June 26, 2017 / 0 Comments

6 Tips For Self-Care Busy People Will Love

BY LIZA CHERVONSKY

Think you don’t have time for self-care? Think again

Self-care is crucial to maintaining emotional health and wellbeing. Many of us are well aware of the importance of self-care, but in a fast paced world it becomes increasingly difficult to find the time to put ourselves first. Self-care starts to feel like a luxury, but in actual fact, it’s essential. Without it, we can start to feel stressed, burnt out, and resentful of the commitments that take us away from having time for ourselves. If you’ve fallen into the habit of neglecting your ‘me time’, here’s 6 quick tips to help you fit self-care into your busy daily life:

Tip #1: Plan Ahead

Set aside time each day for self-care, even if it’s only 15-minutes. Every little bit counts.

Tip #2: Start Small

If you’re struggling to find even half an hour in your day to set aside for self-care, start smaller. Try 5 minutes. There’s lots of relaxing things you can do in 5 minutes:

Go outside for a breather
Go for a walk
Put on your headphones and listen to music with your eyes closed
Do a guided or self-guided mindfulness meditation
Deep breathing or progressive muscle relaxation
Stretches
Have a cup of coffee or tea and drink it mindfully
Chat with a friend
Plan your self-care activities for the rest of the day or week
Mindfulness colouring in

And most importantly – while you’re doing these activities, switch off your phone any any electronic devices. Switching off can help you to get into the moment and leave distractions behind.

Tip #3: Nourish Yourself

Make sure you’re eating and drinking regularly. Set time to have a proper meal and eat it mindfully.

Tip #4: Practice Good Sleep Hygiene

Getting enough sleep can help you feel energised and more motivated, allowing you to be more productive in your daily life.

Tip #5: Ignore Your Guilt

Explore and start to challenge any guilt you experience when it comes to making time for yourself. Remember guilt doesn’t necessarily mean you’re doing something wrong – even though it feels like it – in this case it means you’re doing something different. Self-care is a necessity not a luxury. Don’t listen to your guilt.

Tip #6: Set Boundaries

Place limits on how much you will do for other people at your own expense, and remember it’s ok to say no.

Liza is a warm and compassionate clinical psychology registrar who enjoys working with adults, children, adolescents, parents, and families. She is dedicated to working collaboratively and empathically with clients to help them develop an understanding of their difficulties, and to find effective ways to improve their every day coping and general psychological wellbeing. Liza is experienced in treating a range of difficulties including anxiety, depression, procrastination, stress, perfectionism, interpersonal & relationship difficulties, anger management, self-harm, and parenting difficulties.

Self-Care In A Fast Paced World