Let’s admit it. You have a lot to do. You have a lot on your plate. And frankly, you don’t have a lot of time. Actually, that might not really be the case but that’s the story we’re going to stick to today. So, what does it mean to care for yourself when you don’t feel like you have a lot of time? Are your self-care practices needing an hour and a half for a bath? Is it about being able to take time off and do a whole self-care day? Or are there some simple ways that you can start to practice holistic wellness without sacrificing more of your time?
For a lot of us, wellness is such a buzz word that we don’t actually know if we are taking care of ourselves or not. Often, when we think of wellness, we think about physical health. We consider our exercise and nutrition. But, what about our emotional well-being? What about mental well-being? What about emotional, spiritual, financial, social well-being?
Where we get to take a deep look at ourselves and say – wait, there might be some aspects of our life we’re really good at taking care of but there might be others where there is a deficit.
Instead of filling up our calendars of even more things to do for the sake of “well-being”, and feeling like there’s just another 10 things to put on the to do list, let’s simplify wellness for people like you, who don’t feel like they have time.
1. Breathwork.
This is an absolute non-negotiable. Our breath dictates the way that we feel on a day-to-day. Most of us are chronic breath holders without meaning to be. Even if you just observe your self right now, notice how it is that you are breathing. Are you holding your breath?
Guilty!
This is super common for many people. And it makes you feel like your nervous system is in a high alert mode. Your stress responses activate, cortisol begins to release, and you enter a sympathetic nervous state where things just feel a little bit more stressful than they are.
By doing super easy, yet effective breathing throughout the day, you can improve your stress levels, mood, energy, inner healing, grounding, and sleep for later in the night.
The nice thing about breathwork and breathing techniques is that you can do them at any time in the day. You don’t need to have a whole meditation session or set aside a bunch of time to get this done. You can literally be in your car driving and doing a breathing technique. You can be on a zoom call and mindfully inhale and exhale. You can practice 6–7–8 breath anytime you want to calm and cool your nervous system.
Find one or two techniques that you can remember very easily and stick to those as your go-tos.
2. Music.
This is another activity that you can do without needing a lot of time. If you’re not able to take time away to mindfully listen to music, you can add music to your day-to-day life as a bonus. Music has so many healing qualities, from the vibrational benefits, to the way it makes us feel, it can help us manage and maintain our emotional body throughout the day.
Options like Lofi music are incredible to have in the background; they help calm and ease your mind as you are perhaps working on a project or doing a writing assignment. Soundbaths and sound healing music use very particular frequencies that help tune your mind and energy. These are great to put on in the background when you’re doing work or passing time. Of course, you always have the option to put on a jam that you really love. This can be your favorite song, something that you’re really enjoying moving to, and throw on some headphones.
3. Dance Breaks.
Yup, shake that booty! Dancing moves around a lot of stagnant energy in the body. You don’t need a lot of time to do this activity as you’re walking from one place to the other, from your room to your bathroom, from your bathroom to the kitchen, from the kitchen to the living room, from the living room to the front door. You definitely have time to shake it like a Polaroid picture. Also don’t shake a Polaroid picture because it ruins the chemicals in that photograph.
Find moments in time where this is possible for you by making the most of all the possible times you can bust a move. If you’re sitting at your seat in your cubicle, this is a great time to shimmy up your shoulders!
Aside from the incredible healing benefits of general exercise, movements shake out the energy in the body as well. Emotions that have been stagnant in the body, and general tightness begins to release when we add a little dance break.
There you have it have it – three tips for wellness for people who don’t have time. Which ones do you already do? Did you know these were related to your wellness?