If you’re like most women, you’re busy with a million things flying at you from a million different directions. The thought of making time for self care seems like just one more thing that gets put on your to-do list. (And, really, it never actually gets done). I mean, who has time for self care, anyway?
I hear you.
We’ve all been sold this idea that self-care means a day at the spa or at least an hour in the pedicure chair. It’s the image that self-care is something we go away and *do* (or, better yet, have someone else *do for us*). Money aside, who has time for self-care like that on a day-to-day or week-by-week basis?
No one I know.
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Why Making Time for Self-Care is the Wrong Idea
What about this…..
I challenge you to think of self-care not as something to add to your to-do list but as a lifestyle you intentionally choose.
If you can thread small acts of self-care all throughout your day, you no longer feel your life something you’d like to take a break from. Your current idea of self-care as escapism shifts to become a lifestyle of conscious choices to support your most whole and healthy self.
Wouldn’t that feel ah-may-zing?
Realistic Self-Care Requires Reframing Your Mindset
Ditch the idea that you have to jump whole hog into reinventing yourself in order to cultivate a self-care practice. Really, it’s all about how can you be nicer to yourself– in thought and in action– so that you are mentally and physically whole.
From something as simple as acknowledging critical self-talk to taking three deep, full breaths every time you sit down, nourishing your self starts with small acts of kindness.
In this spirit, there are three other ways you can practice self-care that will actually SAVE you time!
- Set a boundary– Be clear (to yourself and others) about what you are and are not willing to do.
- Say no– Unless you are really excited by the proposition, say no to requests for your time.
- Ask for help– Stop trying to do everything by yourself! You are only one person– and that’s okay.
None of these changes requires you to put self-care on your daily calendar. Making time for self-care is unnecessary when you adjust your outlook, flip your mental script, and treat your body well on a very basic level.
Even if you’re the busiest person in the world— especially if you’re the busiest person in the world– making time for self-care in these small but meaningful ways paves the way for you to be more compassionate to yourself and others.
Also, for the women over 40, making time for self-care can be nothing short of life-changing. Being kind to yourself and respecting your personal boundaries is one of the best ways to buffer unpleasant physical symptoms for women in perimenopause.
A Self-Care Lifestyle is Filled with Small Healthy Habits
For greatest success, try small, needle-moving changes rather than grand lifestyle reinvention. While the potential results of big changes are alluring, it’s not a realistic course of action for most people.
If you want to create habits that are sustainable, choosing ONE habit to focus on and adopting ONE strategy at a time yields the best results. We’re looking for ways you can make small changes that don’t require an hour out of your day but they yield big dividends. Using a habit tracker can keep you motivated as you develop your self-care lifestyle.
That’s the way making time for self-care actually happens within the constraints of your reality.
Still want to create time for self-care?
Here’s the really amazing thing: you can actually create time for self-care! I know this seems ridiculous, mostly because the whole reason you don’t have a self-care practice now is because you don’t have time.
But as you build one small healthy habit after another, your energy skyrockets, too. You have more clear thinking, better energy, and higher productivity.
And even better– your newfound time isn’t hurried, rushed, and frantic. Maybe you really will be able to take that bubble bath you crave!
But don’t stop there! While a nice hot soak feels great while you’re in the tub, your self-care should offer ongoing, lasting support.
Need some more self-care ideas?
I love brainstorming ideas for acts of self-care that don’t take much time but pay off in a happier, healthier, more whole you.
Here are 8 No-Excuses Acts of Self-Care. They’ll help you think about ways you can weave self-care into your daily life without needing to block off time on your calendar.
You can also check out my 5 COMPLETELY FREE Acts of Self-Care. That’s right! Self care ideas that won’t even cost you a penny, but they’ll nourish you in deep and meaningful ways.
The Well Balanced Women blog is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Please discuss your health issues with a licensed medical practitioner.
