What does burnout look like to you? Does it usually involve bursting into tears at inopportune moments over something totally random? Or maybe it looks like another day spent lying in bed staring up at the ceiling because you can’t convince yourself to roll out of bed. Or, it could even manifest itself as a health issue – thinning hair, acne breakouts, upset stomach, weird rashes, maybe even panic attacks. That’s why these self care tips for busy women are gonna be a game-changer.
Burnout looks different from person to person, but we’ve all experienced it in one form or another. And friend, that’s exactly what happens when you don’t prioritize time for YOU. That’s why this post is all about my best tips to practice self care – even if you’re always busy.
Making time for self care can be a challenge no matter what age you are or what career you have. And in your 20s and 30s, you’ve got so much on your mind, so many things to do, and so many dreams you want to achieve, that it’s no small wonder you don’t have the time to take care of yourself.
But if you want to thrive and actually enjoy your life, it’s crucial to make time for self care. As someone in her late 20s who knows the internal pressure of trying to accomplish All The Things, and who has (on more than one occasion) wound up under the covers in the middle of the day for a good cry, I can attest to the importance of regular self care.
So, let’s embark on our mission to become Self Care Queens and dive into my 15 self care tips for busy women in their 20s.
You might also enjoy:
- 30 Day Self Confidence Challenge
- 1 Month Glow Up Challenge
- 30 Day Wellness Challenge
- My Top Secrets to Create a Morning Routine You’ll Love
My best self care tips for busy women
Tip 1: Meal prep your breakfast, (‘cause yes, you probably do need more than just an iced coffee)
You won’t have the energy to slay the day if you’re full of jitters and no real sustenance or brain food.
That said, I know how hard it can be to get up earlier enough to actually cook a whole breakfast.
That’s why meal-prepping breakfast is one of the best things you can do for your morning routine.
If you want something prepared ahead of time, whip up these delicious egg bites to keep in the fridge.
Or, slice up your desired veggies and cook up your breakfast meats the night before, that way in the morning you just have to throw it all in a pan with some eggs and voila!
Omelet in minutes.
Tip 2: Give yourself at least one little thing to look forward to each day
Getting yourself a lil treat might just be the best thing you can do for yourself.
You’re a busy woman, doing your best to get everything done for everyone else, and sometimes a pick-me-up is the act of self care you need to boost your spirits.
Go buy or make yourself a delicious latte for a sweet, strong energy boost.
Or, make a friend date with your bestie mid-week, because laughter and girl talk really is so good for the soul.
If your day is filled to the brim with errands and projects, then your little treat might be snacking on some popcorn and watching your favorite Netflix show when you get home.
Just knowing you’ve got something to look forward to in your day is one of the best ways to practice self care as a busy woman.
Tip 3: Exercise and move your body every day
Don’t use busyness as an excuse to neglect your health.
This is the only body you have, and it’s yours to love!
For the sake of your overall health, try to exercise at least 30 minutes a day – especially if you have a desk job!
Hot Girl Walks are a great way to squeeze some movement into a hectic day, get your blood pumping, and enjoy some fresh air.
But don’t just take a walk every day and call it good – aim to push yourself harder than that.
Get your heart rate up by weight lifting 2-3 times a week, riding a bike or stationary bike, swimming laps, going on a challenging hike, jogging, jumping rope, or whatever exercise floats your boat.
Of course, as a busy woman looking to practice some self care, you might not have time for super long workouts all the time. That’s totally understandable!
Personally, I usually do an hour-long weight lifting workout 3 times a week, with one extra day of cardio (usually riding our assault bike).
You don’t have to spend hours in the gym, 6 days a week to be “That Girl.”
Tip 4: Don’t bottle up your emotions
There’s nothing like a little Menty B to make you realize you’ve gone too long keeping everything bottled up.
Like, one time, I went through the Taco Bell drive-thru after a tough day and the nice lady on the speaker said “Hi, how can I help you?” And I rattled off my order and she said, “I’m sorry, we’re actually closed.”
And then I proceeded to laugh hysterically before breaking down in tears. So, yeah, you could say I’d been bottling up my true emotions that week.
