5 Super Quick Self-Care Habits for Busy Women

As you probably know all too well, a busy lifestyle is often stressful. And when stress isn’t released, it accumulates in your body and mind, which can lead to irritability, fatigue, pain, and even illness and disease.

It may seem like there’s never enough time in the day for self-care, but you might be surprised by how much of a difference just a few minutes of pampering can make.

Yes, bubble baths are amazing, but if you don’t have time for those on a regular basis, try the ideas below. Making your physical and mental health a priority can still happen, even on your busiest days. 

Remember: Self-care is a great investment, and even a little goes a long way!

Stretching

When you feel stressed and overwhelmed, your body responds accordingly. From stiffness to loss of energy and irregularity, stress is a whole-body experience.

The good news is that just a few minutes of stretching can dramatically improve blood flow, stability, muscle responsiveness, and strength.

Stretching quite literally releases the stress that builds up in your body.

Whenever you feel your stress levels rising, stand up, touch your toes, and then reach toward the sky.

Even from an executive chair, just bending over and to each side will enhance your circulation. Once you get into it, you’ll be surprised by how many stretches you can do in just a few minutes – in any space!

Aromatherapy

One of the easiest ways to experience immediate stress relief is aromatherapy. Organic candles and oil burners work well, but essential oil diffusers also help cleanse the air of toxins.

Consider purchasing essential oil diffusers for the spaces you live and work in most, and choose calming and uplifting scents, such as lavender, tea tree, and frankincense.

It just takes a few minutes to fill the diffuser with water and add a few drops of your favorite essential oil, but it can make a big difference in how you feel throughout the day (and how you sleep at night).

Visualization

Another quick self-care habit is visualization. When you feel overwhelmed and want stress relief now, just close your eyes and visualize one of your happy places.

It could be a real place, an imaginary place, or a space in time that holds a good memory for you. You can also visualize the future and what you want it to look like.

As you visualize, your body and mind will instantly become engaged with your visualization, which will, in turn, instantly reduce your stress levels. 

Self-Massage

Do you feel tension and aches and pains from your busy lifestyle? No time to get a professional massage? No problem!

One of the quickest self-care habits for busy women is a good self-massage. As soon as you begin to massage yourself, you’ll feel tension and stress relief.

Plus, self-massage releases toxins and increases blood flow. It’s like a mini-workout for your muscles! 

To massage your face, close your eyes for a moment and use your thumbs to gently apply pressure to your temples in circular motions, moving along your hairline until your thumbs meet.

This can be a great way to help alleviate a headache and give your eyes a break from staring at a screen.

You can also use your fingers to apply pressure to the back of your neck and relieve any built-up tension you may have there after a long day of sitting at a desk. 

Giving

Self-care isn’t just about things you do by yourself. Giving love and encouragement to others has a way of instantly improving how we feel.

Take a few moments to text a loved one a heartfelt message or tell a coworker how much you appreciate them. Stress doesn’t stand a chance when you nurture the best parts of yourself and look out for those around you. 

By practicing these five super quick self-care habits every day, you’ll not only improve your mental and physical health, but you’ll also improve your work and your relationships, too. It’s a win-win!

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