55 gentle ways to take care of yourself when youre busy busy busy

Image source We all have times in our lives when we just have too much stuff going on. There are always deadlines, exams, due dates and just too many priorities to juggle. And when everything is going wrong, the world is screaming for your attention and you just dont have time the last thing you need to hear is to just ta e a day off!. "o here are ## gentle ways you can ta e care of yourself when youre pressed for time and attention. $njoy% Say no to anything that is not important to you

Laundry, phone calls with your mom, demanding girlfriends this is not the time to be nice and responsible. Give yourself the permission to focus on whats important. Getting the unessential responsibilites off your schedule will not only create som e tra time and space, it will also lighten the burden youre feeling to !eep up with it. Ask for help "heres nothing wrong with as!ing for help, and youll #uic!ly learn that most people around you actually love to be as!ed$ It ma!es them feel useful and important. %hat usually helps the most is to get help to do the normal things& coo!ing, shopping and regular every'day tas!s. (owever, dont underestimate how important the people in your life can be when it comes to feedbac!, motivation and supporting your self'confidence regarding the important wor! youre doing. Get enough sleep )n oldie, but a goodie. "his old advice is not only essential when it comes to self'care, it is also absolutely essential when it comes to being able to do your best. *articularly important when it comes to e am periods and wor! stress, sleep will help you achieve. Its easy to thin! that a few e tra hours of wor! will do you more good, but it wont. +leep will. Drink tea ,offee will only get you that far, before it sends you down into tiredness again. %hile still being hot and comforting, tea -and especially the herbal !ind. wont ma!e you dehydrated and sha!y. If youre feeling tired and thin! you need a coffeine boost, go for cold water -or iced tea. instead. ,old water will help wa!e you up$ Listen to your favourite music ,alm music will help you calm down and upbeat music will help you up your game. *ic! music that wont distract you -li!e music without lyrics or in a foreign language.. /our favourite music will boost your mood and !eep you happy, no matter how tired you are. Eat healthy and green food I !now its tempting to order pi00a, but it really pays off to ta!e your time to coo! and eat nutritious and healthy food. 1ot only will it help you achieve better, it will also boost your mood$ I truly recommend heading over to "he +tonesoup for some #uic! and easy recipes. 2ost of these recipes can be made in less than 34 minutes$

ake 5 minutes in the morning to !ust stretch and breathe If you start your day in a stressful way, youll probably feel stressed for the rest of the day as well. 2a!e sure your morning starts with 5 minutes of silence and ease. +tand up and stretch your body to ma!e you as tall as you can be. "hen bend over and touch the ground. +tretch again. "ry to 6ust feel your body and pay attention to your breath. +tarting the day in a way li!e this will ma!e you more rela ed as well$ "alk everywhere /ou might be busy and thin! that every minute is valuable time to put into your wor!, but some e tra minutes of wal!ing might be a better way to spend some time. If you live close to where youre going, its better to wal! than to use public transport -or your car.. 1ot only will the e ercise be good for you, you also get some important fresh air and daylight. If you have to commute, get off public transport one or two stops too early, or par! your car further away than usual. "he e tra minutes of fresh air will save you lots of time when you start wor!ing and feel more focused. ake 5#minute mini#breaks every hour /ou cant stay focused all the time. 1o matter how efficient you wor!, youll always get distracted, let your mind wander or end up spending time reading e'mail -and blogs. instead. ) better way to spend this time is to get up from your chair, wal! outside and ta!e a 5'minute brea!. "he change of place, the change of physical posture and the movement will ma!e it easier to start again when your brea! is over. /oull also give your brain a chance to rela and process information, which is essential for your well' being. $reak your self#care habits into smaller tasks and do one each day 1o need to loo! li!e youre constantly running after your life, even if you are$ 7ust brea! up your routine into smaller, and more achievable chunchs. +have your legs one day, paint your nails the ne t day, wash your hair the day after, etc. "his approach also wor!s with !eeping your house tidy 6ust do one little chore every day and youll stay on top of everything more easily. %ake a plan of everything that needs to be done Instead of 6uggling all your to'dos and must'remembers, write them down on a piece of paper. "hen ma!e a plan of how you are going to manage everything before your deadline. /ou may have to schedule a lot of tas!s on certain days, and it may seem li!e too much to do, but at least youll !now that everything will get done. 2a!e sure you stic! to the plan, every single day. 8ont fall for the temptation to start on tomorrows

