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How to Balance a Busy Life Through Practising Self-Care

nmasipa — Mon, 17 Feb 2025 19:39:37 +0000

One of the most difficult challenges many people face when practising self-care is finding the time to do it. When you live a busy lifestyle, finding extra time to look after yourself and find the right life balance can seem almost impossible. So, how can you balance practising self-care with a busy lifestyle? This post offers some great tips you can follow. Self-care is often seen as a luxury, but did you know it can lead to a longer, happier life? Without self-care, you’re likely to end up feeling stressed, tired, and generally unhappy. Make the Time for Life Balance To ensure you can fit self-care into your busy routine, schedule it. If you’re like most people, you schedule everything else, so why not self-care? When you set a time to focus on yourself, you are more likely to stick to it. No matter how busy you think you are, there will always be time for self-care somewhere in your schedule. Establish a morning routine If you are struggling to find the best time of day to practice self-care, you might find it easier in the morning. Finding the right balance in life can be challenging if you have a hectic life, but doable. In the morning, you could get up just 30 minutes earlier, or 15 minutes to start with. Establishing a morning routine can be the perfect opportunity to practice self-care. As a parent, you could focus on self-care in the evenings when the kids have gone to bed if that works better and you don’t have the morning rush. It doesn’t have to take long to practice self-care so you should always be able to squeeze it in somewhere. Automate daily tasks All kinds of tools and gadgets can automate various aspects of our lives. If you are constantly busy, you’ll find automating certain tasks can be a game changer. A simple thing like speech-to-text takes so much time off having to type (I love it). For example, you could switch from going to the grocery store to ordering groceries online. If you have items you frequently purchase, these can be added to your favourites list, making it easier to add them to your order next time. Doing your grocery shopping online can free up a lot of free time during the week that can be used for self-care. You may also like: Why Self-Care Matters Start small to find your life balance You don’t have to start by completely overhauling your lifestyle. Instead, you can start small with self-care. Begin by taking just 10 minutes out of each day to focus on a self-care activity. Focus on developing one positive self-care habit at a time. Once you have mastered that, you can move on to the next task. By starting small, it makes it easier to fit self-care into your busy life. Many people mistakenly think they need to begin with at least 30 minutes a day. The truth is, however much time you can free up for self-care is enough. Once you get started, you’ll find it easier to start focusing more on self-care due to the benefits you experience. Overall, balancing practising self-care with a busy life isn’t easy. Remember, self-care is essential to your health and well-being. So, no matter how busy you are, you should always try and make time for self-care daily. Common Hurdles When Practising Self-Care When it comes to working on self-care, all of us have different blind spots. These are aspects of ourselves that we aren’t fully aware of. It could be personality traits, feelings, or actions. Awareness of the hurdles you need to get over is the first step in the right direction. These blind spots can hamper our self-care efforts of finding life balance. That is why it is so important to become fully aware of them. Here, we’ll look at some of the most common blind spots you may discover when working on self-care. You avoid conflict Many people hate conflict, but sometimes it is needed to resolve situations. If you tend to avoid conflict, you’ll often do or say things you don’t necessarily agree with. This is a common blind spot that can derail your self-care efforts. The trouble is when you give in to others just to avoid conflict, it reduces your credibility. You’ll also find you are frequently miserable due to not standing firm in your own beliefs and values and trying to please everyone. So, if your blind spot is avoiding conflict, it’s important to address it, set boundaries and be clear about what you want. Not letting toxic people go Do you have toxic people you just can’t seem to let go of? Whether it is a friend, partner, or family member, associating with toxic people is going to hurt your self-development. If you learn to let toxic people go, it’s going to significantly improve your life balance. You’ll be happier and much more able to make positive changes in your life. It’s hard to remain positive in life when you are surrounded by