6 Top Self-care Tips for When You are Super Busy
My guest blogger today, Monique Evans, one of my Inner Circle Members is the queen of self-care. She is sharing here best self-care tips with you today. I appreciate her wisdom and generous spirit. Enjoy.
From the desk of Monique Evans:
Top self-care tips for when you are super busy can make a world of difference for lowering stress, lifting your mood and keeping you healthy for the long haul.
Like a lot of busy people, sometimes I put off taking care of myself. I’m a blogger and caregiver coach, and I work a full-time social work job. For several months, I’ve worked 12-hour days, convincing myself that I didn’t have time to exercise. I felt tired and cranky. I had a hard time staying focused.
Eventually, I let go of the crazy idea that I was too busy to take care of myself. A long weekend of meditation, yoga, and hiking helped me reboot. I was bubbling with creative ideas and had a lot more pep in my step.
Are you burnout from a hectic life? The time could be right for some “me-time.”
- Know the signs of burnout.
We can go for a long time with little fuel in our tank. Just enough stress keeps us productive and able to accomplish our goals. But too much stress over time can lead to burnout and affect our health. I texted my friend Lois to see how she was doing. She works full time and recently started a new business. She texted back, “Girl, my life is going faster than me right now.” She mentioned to me that it was difficult for her to fall asleep and she felt exhausted all the time.Stay alert to signs of burnout, especially when you are putting in more hours than usual. Feeling exhausted, irritable and impatient, and having low concentration and motivation can be hints that you are getting close to burnout. - Take time away from your regular environment.
Spending time in a new environment can turbocharge self-care when you are overloaded, with little time to go out for date nights or see a basketball game with a friend.
One of my dream vacations is a yoga retreat. I keep a picture of Kripalu Yoga Retreat on my life vision board. I spent a long weekend there. The time away gave me some breathing room to take my mind off work. I returned with a lot of great ideas and began to approach challenges with fresh eyes and creative solutions. - Go to your happy place. You don’t need to go off to a yoga retreat or a far off place that costs time and money. For most busy people, that’s not practical. You can find your happy place right where you are. One way is to designate a place in your home as your sacred spot. You don’t need a room. It can be a side of the dining room, a closet, a garden or anywhere you can carve out a space that is quiet. Place cherished items like candles, flowers, photos of loved ones, healing crystals and other things that are meaningful to you. In my space, I included seashells to remind me of the peace and joy I feel when I’m at the beach. These items are mood enhancers that encourage a safe, peaceful, happy mood to help you calmly get through a busy day.
- Hang out with a self-care buddy or a group. You want to make the most of the time you have for self-care when your time is limited. There is nothing like a commitment to people with similar goals to motivate you to keep going, even when you don’t feel like it. My friend Susan looks forward to going to a tai chi group once a week. I go on a group hike the first Sunday of each month. My fellow hikers are serious people who respect time. Rain or shine, they show up with the proper gear and plenty of water and are ready to go. The commitment of the group raises my expectations. I don’t want to let them down and I know they won’t let me down. It’s always a great workout and plenty of fun, even if the weather is lousy.
- Repeat affirmations. I love positive affirmations. I use them to bring me back to the present and shift my mindset to abundance and away from scarcity. You can repeat an affirmation almost anywhere. It can ease the tension when you feel overwhelmed about not having enough time. For instance, repeat, “I have all the time I need” or “I have time for the important things.”
- Make time for self-care.
The best self-care plan won’t do any good unless you make the time to get it done. Schedule “me-time” on your calendar when you are least likely to have a last-minute conflict. Have a backup self-care plan. If you have no choice but to cancel getting a massage, make sure you do something relaxing, like a bubble bath later in the day.
Automate as much as you can. Create morning and evening routines. You’ll save time when you don’t have to figure out what you will do each day. Taking care of yourself even when you are busy is like taking care of your best friend. You wouldn’t let a dear friend down if they needed you. Be gentle and loving to yourself when you miss the mark. We all do. Start small and grow from there.
About Monique Evans:
Monique Evans inspires caregivers to live with less stress and more joy. When she isn’t writing or coaching caregivers about self-care, you’ll find her hiking or perfecting her downward dog. For more self-care tips, check out the free Caregiver Survival Guide, click over to https://tinyurl.com/CSGGuide
If you liked Monique’s guest blog, you will also love this article on joy.
Sheri Kaye Hoff
Coach, Trainer, and Author, Sheri Kaye Hoff, is a Business Coach known for inspiring massive action and a catalyst for personal and business growth, joy, and profits in a way that is fun, relaxing, and fulfilling, Sheri inspires people to do the work they love and make more money. Sheri helps business owners and professionals to relax into success. She uses both spiritual and practical techniques to obliterate blocks and create dramatic change. She is a business, leadership, happiness, and inner game expert. She has overcome nearly dying, and the loss of her brother at an early age. She has made it her life mission to discover the keys to happiness and success and then share them with her clients and community. Learn More About Sheri