tas!s today, trust that the plan will ta!e you there, and en6oy some free time on the days when you finish your tas!s early. %ake sure you keep in touch with your friends 7ust a few te t messages, tweets or the occational coffee will ma!e sure your friendships dont suffer. /ou will feel much better when you focus on something else entirely, and it will prevent you form becoming a wor!aholic hermit. /ou dont have to !eep in touch with everybody, most people will understand that youre having a busy period. 7ust ma!e sure you stay in touch with the people that ma!e you happy and inspired. %ake room for rest "his ones important. 2a!e sure that whenever you plan to rest really rest. "hat means that you will have to ma!e a conscious effort to push all wor!'related thoughts and worries away. Its also important that you rest your mind as well as your body. 5 minutes of stillness is better than 94 minutes in front of the ":$ Surround yourself with inspiring photos *ut up some of your favourite photos where you can see them when you wor!. %henever you get unfocused, you will feel much better if you can rest your eyes on something pretty, rather than everything that reminds you of how busy you are. If you cant put up photos at wor! or in a study hall, bring a scrapboo! or use *interest on your computer. "rite a daily gratitude list ) daily gratitude list is really helpful to shift your focus and help you appreciate the situation. It doesnt have to be long, a few sentences will do. If you !eep a gratitude 6ournal, you can also loo! bac! on your previous entries whenever you need a little boost of happiness and motivation. Spend your lunchtime as sacred you#time ; and en6oy your healthy food with a little 6ournaling, blog'reading, or people'watching. +ee it as a way to nourish your soul on several levels. Its important to eat, but its e#ually important to be inspired, creative, silly, whimsical and happy. "rite a worry#list +tress ma!es us more vulnerable, and worry can be a nasty side'effect of a busy period. If you find yourself worrying a lot, its a good idea to write a daily worry'list. %henever

you catch a worrying thought, write it down and save it for later. +pend 5 minutes in the morning and 5'minutes in the evening worrying about whatever you put on your list. It may sound simple, but postponing your worry will actually ma!e it less worrying whenever you sit down and actually thin! about it in peace and #uiet. ake a run or a long walk "his one is pretty self'e planatory. )ny sort of e cercise will release endorophins, your body will than! you < it clears your head so you can focus on all the important wor! that lies ahead. &eep a planner and shedule no#appointments time "o ma!e your life less chaotic, its a good practice to !eep a planner. 2a!e sure you write down every single appointment, to save yourself from unwanted surprises and missed meetings. 7ust remember to schedule time for yourself. (onor your appointment with yourself 6ust as much as you would !eep an appointment with anyone else. 7ust ma!e sure you schedule time with yourself first anyone else needs to come in second in your life. &eep track of your achievements It may seem li!e youre never going to get over a busy period, which is why you should !eep a list of achievements close at any time.%henever you hit a milestone write it down$ It will be very useful when youre feeling tired by the end of the day and !now that you still have several more hours of wor! before you can call it a day. "ear your pretty clothes ; and be busy with style$ If you dress nicely, chances are youll feel better too. )ll it ta!es is 5 minutes in the morning, and with your most powerful, wonderful and pretty clothes on, youll feel li!e a million for the rest of the day. Go to a yoga class ;=r do some yoga at home. >ven ten minutes of savasana is better than nothing, and will recharge your batteries -and your mind.. ake a hot bath 1othing helps you rela li!e a hot bath. ?se your favourite bubbles, turn off the light, light some candles and youre good to go. =ne hour in the bath in the evening may be the

best way to rela because of this simple fact you cant ta!e your wor! and your computer with you. Light candles ,andles have a rela ing effect, especially gently scented ones. If you cant light candles in your wor!place, ma!e sure you light them when you get home. Lavender and cedarwood are scents that can help you rela . "rite support#thoughts and affirmations +upport'thoughts are thougths written down when youre calm, that can support you when you are really busy and tired. @or e ample, a gentle reminder of why youre doing all the wor!, a short pep'tal!, or a reminder of how wonderful you are is an ama ing way of ta!ing care of yourself. 'raft an emotional emergency plan Ideally, you should have this written down before you enter a really busy period. If everything goes wrong, and youre ma ed out, panic!y or 6ust plain e hausted who do you callA what do you doA where do you goA *lanning this in advance is self'care on a high level. $reathe 8o I need to say moreA %hen stress builds up, ta!e five seconds off and 6ust breathe. 8eep. Do something silly 8ont forget to have fun$ %ho said you cant laugh, even though youre busy$ 2a!e 6o!es, engage with you co'wor!ers, read comics and 6ust allow yourself to be silly for a little while. I promise it wil boost your mood, your co'wor!ers moods and a little laughter every day will help you through a really challenging time. Single#task 1ow is not the time to play superwoman. Be nice to yourself and let your brain tac!le one tas! at a time. Cumours have it that this is more productive in the long run; (ead )ocus by Leo $abauta

