5 Self-Care Tips for Super Busy Professionals

If you're a busy professional, chances are you've become good at cranking out a 10 hour day.

While that might be good for your career, too much work without a break can have serious consequences. Longer work hours can leave you drained, depressed, and downright exhausted.

That's why practicing self-care needs to become an integral part of your life. Self-care won't rob you of your time, on the contrary, it will increase your productivity, and help you avoid burnout.

Here are five self-care tips you can put into practice today.

It can be tough to find enough time to practice self-care throughout the day. But think about ways in which you can squeeze a few minutes of self-care into your day here and there.

Go for a walk during your lunch break. Write a positive message on a post-it and stick on your computer screen. Take three deep nose-breaths every half hour. Need to talk out your problems? Save time by skipping the drive to your therapist's office and do some online therapy.

Self-care is something you have to make time for. While that may mean changing up your schedule, it's more than worth it. I mentioned in a previous post how finding just 15 minutes to exercise makes your day so much better.

When we think of hygiene, we tend to think of things like showering or brushing our teeth. But sleep hygiene is every bit as important -- if not more.

Studies show that sleep and mood are inherently linked together. The less sleep you get, the worse you'll feel.

However, sleep hygiene isn't only about how much sleep you get. It's about quality, too.

Ditch the electronics one hour before bedtime and make sure you're sleeping in a quiet and dark room.

Have you ever noticed how a trip to the gym or walk in the woods always makes you feel calmer?

Well, there's a reason for that. When we exercise, our brains release a chemical called dopamine which is responsible for the regulation of moods.

Exercise really can make you happier! 15 minutes in the gym, or a 5 minute jog around the block... any exercise is better than no exercise. Make the time.

As a professional, you may be driven to advance your career. You have vision and aspirations.

That's wonderful! But if you're not careful, that ambitious streak can lead to frustration, anxiety, and depression.

Be daring and tackle that big project. But never do so at the expense of your mental well-being.

You're better off saying no right now than stretching yourself thin. Guard your energy. It's finite and precious.

Your version of self-care might look entirely different from your best friend's.

And you know what? There's nothing wrong with that. The gym, yoga, walking, reading a book, sipping tea, calling a friend... all forms of (healthy) self-care are good!

Enjoy your activity and don't feel guilty for taking time out of your day to enjoy it. You'll come away feeling refreshed, happier, and less anxious than before.

There you have it, a few easy ways to help you practice self-care, even when your day is full.

Establishing a new and healthier routine may take some time. But you'll see a night and day difference when you take time out to care for yourself, so vow to commit to self-care right now.

If you're looking for more tips, or have questions about how therapy works, feel free to reach out and schedule your free phone consultation today.