Show yourself some love by letting your emotions out when you need to.
Write it down. Journal it out. Cry when you need to. Don’t pretend to be okay when you’re not.
We’re all just people, and we all deserve to release our emotions in a healthy way.
Besides, it’s much better to let your emotions out when you need to, rather than suddenly explode in tears or a panic attack during an inopportune moment.
Tip 5: Set boundaries
This is one of my favorite self care tips for busy bees (also, busy women). I know you’re Superwoman, and you don’t think you need to put limits on certain things. But, I’m here to tell you friend-to-friend: you need boundaries.
After all, self care is doing the hard stuff, and that includes practicing tough love with others and yourself.
Set clear boundaries in all areas of your life: work, personal, and relationships.
That might look like: not responding to emails on weekends (work boundary), limiting social media to 30 minutes a day (personal boundary), or saying no to energy-draining people (relationship boundary).
Tip 6: Practice gratitude with intention
Everyone talks about “practicing gratitude,” but what does that even look like?
A few of my favorite ways to practice gratitude with intention are to:
- Really notice how delicious your latte is; don’t just guzzle it down. Sip and savor.
- Show appreciation for your friends by expressing to them what their friendship means to you, or better yet SHOW them.
- Begin the day by speaking/writing down something you’re grateful for. End the day by writing something good that happened in the day or something that made you laugh.
What’s the point? Why all this “gratitude” nonsense?
Learning to be not just satisfied, but happy with what you already have in your life is a great way to practice self care, no matter how busy you are.
It’s much more satisfying to find the joy in every day, than to dwell on bad things or what you feel you lack.
Tip 7: Sleep, for the love of all things good in this world
Friend, I cannot emphasize enough how much you need sleep.
Sleep gives you alllll the good things you want out of your day:
- energy
- motivation
- a better mood
- creativity
- mental stability
- clarity
- focus
- strong immune system
- and all the other good healthy stuff.
Aim for 8-9 hours of sleep every night, and I guarantee you’ll notice a difference in your overall mental health.
Plus, you’ll be less likely to stab snap at annoying people.
Need a little help going to sleep? Read this blog post for evening routine ideas for better sleep.
Tip 8: Talk to the people who matter to you
The hard thing about being a busy woman is that it’s far too easy to isolate yourself.
Your schedule is packed, you barely have enough time to respond to all those work emails, let alone text messages from your actual friends.
But the truth is, you’re not doing yourself any favors by being isolated.
There are people in your life who love you, and who want good things for you.
Schedule in just a little time every day, plus a bigger chunk every week. Give those friends and family a call, schedule a FaceTime, or go get coffee.
Self care doesn’t have to be alone time; it can involve other people, too. Allow yourself to pour love and energy into others, and be poured into in return.
It’s much more fulfilling than just sending memes back and forth, trust me.
Tip 9: Talk to yourself like you would your best friend
Here’s something funny about me: I will audibly tell myself “shhh” quietly when I feel my thoughts getting super stressed out or negative. It’s weird, but it’s my little cue to stop the direction my thoughts are going in and change them before I spiral.
When you find yourself stressed, overwhelmed, and in over your head, it’s easy to let those negative, mean-girl voices in your head get real loud.
But putting yourself down with ugly words and cruel criticisms is the opposite of self care.
Speak to yourself in love. Practice telling your mean thoughts to quiet down and actively change the way you speak to yourself.
Tip 10: Schedule alone time for yourself
If you already tend to be more isolated, this one might not apply to you.
But, spending time alone with your thoughts is an essential self care tip for busy women like us.
It’s usually in these quiet moments that you can pause and look inward to see how you’re really doing.
Because as much as it’s a habit to respond “I’m fine, how are you?” when someone asks you during the hustle and bustle of the day, it’s a lot harder to lie to yourself.
These self check-ins are important to help avoid burnout and general dissatisfaction with your life.
Tip 11: Spend time in nature
Have you ever noticed how quickly your mood improves when you’re in the mountains, staring at the stars in the sky, or sitting by the ocean?
