We all know self-care is important – you know, your friends know it, your family knows it, the people online know it… but it’s also one of the first things people tend to forget about when life gets busy, which it always does in one way or another.
Perhaps you’ll start the week with good intentions, and then work gets hectic, family stuff piles up, you’re tired, and suddenly your routine is basically just grabbing a coffee and hoping for the best.
But the truth is, self-care doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming, and it’s definitely not about putting yourself under more pressure, so let’s take a look at how you can maintain a self-care routine alongside your busy life.
Keep It Simple And Realistic
The biggest mistake people usually make with self-care is trying to do too much, but the truth is you don’t need a perfect morning routine with an hour of meditation and a full skin-care ritual to count as taking care of yourself. You can actually start with something small that you can do without too much effort.
That might be sitting for ten minutes and doing nothing, for example, or taking a short walk, or drinking more water, or going to bed a little bit earlier, and so on. That’s self-care as well.
Build It Into What You Already Do
Self-care works best when it’s just a normal part of your normal day, and not something you have to schedule or make time for because, if you’re honest, when you’re busy, that’s just not going to happen.
So if you already make tea in the morning, take a moment to sit down while you drink it, and if you’re commuting, listen to something relaxing or interesting (perhaps you’ll learn something new) rather than scrolling on social media. And if you shower at night, why not treat it as a bit of a reset rather than something to rush through so you can move on to the next thing?
Don’t Wait Until You’re Burned Out
A lot of people only really think about self-care when they’re already exhausted, but the whole point of it is to stop yourself from getting to that point. That’s why it’s better to start right now, and put in some little habits that make you feel good and build them up over time – that way you’ll do them even when things are busy, and you’ll stop yourself from becoming completely burned out.
You’ve Got To Be Comfortable
Self-care can be bubble baths and journaling, but it doesn’t have to be – sometimes it’s just a case of making yourself feel more comfortable in your own body.
Wearing warm, practical clothing in winter, for example, can genuinely make your day feel better, and something like HeatHolders thermal underwear is a good example of the kind of everyday comfort you might want to start getting used to – the fact is, staying warm and cosy can affect your mood more than you might expect.
Final Thoughts
Maintaining a good self-care routine alongside your busy life might sound impossible, but there are always small things you can do that actually fit into your life, and make you feel so much happier. They’re the ones to focus on, whatever they might be.