negativity. So, assess the relationships in your life and if there is a toxic person around you, work on distancing yourself and instead surround yourself with positive role models. You are continually late Frequently running late might not sound like a problematic hurdle in self-care. However, it could be negatively impacting various aspects of your life. When you are known for being late, it lowers your reliability. This can negatively impact your relationships, as well as lead to issues at work. In terms of self-care, this trait can make it harder to stick to certain changes you make. For example, you may find it more difficult to stick to a schedule you set yourself. Time management is important if you want to long-lasting and impactful change. Impatience If you tend to be an impatient person, you may find self-care more challenging. This is because you won’t necessarily see any results overnight. It takes time to adopt new habits and see the benefits of self-care. So, if you’re impatient, you might give up before you’ve experienced the benefits of your hard work. When you are impatient, you can get easily frustrated when you don’t see instant results. So, working on becoming more patient as you start your self-care journey is essential if you want to keep it up. As they say… patience is a virtue. These are some of the most common hurdles you’ll experience when working on self-care. Identifying them will help you reduce the challenges of letting your self-care slide and make you much more likely to succeed with any changes you make. You may also like: 15 Self-Care Tips Effects of Lack of Self-Care on Life Balance How a lack of self-care can lead to an unhappy life. Learn some of the signs to watch out for that you need more self-care in your life. You can’t pour from an empty cup. You’ll feel stressed and exhausted When you aren’t taking care of yourself, you’ll often feel stressed and exhausted. This in turn can lead to burnout and a feeling of resentment. For example, it could be that you are exhausted from taking care of everyone else’s needs. Over time, if you don’t factor in self-care, you could end up resenting your loved ones. When you are constantly exhausted and stressed out, it’s impossible to maintain a positive outlook. Self-care helps to combat stress and it also boosts your energy levels. Personal hygiene suffers A side effect of not following a self-care routine is that your hygiene could suffer. This is especially true for those experiencing depression. When you are depressed or low, self-care is the last thing on your mind. In severe cases, you could spend days in bed, failing to do even basic self-care tasks such as taking a shower or brushing your teeth. The trouble is, that failing to take care of yourself makes you feel even worse. So, maintaining self-care is crucial for your mental health and personal hygiene. You’ll turn to unhealthy coping mechanisms Another thing that tends to happen when you lack self-care, is you’ll seek unhealthy enjoyment. It could be overindulging in junk food because it makes you feel better. Or you could turn to alcohol or drugs to escape. When you start turning to unhealthy habits for comfort, it’s going to lead to additional issues. You’ll also feel unhappier, particularly if you drink in excess. Alcohol is a depressant which can leave you feeling a lot worse than you started. Weight gain Many people who don’t take care of themselves, experience some level of weight gain. The more weight you gain, the unhappier you are going to be. It can be difficult to lose weight, so focus on self-care to help you avoid this potential challenge. Healthy foods and exercise are good for your overall well-being. The feel-good hormones leave feeling lighter and in a better mood. You never feel good enough Self-care is something you do because you are already worth it. Therefore, if you fail to take care of yourself, you can feel like you are never good enough. As you are constantly tired and juggling life’s responsibilities, you may feel like you are a failure or don’t measure up to others. These are just some of the things that can happen when you don’t follow a self-care routine. The effects can be severe, causing you to lead an unhappy and unfulfilled life. So, if you’re looking to lead a happier life, now is the time to start focusing on your needs and making self-care a priority. Self-care is a deeper experience of taking care of yourself from the inside out. There are so many ways to nurture and care for yourself. You don’t need elaborate measures or to go all extravagant. Anything that brings you joy, a sense of calm and connection is a means of self-care. Replenish your reserves and fill up your cup. Take time and make the time. There is always something you can cut down or do without that doesn’t have the great benefits of self-care. Try it. You’ll love it. Love, Everyday Ntha Share the love!

