Are you a busy person and reached some point in your life where you feel a little sad or guilty for not having the time to care for yourself? That is entirely normal, juggling between work and family obligations, while ignoring your self-care needs can result in burnout, stress, and other health problems. We know it’s hard to maintain a routine with so much going on and not having enough strength at the end of the day to practice a fully blown self-care routine this is why we compiled the simplest and quickest self-care practices for busy people like you and us!
Self-care Practices for Busy People #1: Set Boundaries
One of the most important self-care practices is to set boundaries. When you’re busy, it’s easy to feel the need to be available to everyone all the time. That, or you might be too helpful agreeing to help every single person that comes to you. Despite this making you a great person, you need to know that it can lead to burnout and stress. When do YOU take a break and enjoy your time? After all, you can’t help everyone if you can’t help yourself first. Setting boundaries means saying no when you need to, delegating tasks, and making time for yourself. This way, you can help everyone again with a fresh mind and renewed energy.
Self-care Practices for Busy People #2: Take Breaks
Working through lunchtime or skipping breaks might be tempting, especially when you have too much on your plate and trying to meet a deadline. However, it is still important to take breaks, even if it’s just ten minutes, for both your physical and emotional wellness. This is one of the most important self-care practices for busy people. You may concentrate and recharge by taking a little break from your job, going for a short walk, or practicing meditation. Don’t be afraid to just spend some time on social media if that’s what makes you happy.
Self-care Practices for Busy People #3: Prioritize Sleep
Getting enough sleep is essential for your physical and mental health. When you are busy or have to meet a deadline, you might sacrifice sleep to get more done and out of the way. However, this can lead to fatigue, irritability, and decreased productivity. What you can achieve by staying up late for 4 hours can be tackled in 1 hour in the early morning with a clear head and renewed energy if you get a good night’s sleep. If you are unable to sleep due to stress, you could try setting a regular sleep schedule, avoiding caffeine and electronics before bed, relaxing your body and mind, and creating a sleep-conductive environment.
Self-care Practices for Busy People #4: Practice Self-Compassion
We can never stress enough the importance of self-compassion for busy people. In most cases, beating yourself up for not getting enough work done or not the way you wanted it to be is a killer and goes against the notion of self-care. This could as well lead to negative self-talk, increased levels of stress and anxiety, restlessness, and decreased productivity. Practicing self-compassion means treating yourself with kindness and understanding, just as you would a good friend. Remember, you’re human and not a machine. Your perfection lies in your imperfection. So next time you perform a task, reward yourself positively for getting it done rather than break yourself down for not doing two.
Self-care Practices for Busy People #5: Move your Body
Before thinking “That’s not for busy people!” let us tell you that exercise is essential for your physical and mental health and even though you are extremely busy, you can still find the time to do it. Sure, it can be challenging to find time for a full workout. However, even a few minutes of movement can help you feel more energized and focused. You can take a quick walk, stretch for 5 minutes or do a routine 20 minutes of yoga every morning before going to work or a 20 minutes workout before having dinner.
Self-care Practices for Busy People #6: Stay Hydrated
Drink plenty of water because this is a crucial key element in self-care. When you are extremely busy, it becomes very easy to forget to drink water. Your body needs to stay hydrated so that it can help you maintain good health. One should aim for at least eight glasses of water per day. To avoid forgetting this easy yet very important self-care activity, keep a water bottle with you at all times to ensure that you always remember to have a sip of water every now and then so that you can stay hydrated throughout the day.
Self-care Practices for Busy People #7: Practice Gratitude
Practicing gratitude is an important step toward adopting a more positive attitude and feeling good about yourself. This important self-care technique will not only improve your mood but will also open your eyes to a brighter aspect of your life. Appreciating the good things in your life is one of the most suitable self-care practices for busy people as it will only require a couple of minutes each day and can be done right before sleeping or first thing after waking up. You can either list the things you are grateful for by writing them down in a gratitude journal or simply in your mind.
Self-care Practices for Busy People #8: Learn to Delegate
Sometimes the remedy for being too busy is to make yourself less busy. It might be hard for some of us to trust others with our work because we could be afraid that they wouldn’t perform it the way we want them to. Delegating tasks to others can help reduce feelings of overwhelm and stress. Getting some tasks off your plate is also a form of self-care. A good approach to reducing your workload is to first segregate tasks that only YOU can do and tasks that can be delegated to others depending on their skillset and availability. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from your coworkers, friends, or partner when needed.
Self-care Practices for Busy People #9: Practice Positive Self-talk
When you’re busy, you may not have time for long affirmations or self-talk sessions. However, it’s still an important step toward self-care, and it’s not as time-consuming as you think it might be when you play around with its different variations. Rather than having long self-talk sessions, focus on short, simple statements that you can repeat to yourself throughout the day while working, cooking, or running errands. For example, you might say “I am capable” or “I am worthy” as a quick reminder to yourself and it would only require 1 second of your time.
Self-care Practices for Busy People #10: Indulge in Weekend Self-care
Weekends provide a great opportunity to engage in more extensive self-care practices. So if you are really busy during the week, make sure to indulge in self-care during weekends. For two days, disconnect from work, engage in physical activities, pamper yourself, explore nature, practice mindfulness or meditation, socialize and connect with your friends and loved ones, relax, cook hearty meals, or just pursue your hobbies. In short, do makes you feel happy, you worked all week long and you deserve to reward yourself for it.
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Please note that we are not professionals, but rather enthusiastic amateurs. All the information provided on this website is based on personal experiences and online research. While we strive for accuracy, we cannot guarantee the completeness or reliability of the content. Any actions you take based on the information provided on this website are at your own risk. For expert advice, please consult a qualified professional in the respective field. We are not liable for any losses, injuries, or damages arising from the use of the information presented. Thank you for your understanding and support.
