Being a successful working woman comes with many challenges, and women often neglect their own needs so they can cater to others better. But self-care isn’t something we can simply overlook. If we want to continue to be successful, we need to give our body, mind, and soul a break so that they can heal and recover.
But what exactly constitutes self-care? Self-care means that you listen to your body’s needs and take steps to fulfill its demands. You need to be just as kind to yourself as you would be to a struggling friend. Self-care is essential to avoid getting burned out. Psychology has also proven that engaging in self-care can eliminate or lessen the feelings of anxiety and depression. It can also improve concentration, increase energy and happiness and reduce frustration and anger. Self-care has also proven to reduce heart disease, cancer, and stroke.
While finding some downtime when you have so much on your plate can be extremely overwhelming, you don’t necessarily need a lot of time to take care of yourself. Let’s look at some self-care tips that every working woman can take advantage of with that in mind.
Here are 7 Self-Care Tips for Busy Women
Get More Sleep
This is the first and most essential part of self-care. In addition, most elevated stress and anxiety levels can be traced right back to lack of sleep. As an entrepreneur, it can’t be stressed enough how important it is to get enough sleep! And we know how hard that can be some nights, especially if you’re in a startup and trying to balance a lot of things at once. But even so, it is imperative to develop a routine to help you get a good night’s rest.
As you know, your body needs 7-8 hours of sleep every single night, and no less. Research has proven that getting proper sleep lowers your risk of getting serious health problems like diabetes and heart disease. It can also boost your immune system, prevent weight gain, and increase productivity, performance, and memory.
Ask For Assistance
Some career-minded women have Type A personalities. They either find it hard to ask for help because it would mean giving control over someone else, or they don’t trust anyone else to do the same quality of work they do. In either case, this leads to them carrying an excessive load while others are eager to take on the job. At the point that you recognize that you have taken too much and requires assistance, make it easy for yourself by asking for help. This, too, is a form of self-care.
Asking for help should in no way be associated with shame, and you should have a support system that lets you implement self-care both at work and at home. If you want some time to work out in the mornings, perhaps you can ask your partner to take care of the domestic duties in the morning. And if you want to leave work a little early so you can get a little more rest, then maybe a work colleague can cover for you, and you can repay the favor later.
Say No!
To some extent, we all have people-pleaser tendencies in our personalities. We often do not like to refuse others who need our help. And when we want to refuse, it is often accompanied by immense guilt, which leads us to say yes even if we don’t want to. It is essential to prioritize your mental and physical well-being because if you don’t champion yourself, who will? So next time someone asks you for a favor, try refusing because it is essential to create boundaries that will help you prioritize your mental health.
Try Some Music
Just like sleep, music also has a very powerful influence on the human mind. It can boost memory, lighten your mood, reduce depression and anxiety, lessen fatigue and help you work with more efficiency. So the next time you are feeling burned out from working too much, put some music on and dance your heart out. Despite how silly it sounds, it can rejuvenate you in seconds.
Invest In Alone Time
At work or home, we are more often than not surrounded by tons of people, but if you are an introvert, you definitely need some downtime to recover from the busy happenings of life. You don’t even have to do anything in your alone time; just sit with yourself and reflect on where you are in life, what you need to do to take better care of yourself, and other important issues that we can only contemplate when we slow down.
Reward Yourself
We often hold back our desires, simply waiting for the right time to fulfill them. Sometimes treating yourself with something you enjoy can give you a sense of fulfillment. Take time to spoil yourself and buy yourself that impractical dress or that extremely expensive coffee maker you know is over-priced but still want.
Do Some Yoga
Yoga can also help you de-stress and can reduce anxiety. It can also help you reflect on yourself, which we rarely find the time to do. Plus, sitting in a chair or walking all around the office has probably taken a toll on your back, legs, and upper arms, and stretching these areas can help prevent you from developing severe back problems in the future.
As we discussed, we often make time for other people and circumstances as busy women. We hope this article gave you some practical things to make self-care a part of your lifestyle.
