You’d like to make self-care more of a priority – but you have no time.
Your to-do list is getting longer by the second, the kids need a ride to soccer practice, and work always seems to be calling your name.
When time is limited, self-care can feel like a luxury. Especially when you’re trying to balance family, work, and all of life’s other obligations. Self-care can sometimes even feel selfish, but it’s actually vital to your health and happiness – and your ability to help others.
But even if you want to add self-care practices to your life, it can feel like an impossible task – or just another stressor. The good news is, there are simple ways to do this. Carving out just a few minutes for yourself will make a huge difference in your quality of life and ability to cope.
In this post, you’ll learn quick, easy ways to effortlessly add self-care practices to your routine – with none of the stress.
Why Is Self-Care Important?
Before we dive into strategies, it’s crucial to understand that self-care is essential for your health and well-being.
Besides being good for your physical health, practicing self-care can also elevate your emotional and mental health. On the flip side, neglecting your self-care needs can actually worsen any health challenges you might be facing.
And if you’re reading this, you’re already struggling with finding enough time for yourself – which likely leaves you feeling overwhelmed and burnt out. Speaking from my own personal experience, that’s not a great way to live.
Regular self-care is essential to breaking the burnout cycle so you can enjoy all the good things life has to offer. One study on healthcare professionals found that self-care practices were instrumental in achieving better overall well-being and less burnout.¹
So if you’re feeling tired and burnt out, adding meaningful self-care practices to your life can help you reset and find that balance you’re looking for.
What Are The Benefits Of Self-Care?
As mentioned before, you’ll reap numerous health benefits with self-care as part of your routine. This includes physical, emotional, and mental health.
Here’s a quick look at a few of those benefits:
Physical Benefits
Because a self-care oriented life is focused on caring for yourself, this often leads to positive things like more exercise, better diet, and more time outside in the sunlight and fresh air. So some of the physical benefits you may experience as a result are:
Better sleep
Increased energy
Improved metabolism
Higher level of fitness
Stronger immune system
Emotional Benefits
When you set aside time for yourself, you’re showing yourself love. As a result, you feel a stronger sense of self-compassion and self-worth.
And because self-care naturally causes you to slow down, you may also become more aware of your relationships with others, causing you to spend time with people you love. This helps you strengthen your relationships, and ultimately feel happier and more fulfilled.
Self-care can also help improve your mood and lower stress levels – that’s definitely a win-win.
Mental Benefits
After including self-care as part of your normal routine, you’ll likely notice a clearer mind and less negative thoughts running through your head. This is because self-care practices are so helpful in helping you slow down and enjoy the moment, thus reducing anxiety.
So it may seem counterintuitive, but by taking the time to practice self-care, you come away with a fresh mind and clear perspective, so you can actually accomplish more in life – not less.
And by allowing yourself to step out of “go” mode and relax, life feels far more peaceful and fulfilling.
Easy Self-Care Ideas
Self-care doesn’t have to be fancy – it can be as simple as getting good sleep, eating well, and setting healthy boundaries in your relationships.
But to help you get started on your self-care journey, here are a few schedule-friendly ideas:
Contrast Bathing
A buzzword in recent years, contrast bathing involves cycling your body through hot and cold water temperatures. This is a practice that has been around for centuries, and is making a well-deserved comeback today.
Contrast bathing is simultaneously invigorating and relaxing. It also has an abundance of benefits, like better immunity and lower inflammation. Studies have also shown that hydrotherapy – or cold water immersion – can help with depression² and improve sleep quality.³
Sauna
Also an ancient practice, saunas are a relaxing way to unwind after a long day. And sauna sessions can be short – sometimes a 15-minute session is all you need to feel better.
Regular sauna sessions also offer amazing benefits, like:
Clearer skin
Stress reduction
Better heart health
Improved detoxification
Yoga
Maybe you’re already a pro at downward dog, but yoga is an excellent way to add physical movement to your self-care routine. And because it’s gentle on the body, it’s a great form of exercise for people of all ages.
Yoga also focuses heavily on breathing techniques and calming the mind, so it’s a good way to slow down after a tough day at the office – or to ease into the day.
Meditation
Meditation is a simple practice you can basically do any time, anywhere.
There are various techniques you might want to try – some of these include concentration and mindfulness meditation. The most important thing to remember is that you’re quieting your mind and allowing the outside world to fade away for a few minutes.
As you meditate, you’ll begin to feel:
Less stressed
More grounded
More at peace
Practicing Self-Care When You Have No Time
Even though you know self-care is important, it can be challenging to fit into your already busy schedule.
But it doesn’t have to be another stressor – and it’s easier than you might think. Remember that self-care doesn’t have to be a big time commitment.
Try carving out just 15-30 minutes for yourself throughout the week with a few simple self-care exercises you enjoy. And aim for physical movement, as well as emotional and mental relaxation practices like:
Yoga
Sauna
Meditation
Contrast bathing
When doing sauna and contrast bathing, aim for 2-3 times a week to really experience the transformative benefits. And while that might seem like an impossible goal, all you need is 30 minutes to fit in a thermal cycle session.
You could start or end your workday with a session – or even during your lunch break. And as a certified Thermalist Master Instructor, I can teach you the protocols for short thermal cycling and still get the full benefits of a 2-3 hours circuit.
The simplest way to maximize your contrast therapy experience – and to stay committed to your wellness goals – is to become a member of your local thermal cycling center. At Jolie Vie Wellness Retreat, we offer several membership options so you can choose the one that best fits your needs.
Bottom line: Remember that taking the time to add self-care to your routine will improve your health, decrease your stress, and help you feel happier in life and better equipped to take care of those you love.
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