What are practical self-care strategies for busy schedules?
Written by
Natalie Hamilton
Reviewed by
Prof. Benjamin Murphy, Ph.D.With our busy lives, self-care may seem impossible. But there are practical ways to be kind to yourself: Micro-practices blend into your busy life without adding to the stress. Habit stacking is attaching tiny acts of wellness to what you already do. Calendar blocking sets time for non-negotiable recharging. All these things honor your limited bandwidth while giving you real benefits.
Habit Integration
- Attach 5-minute breathing to coffee routines
- Practice gratitude during commute traffic
- Stretch during phone meetings
Energy Conservation
- Delegate one household task weekly
- Batch similar activities together
- Use meal kits for nutritional efficiency
Transition Utilization
- Micro-meditations between meetings
- Hydration checks after emails
- Posture resets before new tasks
Calendar blocking is crucial for busy people. Block three 15-minute times weekly as non-negotiable appointments. Treat these as if they were critical meetings involving your well-being. Minor protected segments create a consistency that fragments of time cannot achieve alone.
Select one of these tactics to start with today. Execute a habit-stacked breathing with your morning choice of beverage. You will create psychological elasticity by noticing that the micro-practices can happen at a pace that does not disrupt your morning schedule. You will then see the compounding benefits of consistent small actions!
Read the full article: 7 Essential Self Care Steps for Mental Health