Many studies have shown that spending time in nature results in feeling more calm and happy, while simultaneously decreasing levels of anxiety and depression.
Apparently, being around nature can even assist cognitive function, like memory. It even helps with self-control.
So what? So, one of my best tips for busy women like us to practice self care is to simply spend more time in nature. It will literally help perk up and re-focus your brain.
If you live in the city or somewhere nature is hard to come by, try looking for a community green space, visiting a garden or park, shopping at an outdoors Farmer’s Market, watching the sunrise or sunset, and even adding live greenery to your home.
Or, try my personal favorite: Drive out past the city lights, find a good and safe spot to park, and do some stargazing.
Tip 12: Try a new hobby
Hobbies are a super fun form of self care for busy women like us, and the best part is… you don’t have to be any good at it!
You don’t have to dedicate tons of time to it to get better, or pressure yourself to be amazing at it. You do it to give yourself an outlet.
For instance: I took up watercoloring just for the heck of it. And — shocker — I’m pretty terrible at it!
Truly.
But I don’t care. I didn’t start watercoloring to sell my art or become a professional painter. I started because I wanted to use pretty colors, get creative, and make something with my hands.
I also started reading fantasy books again, which I hadn’t done since before high school! It’s my new obsession, and I can’t tell you how much joy it brings me to read about fae warriors, dragons, and mystical lands.
So, what just-for-fun hobbies should you start?
Think about the things you enjoyed as a kid and what might still be fun to you today. Consider trying:
- painting
- knitting
- pottery
- reading
- collecting sea shells
- flower arranging
- candle-making
- calligraphy
- making your own tea blends, etc.
See what you enjoy doing, and then incorporate it in your life in a way that’s fun for you.
Tip 13: Turn your hygiene time into a spa-like experience
A girl’s gotta take a shower eventually, right?
So, use your general grooming and hygiene routine as a form of self care, even if you only have time to do a full routine once a week.
Here are some ways you can romanticize your grooming time and turn it into a form of self care:
- Light a candle (this one is my favorite! You won’t be sorry)
- Play some relaxing music
- Use a jade roller in your skincare routine or a gua sha
- Use a luxurious body scrub to exfoliate
- Pamper yourself with essential oils and shower melts, or bath bombs and epsom salts if you’re a bath girlie
Allow yourself to have at least one lavish shower/bath day a week.
This will keep your skin glowing, but also encourage you to slow down and enjoy every moment of your alone time.
Tip 14: Take a break from social media
I know social media is fun, and I have my fair share of cat videos saved on my Instagram, but too much time scrolling can have the opposite effect of self care.
Instead, it can make you feel anxious, stressed, or cause you to compare yourself and your life to other people online.
As a busy woman in this age, a social media detox is not just an amazing form of self care, but it’s also a necessary one.
Set time limits on your social apps so you can put your phone down and spend that time relaxing, being in the moment, and enjoying the company of those around you.
Tip 15: Eat well and eat nutritiously
Our bodies weren’t made to run on fast food and packaged meals (as much as we may love Chick-Fil-A.)
One of the most important forms of self care is to simply feed your body real food with real nutrients.
When you eat too many foods packed with sugar and artificial ingredients, it can make you feel sluggish, and it usually doesn’t give your body real nutrition anyway.
So with that in mind, try to eat whole foods whenever possible.
Prioritize protein, nutrient-rich foods, and foods free of artificial nonsense.
Conclusion for my best self care tips for busy women
Remember, self care doesn’t have to be a full-day event. You don’t need the nicest loungewear sets, or the most beautiful bathtub with rose petals, or an appointment for a manicure to practice self care.
Take advantage of the little opportunities throughout your day to practice self care and self love. Your physical and mental health need your attention to avoid burnout and general exhaustion.
So from one busy girlie to another, go make yourself a nice cup of tea, get a book or your Netflix show, and take some time to relax.
‘Cause that’s exactly what I’m gonna go do right now.
If you liked this post about self care tips for busy women, I’d super appreciate if you took a quick moment to share it! Thanks in advance, friend.
Sending you love and good vibes,
XO Sav
