Cash And Crayons

Self Improvement Quest

Self Care for Busy People

This post is all about self-care for busy people.

I used to think that I had NO time for self-care. There are always things to clean, activities to do, and people to help!

I quickly put myself and my own needs on the backburner. But it didn’t take long before I started to crash. I couldn’t clean without doing so angrily. I didn’t enjoy doing any activities. And I snapped at the people I was trying to help.

Looking back, it makes perfect sense. After all, I was trying to pour from an empty cup. I needed to fill my own cup before I could pour into anything – or anyone – else!

I started looking for ways to fill my own cup. Of course, I still wanted to get SO much done, so I started with just a few moments of self care. It felt so good and had a positive impact on the rest of my work. So much so, that I quickly worked my way up into practicing longer and longer forms of self-care. 

Here are my favorite ways to practice intentional self care, split into groups of how much time I have to spend!

Self Care for Busy People

Less than a minute

No time, no problem: here are a few ways to practice self-care in under a minute.

First, I try breathing. I simply listen to the sound of my breath coming in and going out. I notice how it sounds and feels.

Difficulty concentrating? I sometimes count breaths by breathing in for 4 counts and out for 4.

Or, I breath in through my nose and out through my mouth.

Any of these breathing techniques helps us ground ourselves in the present moment and reconnect with ourselves.

Second, I try expressing gratitude.

I say out loud “Thank you” to someone or something.

Or, list a few things I’m grateful for in my mind.

I can even write down something I love and appreciate.

Expressing gratitude can instantly relieve stress and boost happiness.

Finally, I try laughing!

This is my go-to method in a loud and overstimulating environment.

Forcing a laugh often feels unnatural, but instantly reminds me that whatever overwhelming issue is at hand, it’s all going to be okay. And some humor might make that true even sooner.

5 minutes

Perhaps one activity ends a few minutes early, or I need to take a few minutes before I pop. Here are a few ways to practice self care in just 5 minutes!

First, I simply go outside.

Breathing in the fresh air, noticing some pretty trees, and just switching up the environment can be a huge boost to my mood.

Next, I try brain dumping.

Sometimes the best care I can give myself is a little peace in my head, and an easy way to calm my mind down is to write down everything going on up there.

If I have enough time, I organize my thoughts into to-do lists or set reminders. Sometimes I even finish the smallest task to get a little dopamine hit of success.

Last, I like to brush my hair or teeth.

A little pampering, especially in the middle of the day, can be just the activity I need to calm down and recharge. Nothing like fresh breath to “reset” midday.

15 minutes

Okay, NOW we’re cooking! 15 minutes is plenty of time to practice some intentional self care and truly start filling that cup back up.

First, I love to take a walk when I have enough time. Again, something about being outside makes it so easy to breath, take a break, and feel refreshed.

I love setting a timer for 5 minutes to walk wherever I want, get lost in my thoughts, and turn around when the timer goes off. Easy peasy rejuvenation!

Next, I like to eat a happy snack.

Many times when I crave self-care, I’m actually craving some basic needs because I’ve forgotten to eat, drink water, or sleep enough (haha).

Taking 15 minutes to savor my favorite fruit or a protein boost often makes a huge difference in how drained I feel.

Finally, some meditation or yoga.

15 minutes is the perfect amount of time to dedicate to a quick yoga or meditation practice. It’s calming and recharging, no matter what the time of day.

My favorite yoga is on Youtube, namely Yoga With Adriene. She’s got tons of yoga sequence videos that easily fit the 15-minute time limit!

You can check out her channel here 🙂

30+ minutes

Even though we’re talking about self care for busy people, I wanted to include my favorite forms of self care that take longer in case you love it so much you decide to add it to your weekly schedule!

But, for the sake of time (wink) I’ll just share these rapid fire:

  • read
  • face mask
  • foot mask
  • mani/pedi
  • bubble bath
  • journal session
  • candlelit shower
  • build a Pinterest board
  • cozy show w hot cocoa
  • work on a creative hobby

I got to enjoy these forms of self care much more once I had organized my home and life a little better.

Here are a few posts on that if you’re interested:

5 easy tips to organize your home in 1 month

3 Easy Steps to Build ANY Passive Income Stream

How to set up your home office for maximum self-improvement!

Thanks so much for reading! I hope this list of self care for busy people inspired you to fill your cup so you can continue to pour into others.