind, body, and spirit. In fact, it can be as simple as taking 3 minutes to meditate. First comes the mind. To meditate, quiet your thoughts (stop thinking) by closing your eyes and only focusing on the present.
Next is the body. While focusing on the present, take several deep breaths. Notice the cool air flowing through your nostrils as you inhale and the warmth on your lips as you exhale. Feel your chest as it rises and falls and the weight of your body on the chair or floor.
Finally, you will help your spirit. This part doesn’t mean you have to be religious; all it concerns is naming a few things to be grateful for.
Eat Well
Everyone enjoys a fine meal with a well-paired glass of wine. However, these fine meals aren’t often good for you. Fancy dinners or fattening foods don’t need to be eliminated from your diet. However, consider adding an extra serving of fruit or vegetables to one or two meals per day.
Another option to consider is eliminating alcohol for a week. Even if you don’t drink much, waking up hydrated and bright-eyed will feel great. You’ll also save money and calories. In place of adult beverages, consume more water, tea, or black coffee. Watch out for too much caffeine, though. It can become quite addictive as well as make you jittery.
Set Some Boundaries
People assume that self-care practices are all about the person performing them. While this assumption is somewhat true, the person practicing can only do so if healthy boundaries are in place.
Boundaries should be set with work or school, children, spouses, and other family members. Work boundaries can be as simple as not answering the phone before or after a certain time. Boundaries for work or school can also look like a schedule that you choose to follow. This will allow for at least one day per week of rest, relaxation, and rejuvenation.
Children and spouses can be a bit more difficult to follow through with. Saying no to extra-curricular activities or events should be respected. If you say no to something because you’re tired, actually use the time to rest.
Learn to Ask For Help
It’s likely that as a busy person, you feel odd asking for help or delegating tasks. Some don’t like doing so because they lose control of the situation or fear it won’t be done correctly.
While understandable, if there are small tasks that need to be completed, tell someone you need help with it. Once you tell them, nicely ask them if they would do this chore.
Think of this as a self-care practice with added benefits. Asking people to do small tasks has been shown to make you more likable.
Clean and Recycle
For many individuals, having a messy or cluttered home can be stressful. Some people enjoy cleaning, and others hate it, but it must be done. Falling into the group of people that hate to clean doesn’t mean you have to hire someone. Enlist the help of a friend, spouse, or the kids to pick up a broom or clean a window.
If your house is already clean and cluttered, start by throwing things away or recycling what you can. Choose to get rid of things that haven’t been used in 90 or more days.
While putting laundry away, look at your drawers or closet and pull anything that hasn’t been worn in the last year. These practices keep things easier to find as well as offer more space to store new items.
Be Nice To Yourself
This tip is simple–now and then, do something to make yourself smile. This could include buying something that smells good, like a candle or perfume.
It could also include treating yourself to lunch, a pedicure, a movie, or an extra hour of sleep.
You don’t have to treat yourself often, nor limit treats to only when you feel bad. This can be done at any time for any reason.
Get Outside
It’s no secret that playing outside is good for you–even taking a 20-minute walk can get the blood pumping. When it’s possible, get outside for 15 to 20 minutes per day for the added benefit of vitamin D. Many studies have seen that there is a link between vitamin D deficiency and depression.
Become Self-Aware
Learning self-care practices is useless if you don’t use them. To use these ideas, it is helpful to become self-aware.
Figuring out how to be self-aware isn’t something a book can teach you. However, there are wellness tracking websites and apps available. These sites can help you figure out your mental health, stressors, and triggers.
The more you practice mindfulness, the more self-aware you become. This leads to more overall happiness and a better quality of life.
Self-Care Practices: The More Often, The Better
Learning self-care isn’t something that can just be done when you’re feeling down. In fact, they should be done consistently when you’re happy, frazzled, sad, anxious, or lonely. Self-care practices can be difficult to adapt but once included in daily life, and you’ll wonder how you ever got along without them.
If you’re interested in more information about happy, healthy lifestyles, check out our blog!
