Guide to Self Care for Busy People: How to Practice Self Care When you Have No Time

Got a busy schedule and a busy life? Do you want to practice more self care but feel like you have no time?

You probably work a full time job, maybe you go to school or you have kids, and life gets crazy. You know the importance of self care but you just don’t know how you’re supposed to fit it all into your busy schedule. I totally get it.

But just because you have a busy schedule, doesn’t mean you have no time for self care. In fact, if you feel like you don’t have time for self care, you probably need it even more!

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    Often times, when we’re super busy we’re prone to stress which as you probably know, can have a negative impact on the rest of your life.

    In this article, I’m sharing my best tips for practicing self care for busy people, and it starts by noting the difference between macro self care and micro self care.

    Micro self care vs. macro self care

    This is a concept I learned from my professor and I love it so much! I think you’ll find it really useful.

    Macro self care: This includes self care activities that cost you a lot of time, money, or energy. These are big things like vacations, trips to the spa, or an expensive, new wardrobe.

    Micro self care: Micro self care, on the other hand, are the small, daily activities you do. These are things that don’t usually cost much time, energy, or money. I’m talking things like journaling, meditating for 5 minutes, listening to your favorite music, or drinking a green smoothie.

    Almost anything can be a self care activity as long as you’re intentional about it. Often times when we think of self care, we think of these large, extravagant ideas. While vacations and trips to the spa are amazing ways to practice self care, they aren’t necessarily realistic for everyone, especially if you’re busy.

    The good news though, is that micro-self care is available to everyone no matter how much money, time, or energy you have. I believe that 10 minutes each day of consistent micro-self care is better than inconsistent macro-self care.

    Create a morning or evening self care routine

    If you’re busy, having a morning or evening self care routine can be amazing!

    The important thing about micro-self care is staying consistent, but with a busy schedule, it can be hard to stay consistent. That’s why choosing a specific time of the day can help you stay consistent.

    Here’s an example of what my current self care morning routine looks like: I wake up at 7am, make a green smoothie full of my favorite fruits & veggies, I turn on my essential oil diffuser, I write 3 pages in my journal brain-dump style, and I do a workout at the gym.

    For my evening self care routine, depending on how much time I have, I love doing a mask, taking a bubble bath, and reading a book.

    I love having these specific rituals to look forward to when I wake up or before I go to bed. They make me feel so grounded, centered, and calm.

    What if you don’t have much time in the morning or evening? If you can commit to even 5 or 10 minutes, try that. If not, I recommend finding spaces throughout your day to infuse some extra self care. For example, are there any ways you can practice self care during your commute to work? Maybe you could sing along to your favorite music, plan out your next healthy meals, or listen to a podcast. Maybe during your lunch break, you can spend 5 minutes sitting in the sunshine and meditating.

    The point is- self care doesn’t need to be extravagant, expensive, or take all day. Self care is often most impactful when it is done intentionally and consistently each and every day.

    Allow Yourself Freedom & Flexibility

    While I do believe it’s important to be consistent with your self care, I don’t think that necessarily means you need to do the same thing each and every day.

    Give yourself permission to listen to your intuition and be flexible with your self care. For example, if I wake up one morning and I’m super tired, I might choose to read a book instead of go to the gym. Or if I’m feeling really energized, I might go for a run and skip my morning journal session.

    While it’s important to be consistent, I think it’s even more important to listen to your body and it’s needs.

    Now, don’t use this as an excuse to skip the gym every day. You still need to hold yourself accountable to your goals, but not at the expense of your wellbeing. I encourage you to listen to your intuition and allow yourself the freedom and flexibility to change up your self care routine when you desire.

    I think it’s also important to point out that our self care changes depending on the season of life we’re in. In some seasons of your life, you might be thriving in a “hustle” mode, super busy, and working hard. Self care is probably going to look pretty different compared to a part of your life where you’re slowing down and taking more time for yourself.

    As humans, we are constantly evolving. I believe your self care should be constantly evolving with you. For more self care tips and inspiration, sign up for my mailing list below!