"his boo! is #uic! to read -and theres a free version$. and it will change your wor! habits and ma!e it much easier to be you. >nough said. ake the last evening off "he last night before your big 8-r.eadline is the night to rela . *anic!ing in the last minute isnt a very good way of ta!ing care of yourself. )nd you dont want to oversleep on your e am day, have dar! circles under your eyes on presentation day or distroy everything in the last minute because you spent the last night cramming. "a!e the last evening -or even the last day. off and rela . /ouve done your best, theres nothing more you can do. *at yourself on your bac! you made it. &eep a tidy workspace It will ma!e you more focused, rela ed and less overwhelmed. 'reate some routines %hen wor! or studies ta!e all your focus, it can be useful to create some new habits or routines to ta!e some of the burden off your bac!. 2a!e it a habit to coo! a larger batch of dinner on day 3, and eat leftovers for the ne t two days. ?se +undays to prepare what to wear for the ne t couple of days. %ear your hair in a ponytail five days in a row. "his is not the time to e pect yourself to find lots of different and e citing outfits, hairdos or recipes. "rite things down %hen youre mind is wor!ing over'time, let it rela by helping yourself remember everything. %rite down any ideas, to'dos, must'remembers and other things you have to remember. "his way, you dont have to carry the additional stress of remembering everything you need to remember. Accept a little clutter and mess 7ust let it be. +ome dust and a little dirt has never hurt anyone. @ocus on whats important to you, you can always clean up the mess later. 7ust dont go around and feel bad about it on top of everything else$ Allow your emotions to come to the surface

If youre tired and sad, cry it all out. If youre stressed, dont try to put on a mas! and hide it. Get it all out, all the frustration, the overwhelm, the anger and the fear. /oull feel much better after* +onor your limits +et some limits and stic! with them. ) lot of tas!s when were busy dont have a set limit, li!e when youre studying and being creative. Its easy to feel li!e youre never #uite done. +et some clear limits for yourself and honor them. +ay to yourself& when the time is up, Im 8=1>. ake the weekends completely off If youre under constant pressure over an e tended period of time, its good practice to !eep the wee!ends completely sacred. "his means no wor! e'mail or calls, no appointments or catching up. Gather your support group ,all your mother and as! her to help you ta!e care of the house, tell your girlfriends what youre dealing with, see! out others in the same situation as you, and ma!e sure your partner is on your team. 1ot only can they help with practical tas!s, they will give you lots of moral support and youll feel less alone. ,utsource =utsource what you can, for e ample your home cleaning, laundry or boo!eeping. Delegate If youre wor!ing on a team ma!e sure you dont try to do everything yourself, delegate as much as you can to lighten your load. Get more sunlight >specially if your busy period is happening in winter, ma!e sure you get your daily dose of sunlight if youre spending a lot of time in gloomy libraries and wor!places. ake your vitamins

"his wont even ta!e you a minute 6ust go for a multivitamin paired with your brea!fast. >specially important if youre eating a lot of processed and unhealthy foods when youre busy, but remember that vitamins dont ma!e up for an unhealthy diet. Eat fresh fruit and vegetables Deep some fruits and nuts close by and snac! when youre hungry. 8ont forget the veg, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes and carrots are great snac!s$ -se scented oils in the shower Lavender to rela , or a little peppermint to wa!e you up all you need is a drop or two of essential oil in the shower. (esist the urge to be productive all the time /ou cant be e#ually productive every single wa!ing moment, so you might as well schedule some off time right away. Be nice to yourself and dont e pect to accomplish as much in the late evening as you do in the morning. Limit your media consumption ; because your brain can only process a limited amount of information. %hen you need your focus to be on wor!, dont overflow your brain with tv news, newspapers, maga0ines and boo!s. %editate in the morning "en minutes of stillness can ma!e all the difference. $lock out distractions 1eed to get some wor! doneA ,onsider to pull out your internet cable, switch off your phone and loc! the door. If only for a few hours, you wont miss out on anything, and youll feel a lot better afterwards. 'ompliment yourself *ositive self'speech can seriously impact your mood. Instead of adding to the mon!ey' brain thoughts of not good enough, too stressed and panic tell yourself you loo! good, that youre doing great and that you can manage everything that comes your way.

Do the dreaded tasks first "here are always tas!s youll love to do more than others, and its tempting to do those first. (owever, its a good idea to do the hardest tas!s first. "hat way, youll save yourself from all the dread$ $righten your day with colourful pencils and pretty stationery It doesnt have to cost much, but it will ma!e a huge impact on your happiness especially if youre a stationery and design gee!; -well, who isntA. (eward yourself 2aybe not the best overall habit to get used to, but desperate times call for desperate measures. If you need it to get through reward yourself with gifts, chocolate and brea!s whenever you finish a tas!. 7ust dont ma!e it a habit to !ic! yourself if you dont ma!e it. 2aybe you need the treat anywaysA .ostpone all ma!or decisions ; "his is not the time to move houses, #uit your day 6ob or brea! up with your spouse -however tempting any of those changes are.. +ave the big stuff for when youre calmer and can thin! clearer. Accept yourself as you are Let yourself off the hoo! and accept that you are only human. /ou are doing your absolute best, and you are doing e actly what you need to do. "rust your instincts and !eep doing whatever youre doing. /ou dont need to change anything about yourself trust that you are perfect 6ust the way you are.

/ wish you a happy0 bustling time # hope you achieve everything you dream of and more1