Self Care In Busy Times
You’ve probably heard this saying: Meditate 20 minutes a day, and if you’re busy, meditate one hour a day.
You either nodded knowingly, laughed, or just growled at it. I mean, it feels… almost insulting, right? We all know we “should” be doing so MANY things, but to add self care to the list can feel like one more thing to make us feel like we aren’t “enough” or we’re just failing…
That said, self care is vital. We can’t pour from an empty cup.
Other people and demands aside, we matter. We deserve our attention too.
But how do we do it? How do we fit it in?
Here are some tips.
And rule number one: Try one thing at a time. Don’t ever try to change more than one habit at once. It’s too much. Get one established for a week or more and then add bit by bit.
Speaking of bit by bit… start with the idea of stacking. You already have routines. First, look at them and decide if they're effective and necessary. Then attach one new small thing on to, for example, your morning routines. You might already take a moment to drink coffee while seated (seriously… too many people are doing and running while they have their breakfast). You could stack some spiritual/uplifting reading on to that or you could add five minutes of closed eyes meditation or gratitude journaling. That’s stacking.
Establish boundaries. Really, this is one of the greatest self care tasks you can play with in all parts of your life, but you also need to create boundaries around your self care. Tell the people in your house, to follow up on number one, that if they see you sitting with your eyes closed during your coffee time that they need to wait until you open your eyes to make any requests.
Integrate natural movement into your days rather than trying to rush to the gym. This is a habit from which you will reap great rewards as you age because there’s nothing like natural, all day movement to help with dynamic aging. Examples: walk rather than drive if the destination is under a mile; if you drive, park farther away… every time; use stairs instead of elevators when you can; carry your groceries in your arms if you’re only grabbing a few things; reach instead of stepping on a stool; stand up while you put on your shoes (balance); use your non-dominant hand to do things like brush your teeth (great for you brain). Get creative!
Learn to say no. This is crucial and it’s related to boundaries, of course, but it’s important enough to warrant its own space. Learn to say no includes things like taking your PTO. Too many people wear unmissed days as a badge of honor. It’s okay to take time off. It should be mandatory. Furthermore, it’s okay to take a mental health day. Do it!
See? This wasn’t a list of things like bubble baths and spa days and yoga/more things that take up huge chunks of time. This is about restructuring so that you can prioritize you.
