How to Practice Self-Care When You Are Short on Time

photo of person holding alarm clock

Time.

It is one of the most common barriers a modern person experiences in attempting to practice self-care on a regular basis.

Either we don't have enough of it or aren't sure what to do with the limited time we do have. Sometimes we get busy, tired or overwhelmed due to trying to manage our time to do all the things.Fortunately, there are still ways to engage in self-care even when time isn't on your side. Let's take a look at these ways to practice self-care when your time is limited:

Be mindful of your time.

Notice where your time is going, especially when you are busy. Does it take you an hour to do a task that could actually be done in 15 minutes? Think about revisiting some of your everyday challenges and seeing what you can do to re-organize your time.

For instance, I realized I could make more time for physical self-care in the morning if I did five minutes worth of prep-work the night before. It was a small change that made a huge difference in my daily self-care practice. Re-organizing your time for errands, tasks and responsibilities can create more time for you to devote to your self-care practice.

Maximize your time.

When your time is limited, try to weave self-care into your daily routines. Turn on your essential oil diffuser while washing your face. Listen to an empowering podcast on your way to work. Call and catch up with your best friend while grocery shopping. Meditate while lying down before bed. Infusing elements of self-care into our everyday tasks can help us get through the day just a little bit easier, while still committing to practice self-care.

Be protective of your time.

Just with organizing your time, take notice of what activities take up too much of your time. I know I'm not alone in saying binge-watching or scrolling through social media makes time fly!Similarly, make sure to maintain your boundaries with others in protecting your time.

If you really aren't able to go out tomorrow night, or literally cannot help with a friend's project, tap into your courage and maintain your boundary. View the limited time you have as something precious that needs protecting and see what adjustments can be made in your schedule to protect that time.

Which self-care practices are helpful to you when you're short on time?