Occasionally, life can feel overwhelming. Living in a fast-paced, busy culture, we forget to prioritise our own needs and find time for self-care.
When we constantly put our needs at the bottom of the pile, it can eventually leave us feeling like we aren’t important, damage our self-confidence and cause us to feel exhausted and burnt out.
Making time for self-care and learning how to put our own needs first every once in a while can boost our self-confidence. Not only this, but we gain a sense of empowerment helping us to feel like we can face every day with a positive attitude.
But how can you find the time? Here are four tips on how to make time for self-care.
Break it up
Many people think that ‘self-care’ involves spending two solid hours a day washing our hair and having an extensive skincare routine, but we know how unrealistic that is for most people.
Breaking up self-care time means you only need to dedicate a few minutes here and there to your self-care activities. For example, taking five, quiet minutes in the bathroom in the morning to use your favourite face wash and moisturiser is still a way to take time for your needs.
Prioritising self-care, even for 5 minutes a day, can lead you to feeling more confident and boosting your self esteem.
Wake up a little earlier
I know the thought of giving up precious sleeping time to focus on self-care sounds taxing - but waking up a few minutes earlier could have its benefits.
If you’re struggling to find any ‘me time’ during the day, setting a slightly earlier alarm might just give you that time to yourself that you’ve been craving.
Imagine the bliss when everyone else is fast asleep and you have an extra twenty minutes to enjoy some peaceful self-care time – alone! Perfect for a hot bubble bath without interruption or following a simple skincare routine.
Keep your routine simple
This is one of the most important tricks to keeping you motivated. Self-care time is designed to leave you feeling more relaxed and rested - however, complicated routines can have the opposite effect.
Create a simple self-care routine that doesn’t require too much time or energy. A simple two step skincare routine for example, an evening facewash and hydrating lotion application is enough to help you unwind and feel relaxed.
Focussing on the practice of self-care and how it makes you feel can influence how you implement self-care into your daily routine.
Plan ahead
I know it can feel difficult to find the time for self-care, so perhaps try planning ahead and scheduling self-care into your day. You could set a reminder for yourself at 7pm and make it a non-negotiable appointment.
Planning ahead could be as simple as setting an earlier morning alarm or having your favourite self-care products in the bathroom ready, before you go to bed, to eliminate any preparation stress in the morning.
Remember, self-care is essential to helping you feel confident, relaxed and empowered in everyday life.
Feeling fulfilled and happy means taking care of your body, mind, and soul. When you make time to take care of yourself, you give yourself the energy you need to face each and every day, and you are absolutely worth that.