There are times when we quite literally forget that we ought to take care of ourselves. But, we need to make sure that we aren’t – so we’ve put together a little how-to guide on how to insert self-care activities into busy weeks. Enjoy.
Sometimes my work week can seem beyond me in terms of my workload. So much so that I can forego taking care of my own personal needs outside of eating, sleeping, and showering.
I notice that when weeks go by and I haven’t taken care of myself that I can feel withdrawn, out of sorts, and even a twinge of a depressive episode coming on. Therefore, I made a pledge to myself to take care of myself more, but I was having a hard time figuring out when I could do that.
You see … sometimes it’s difficult to take a bath even when your body is aching because it’s either that or it’s sleep. And for me? Sleep is everything. So I always chose to sleep!
But because I wanted that change, I needed to re-evaluate what was important for me to keep going. And I’m guessing if you’re here, you’re having a little bit of a hard time trying to find those moments.
Cool, let’s talk about it then.
Table of Adventures
Plan Out Your Week
If you’re not a planner, you really should become one. Whether it’s detailed or a vague outline, planning out your week is integral to seeing how much time in your day is being wasted on things where you can be squeezing in some sweet self-care time.
Plan Out Your Self-Care Days
By planning out your week, you can then see which days have a little bit of extra time to get some me-time. Without overwhelming your schedule, find those times where you can read a book or watch a little TV and schedule them in.
Keep It Simple
Don’t overload yourself with languishing self-care activities. You’ll be tempted to (as am I), but giving yourself 10-30 minutes of your own time is better than trying to fill in an hour’s worth of activities. Plus, I’m sure you had other things to do which made your week busy in the first place!
Set Yourself Up For Success
By doing steps 1-3 above, you’re already on the way to set yourself up for success. However, there’s more that you can do here with those steps. If you know that this is the week that you want to pamper yourself with an at-home manicure and pedicure, make sure that you have everything that you need before the day gets there.
You may need to grab a new file or maybe you want to try a fun new color so you’ll need to grab new polish. Or, maybe you don’t have anywhere to soak your feet. Preparing yourself from the beginning of the week for those little things can really make a world of difference.
Create Small Changes To Introduce More Opportunities
By adding in a five-minute face mask to your otherwise routine everydays – like showering, spreading the bread, or making a cup of coffee, you are introducing opportunities by creating small changes. It really can be as simple as that or maybe doing things in a different order than you’re used to.
For example, instead of doing your yoga after lunch, maybe try it first thing in the morning to gain a clearer mind.
Do Attempt To Do One Big Thing For Yourself In The Week
This is where planning your week and days come in handy. If you happen to have a block of time that you really can see yourself having enough downtime, use it to your advantage!
Take that bath, go on a long walk with your dogs, or just read a book. Give it your all and if it doesn’t work, that’s one for the books, at least you tried, friend.
Try Switching Up Your Routine
Without delving into a completely new topic, switching up your routine can be a great way to get more self-care time. If you’re a late riser, maybe try waking up an hour earlier every morning and filling in that time with an activity that you otherwise aren’t able to do.
What if you’re always in one location every day at the same time? That could be a fantastic time to switch it up and go to the gym or get a facial! Whatever it is, a routine switcheroo may be right up your alley. And you may find yourself with more time if you try it differently.
Remember To Really Take Care of Yourself First
This one may seem like a no-brainer, but sometimes self-care isn’t always glamorous. Actually, it can be pretty darn boring. But, in this case, this can be a luxury for a lot of us, too.
Brushing your teeth and showering are some simple luxuries that we can take for granted but they are integral to our overall health. So, maybe while you’re taking that shower you can put on some music that will give your headspace a way to escape from negative thoughts. You can hang eucalyptus leaves behind your showerhead to give you that spa feeling without going to the spa.
Adjust As You Go
It’s important to be realistic about what you can and cannot do with your time as you add self-care rituals into your every day (if you can). Even if it’s a busy week, you can always re-evaluate and adjust what didn’t work and what did work into the next week.
Don’t knock things before you try it, too. Adjusting has to come from a mindset of, “I can have this, but maybe not right now…” Sometimes the week really is just too darn busy, and that’s OK. Try to implement jazz yoga for next week instead. 😉
Conclusion to Creating Self Care Rituals Even If You’re Busy
It’s all about how you decide what luxury means to you and what self-care routines you really want to keep at the forefront of your mind. Don’t let your body, mind, soul, and all that be the last things you think of every day. Especially if it’s areas that you know you need more grace and love in.
Just because you’re busy doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be living in the lap of luxury.