10 Self-Care Practices for Busy People

Practicing self-care with a busy work schedule

When you’re busy and feeling overwhelmed, it’s easy to focus on the negatives and experience burnout. Many think that prioritizing yourself is indulgent and self-centered. But nothing could be further from the truth. No rule says you have to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. In these moments, when you’re feeling burned out from work and other obligations, it’s more important than ever to take a step back and be kind to and take care of yourself.

Here are ten self-care practices to incorporate into your life to improve your overall well-being, even if you’re crazy-busy:

1. Establish a morning routine

Carve out time each morning to focus on yourself. Some people like meditating for 15 minutes, doing yoga, going for a run, or journaling right when they wake up. Whatever helps you recharge and start the day off right, you can get ahead of stress and stay grounded throughout the day.

2. Schedule days off

This is the Achilles heel for busy people, but scheduling time off from work is so important! Add a day off to your calendar once or twice a month to give yourself regular space to relax and recharge.

3. Prioritize sleep

Getting enough sleep can be challenging for workaholics. But it’s so vital to maintaining optimal mental and physical health. Aim to sleep between eight and nine hours per night to feel your best, even if that means having to rearrange your schedule.

4. Practice gratitude

It’s easy to get caught up in worries and to-do lists that it can be hard acknowledging what’s going well in life. Establish a daily gratitude practice by writing down the three best things that happened that day. This will help put you in a state of appreciation and gratitude.

5. Make time for friends and family

If you’re overloaded with work day in and day out, you might find yourself crashing on the couch once the workday is over. But it’s crucial to make time for your friends and family. Go out to dinner or invite some buddies over to watch a movie. This will allow you to connect with your support system and boost your mood.

6. Engage in positive self-talk

Many workaholics tend to be perfectionists. It can be easy to point out your own flaws and hard to acknowledge what you’ve done well. When you catch yourself engaging in negative self-talk, replace it with positives. Try to avoid using any negative language about yourself — this will only add to your stress.

7. Automate what you can

When you’re working nonstop and constantly on the go, it can be a real hassle trying to take care of basic stuff, like cleaning your house and paying bills. Try to automate as much stuff as possible to clear your plate, like using a cleaning service or setting up auto bill pay.

8. Exercise for 20 minutes

We all know that exercise is good for our physical health and can also help relieve stress. For busy people, getting to the gym can sometimes feel like an impossible task. Carving out just 20 minutes a day to exercise, however, can significantly improve your overall well-being.

9. Focus on easy tasks first

One of the most significant issues for busy, high-stress individuals is getting started. Long to-do lists can quickly feel overwhelming. But, focusing on easy tasks first can help jump-start productivity and increase confidence.

10. Set realistic goals

Though you may want to, you simply can’t do everything all at once. Pace yourself and set realistic goals that take into account self-care and downtime. Otherwise, you will end up burning out.