How to Take Care of Yourself When you’re Busy

Amy Taylor May 19, 2016

We all have been through busy days. There are times when work keep piling up and no matter how hard we try, we can’t just find time to de-stress and find our balance once again. But don’t worry. There are several things you can do to still practice self-care during a busy period. Here they are:

Simplify everything.

Why bother washing the laundry when you can have someone do it for you? It may cost you a little more, but it can free a lot of your time and save you energy (which you can use for more productive things and of course - rest). During busy periods, you want to be more organised with your time and resources. Start by planning your day. Make a list of your goals for the day and rank them according to importance and urgency. Take note that not all urgent stuff are important and not all important tasks are urgent. Put other commitments on hold if possible and ask someone to help you out. Keep your workstation clean and organised and make sure that everything you need is already there before you start working. It saves you the hassle.

Find your flow.

Some people are naturally productive during the day while some find their flow in the afternoon or at night. Work on your schedule and identify which time of the day you feel most productive and more focused. When you’re in the flow, you will find it easy to handle the task at hand without feeling so stressed out. What’s more, your creative juices will easily come out. Remember that working when you are least productive is not a very good idea. It can just stress you out and take you more time. You may also get displeased with the result.

Squeeze in an exercise routine.

You don’t need to go to the gym if you don’t have time. A few minutes of exercise will do. Do a few squats, jog in place for two minutes, instead of browsing the web during your break, walk around the office. Even in your desk, you can do some stretching. Incorporating exercise in your usual activities can be fun and healthy too!

Plan for a break.

Just planning for a vacation can already ease your stress, according to research. Consider planning for a break before working on a tough project. This way, you’d have something to look forward to. It doesn’t have to be a luxurious vacation out of the country. It could be as simple as visiting your grandparents over the weekend, having coffee with friends, shopping, or taking your dog for a day out.

Take care of your body.

It’s easy to overlook yourself during busy moments. But it’s actually during times like this when you need to take care of yourself more. Never skip a meal and always make healthy food choices. Make sure you are still having enough sleep. Never indulge in unhealthy coping mechanisms for stress, such as alcohol drinking and smoking. Set aside a ‘me-time’. Even if it’s just 5 or 10 minutes, you need to take a breather. Unplug and give yourself time to just focus on your body. Do things you like the most. You can be more productive when you are not stressed.

At the end of the busy season, take time to reflect on what worked well and what didn’t. There might be some things you did that made you more stressed and things that made you survive. Outline how you would deal with the issue next time. So when the next busy period comes, you know you are more than prepared. J