Ladies, I think we can all agree that having "enough time" to do the things we want is sometimes a luxury that's a little out of reach.

As hard-working women, we tend to put ourselves on the backburner in favor of everything else we believe needs to come first. Kids, family, work, responsibilities, etcetera, etcetera.
And that's not to say those things aren't important, because believe me, they are, but I think that within so many of us lies this deep-seeded belief that taking care of ourselves and putting ourselves first every now and then is selfish.

If you stop to think about it for a second, it seems a little crazy, doesn’t it?

We should not feel guilty about taking a few minutes out of the day to zero in on ourselves and give our bodies and minds the attention they deserve.
We should not feel guilty about needing a little break from everything else and reserving a few moments a week to simply breathe.

We should not feel guilty about needing something that is just for us and no one else, especially when so much of our everyday lives revolve around giving, giving, giving. There is nothing wrong with giving, giving, giving, as long as we remember that we need to give to ourselves just as much.

I’m a long-time believer in the fact that self-care is not selfish — it’s essential to the health of our bodies and minds, essential to our success, and essential for living great lives. I’ve put together a list of simple self-care tips for busy women that can work with your schedule and not against it, so that putting yourself first isn’t just another block you need to work into your calendar.
 

1. Get Physical

We know we should probably be logging at least 30 minutes of exercise a few times a week, if not more, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be creative about it. Skip the cold, impersonal (and sometimes anxiety-inducing) gym experience in favor of taking your furry friend for a jog around the block.

Ditch working around the inconvenient schedule of a fitness class and download an on-demand fitness app so you can log a heart-pumping, calorie-burning workout in the comfort of your own home. Forget subjecting your body to trends you can’t get down with and use cleaning day as a way to dance around your house to a playlist of your all-time favorite songs.

Working out doesn’t need to be a punishment. Find ways to incorporate moving into everyday tasks, and you’ll log the exercise you need with a smile on your face.

2. Do the things that make you happy

So now that you've found a way to squeeze in a workout a few times a week, how about spending just a couple minutes doing something that brings you pure bliss?

Maybe instead of scrolling through social media on your lunch hour or right before bed, pick up that book that you've been meaning to read for ages. Instead of spending hours trying to find something — anything! — to watch on Netflix, why not dive into the hobby that you absolutely love but never make the time for? Maybe it’s writing, or painting, or kickboxing, or DIYing.

Self-care isn't just about making sure you're exercising or eating right. Self-care is about happiness and finding ways to bring it into your life, even when things get crazy

3. Pamper yourself

When we think of pampering, most of us probably think of luxurious spa treatments and extended beach vacations.

You definitely will not find us saying no to these things, but for some of us, they may be luxuries we can't afford. A little pampering goes a long way, and it is an essential part of our self-care that often gets neglected because so many of us feel guilty about feeling good, especially if we think you need a lot of money to get there. But I’ll let you in on a little secret.

You don’t need to spend piles of your hard-earned cash to pamper yourself. No matter how crazy my schedule gets, and no matter how many things I need to do in a week, I always make sure to squeeze in a little extra time just to pamper myself, because I feel so amazing when I do. I feel energized, revitalized, and I go about my business with a little extra pep in my step. And you know what? It honestly doesn’t take me very much. Simply applying my favorite moisturizers, giving myself a pedicure, or drawing myself a nice, hot bath with one of my luxurious affordable and organic fizzy bath bars are all I need to pamper myself.

Ladies, it's not life if you're not living it, and living life means sometimes taking a moment to stop and just be in it. Practicing self-care and putting ourselves first every now and again is just one way to help us do just that.