Ever felt like where did the time go? You're certainly not alone if you feel like the days are over in the blink of an eye.
The Challenge of Prioritizing Wellness
More people are talking about self-care, mental wellness, the importance of exercise, clean eating, and doing things that boost our immunity. But where is the time to do any of that? When are you supposed to be taking care of yourself in your busy schedule?
Wellness is already a struggle when things are going okay. But when life gets overwhelming, self-care often takes a backseat.
Over time, this build-up spirals out, and now the toxic wave has taken over since you did not listen to your body. To get back on track, you want to focus on what is achievable, attainable, and practical designed especially for your busy routine.
The Need for a Self-Care Mindset
When you have a busy lifestyle, it's easy to neglect self-care, for something that does not provide you with instant gratification. The problem is that this oversight can become a pattern, putting yourself second to last. Over time, this neglect can have damaging effects since you do not listen to your body. To get back on track, it’s important to adopt an attainable, and practical for your busy routine.
Moreover, it's essential to develop a self-care mindset. It means viewing it as a fundamental productivity tool rather than a luxury. It also involves letting go of guilt and challenging beliefs that might hinder self-care, like thinking you're self-centered by prioritizing your needs. Understanding and prioritizing self-care allows you to set yourself up for a healthier, more fulfilling life.
Lifestyle Tips for a Healthier You:
1. Navigate: Establish systems that prevent burnout. If you know you’re busy, plan ahead. Make exercise part of your weekly schedule just like you do with classes, meetings, etc. – and ensure you're always ready to carry out your exercise routine. Bringing a change of clothes with you and packing an extra snack are two easy ways to make sure you’re ready to follow through with your plan. Include meal planning and workouts in your schedule so that they become part of your daily routine rather than an afterthought.
2. Keep It Brief: Small, consistent steps over time compound to enhance your mood and well-being. Personalize your wellness activities according to your preferences, from skincare routines to short meditation sessions.
3. Micro-Manage Your Free Time: Value your leisure moments. Spend time with people who you actually believe are worth your energy and begin filtering out those who no longer serve you. Consider making daily, weekly, and monthly self-care checklists to effortlessly incorporate wellness into your routine. Checklists turn a large mental load into small simple tasks and will allow you to easily prioritize self-care, no matter what is going on.
4. Find Support: At times, it's comforting to realize that you're not alone in facing the challenges that life is throwing your way. Finding support, as well as wellness, is another underutilized method I think deserves a shoutout. It's comforting to know you're not alone. Engage with like-minded communities, both online and offline, to share experiences and find encouragement.
5. The Power Of Pause: this last tip is probably the hardest: know when to pause. Allow yourself to pause and take a moment before a call to action. Allow yourself to evaluate and process. It is easy to feel guilty about resting, especially when you have so much on your plate. However, you cannot pour from an empty cup.
Finding a balance between work and leisure activities is essential regardless of how busy your schedule might be. Having a process isn't the same as trying to do it all. Many top athletes may "periodize" their training, dividing it into segments that concentrate on specific aspects of performance like strength, speed, or endurance, so one doesn't interfere with another (and because they're tolerant of the fact that they have only so much energy and time).
It may feel overwhelming to try all of this, but it ultimately boils down to tackling things one day at a time, or even one hour at a time. Trust yourself … and trust the process.
Here are some tips for creating moments of peace in your daily routine:
- Spending more time outside, whether it's a short walk on your lunch break, a cup of coffee on the porch, or an afternoon phone call.
- Plan a date for yourself. Taking care of yourself and rejuvenating yourself should be scheduled and prioritized.
- Meditate or practice mindfulness for a few minutes
- Dive into a book and get lost in another world.
Conclusion
So, as we continue our wellness journey, the question we pose to you is this: How do you ensure that wellness remains a priority in your busy life? Share your thoughts and strategies in the comments below!
