The busy person’s guide to self-care

September 22, 2021

If I could make a wish upon a star, it would be to have more hours in a day…

Anyone else?

There’s always so much to do and never enough time, right?

And since there is not enough time to finish the things we HAVE to do, well there is certainly not enough time for self-care, right? WRONG!

When we make an effort to care for ourselves (and I mean beyond eating, sleeping, and showering), we are able to be the best versions of ourselves.

Better friends.

Better employees.

Better partners.

Better parents.

Etc.

But it would be silly to say that self-care makes it to the top of our priority list every day. Some days, it doesn’t even make it on the list - period.

Luckily, I have found many ways to integrate simple self-care into my busy schedule.

These may not look like your “typical” self-care practices, but I am a firm believer that self-care looks different for everyone.

So here are some self-care ideas that you can integrate into your busy routine!

1. Water, water, water

Water has so many more benefits than you think, but the truth is that most of us, if not all of us, aren’t drinking enough water every day. I won’t begin to list the hundreds of benefits that water has, including aiding digestion, beauty, mood, and even our overall appearance, but I will tell you that you should drink more water.

Why is it so hard to do? Who knows! But here are a few of my top hydration tips that will hopefully remind you to drink more water:

-      Drink one big glass of water before your morning coffee. Our bodies need water much more than they need coffee first thing in the AM.

-      Use a cup/mug/jar that you love. It may sound silly but if you have a favourite cup, you are more likely to drink from it!

-      Always take a water bottle with you when you leave the house – no matter what! If you’re thirsty when you’re out and about, you’ll pull over and order what? An iced coffee? A slushy drink? A passion fruit lemonade? Chances are you wouldn’t get plain water so bring your own! (It’ll save you $$ too).

-      Make your water fun. Add some fresh fruit to your water to give it a fruity boost or make some ready-to-go ice cubes out of lemon or lime juice.

-      Coconut water. Despite its unique taste, coconut water is wonderful for hydrating the body and replenishing electrolytes.

2. Take 30 seconds to breathe

Learning simple breathing techniques can make a huge difference in your stress levels and in how you feel both emotionally and physically.

A very simple, yet overlook self-care habit is to learn a few breathing techniques. Taking a minute (or even 30 seconds) to consciously focus on breathing can help your body when you are overwhelmed and in a state of stress. I often do breathing techniques when I feel like I just need a minute to myself.

Taking intentional deep breaths and focusing on breathing not only helps to relax our bodies, but also detoxes them. Breathing stimulates the lymphatic system, which works to eliminate toxins from the body.

The key to successful breathing exercises is to be in a quiet place and to intentionally focus on your breathing. The rule of thumb is: the deeper the inhale, the deeper the exhale, the deeper the detox. (For example: breathe in for 5 seconds, hold for 5 seconds and exhale for 5 seconds – repeat 5x).

*Tip: if you have an apple watch, turn on your “Breathe” feature. This feature prompts you to take a minute to breathe several times throughout the day. Yes, I know that at times that reminder may be annoying (especially when you keep thinking that you are receiving a text), but once you begin to use it, you will realize just how helpful it is.

3. Choose a *healthy* boost over something that will simply fill you up

You were in a rush this morning and you didn’t pack yourself a lunch, so you order a big juicy burger for lunch. You get home from work, you’re exhausted and you tear open a bag of chips as your pre-dinner snack. (Both sound delicious by the way, but we can agree that they aren’t so good for you). I’m not here to judge your food choices – never! However, a great way that you can care for your body is to fuel it with the right food. It’s no secret that you feel better and have more energy when you eat better. Pamper your body with a healthier boost over something that will simply fill you up.

My secret is to always have a snack in your car/backpack/work bag. My go-to is Cliff protein bars. They are small, fit everywhere, and they are a great snack to tie me over untiI can get myself a proper meal.

4. Simplify your self-care routine or break it up

If bubble baths, face masks or chill evenings with wine are your favourite ways to relax, then why should you have to say goodbye to those just because you’re busy? You can have your cake and eat it too…just one slice at a time.

We can all find 15 minutes to scroll through social media in the evening, so we can also find 15 minutes to practice one of our favourite self-care rituals. Just because you can’t do it all in one evening, doesn’t mean you have to give it up completely!

A quick face mask, a bubble bath, watching one episode, totally doable!

5.   Soak your feet (with Epsom salts)

Our poor feeties do a lot for us in a day. Even if you have an office job, you’re still doing a lot of walking every day. Treat your feet at the end of the day with a nice hot soak. They will definitely feel better!

I always notice that after a long day on my feet, I have a very restless sleep because I feel my tired feet bothering me all night long. Once I began adding hot foot soaks into my routine before bed (it only takes 10 minutes), I’ve found that my feet feel much less sore and I am able to get a great sleep.

Even with a busy schedule, it is still possible to find a few spare minutes to practice self-care. As you can see from this blog post, implementing those small yet powerful habits like drinking more water or taking deep breaths counts as self-care too!

Want to read more about self-care? Click here!

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Know yourself, know your body & until next time!

Mags

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