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How to Practice Self-Care and Why It Matters

nmasipa — Sun, 23 Jul 2023 13:05:52 +0000

Self-care is a term you’ve probably been hearing a lot lately. It’s become a popular buzzword but can still be confusing to grasp the concept at its core. While the concept does involve taking care of yourself, there are more layers to it. What is self-care, why does it matter, and how can you start your self-care routine and journey? We often don’t prioritise self-care during stressful times. It can be difficult to focus on anything but the bare minimum when life gets hard. The fact is, though, that these are the days when you most need to take care of yourself. Having a self-care toolkit and a list of self-care routines can make it easier for you to implement them when needed. What is Self-Care Self-care involves nurturing your body, mind and spirit. It focuses on building yourself up so that your internal resources don’t become depleted. Essentially, self-care is being as good to yourself as you would be to someone you care about. It requires you to show yourself compassion and encourages you to be vulnerable with others, asking for help when you need it. What doesn’t fall under the umbrella of self-care are self-destructive coping mechanisms such as using drugs, drinking, gambling or retail therapy. These things only make you feel good in the short term. The Benefits of Self-Care Embracing self-care can be difficult for those who always put others first. However, giving all your energy to those around you without filling your backup leaves you depleted and empty. That’s no way to live. Instead, spending time and effort on yourself rejuvenates and energizes you. Taking time to indulge in your interests demonstrates your worth, leading to improved self-esteem and a more positive outlook on life. It teaches you a lot about yourself and provides you with insight into what you need to be the best version of yourself. Self-care helps you better cope with stress and to prioritize what’s important to you. You’ll be better able to take care of others when you also take time to meet your own needs. Self-Care List There are countless ways to add self-care to your routine. The key is to choose activities that are most enjoyable to you and provide you with the most benefits. These are just a few of the ways you can easily incorporate self-care into your life. Now you know what self-care is and why it’s important. You’ve also got some ideas of how to get started, so you’re well on your way to adding this useful practice to your life. Start & End Your Day With A Little Self Care Like any new habit, adding self-care into your life can seem kind of tricky. You probably wonder how you’ll manage to find time to do anything extra for yourself, let alone how you’ll remember to do these things. One of the best ways to get started is to build your activities into predictable parts of your day. To make something a habit, it has to happen regularly. Read on for some helpful tips for making a self-care routine part of your life. Personalise it The first thing that will help you in creating your self-care plan is to choose activities that are meaningful to you. This is your practice, so you want to be sure it’s customised to get the most out of it. Consider making a list of things that help you to feel relaxed, peaceful, excited or happy. These activities should not be too time-consuming and be able to easily fit into your life without special equipment or tools. As you begin your practice, keep it as simple as possible. Make time You should add your self-care rituals to the most convenient parts of your day. Choose times that are already somewhat flexible so that incorporating something new into that space will be less stressful. Many people go with morning or evening routines, right when they wake up and before going to sleep each night. Getting up fifteen minutes earlier than usual and setting aside some time during the usual night-time schedule is easily doable. However, maybe designating your daily lunch break as your self-care time might work better for you. Consider activities like writing a gratitude journal entry before bed, listening to music while having your morning coffee or going for a short walk during your lunch hour. Try different things until you find something that gels with you, but find a moment to call your own every day. Be Flexible It’s best to come up with a routine that works for you and stick to it. Committing to a particular schedule will help you to create a habit and ensures that you get the self-care you need. However, try to cut yourself some slack. Some days are more hectic than others. You may not be able to fit in your anticipated self-care activity, and that’s okay. Tomorrow is a new day, and you can try again. Soon, you’ll find yourself wanting to take part in these routines, and getting back on track will be easy. Getting into the practice of regular self-care doesn’t have to be difficult. Making a few adjustments to your existing schedule can free up some space in your day. Choosing things that will refresh you and that are simple will make getting started a breeze. You may also like: 15 Self-care Tips to overcome uncertain times Try Something New Today To Care For Yourself Creating habits and adding activities to your calendar help increase your chances of sticking with your new routine. Another way to keep things interesting is to treat yourself to things you’ve always wanted to do. Adding new experiences to your self-care routine is like giving yourself a little gift every day. It’s a great way to stay motivated to do things to care for yourself. Pamper Yourself Taking physical care of yourself in a pampering way makes us feel good. Pampering is a go-to for many people when it comes to their self-care routine. Think of something you’ve never done before. It doesn’t have to be expensive. A small act of indulgence can have the same effect as an extravagant one. Maybe consider scheduling a manicure if you’ve never had one. A bubble bath with candles can be soothing if this is something you don’t do very often. If your budget will allow, a spa day with a friend could rejuvenate your body and spirit. Celebrate Today Most of us don’t buy ourselves presents very often or even give ourselves little treats. You can change that starting now. Think of something within your budget you’ve been wanting for a while now. Then permit yourself to buy it. Maybe it’s those pair of shoes you’ve had your eye on or the cell phone upgrade that would make your life easier. Giving yourself one gift, no matter how small, can be a boost to your self-worth. Enjoy the Little Things Self-care doesn’t have to be on a grand scale. Even the smallest gestures can be meaningful. Indulging in small free or low-cost treats allows you to spoil yourself more often. What are some little things you can start adding to your life today? Have you ever bought yourself flowers? Give it a try. You’ll get a boost every time you see that beautiful bouquet on your table or desk. Think of your favourite food item, the one you have on special occasions. Why not make one day a week a little more special by trying a new version of it? Get creative with it. Adding new experiences to your self-care routine keeps things interesting and can also help make them more meaningful. The novelty will also expand your world and enrich your life. Plus, it’s just fun! Make a List Let’s start with your self-care backup plan. This is a list of at least five activities you can easily fit into your life during the most stressful periods. Having such a reminder on hand will help you gain the benefits of caring for yourself without having to think about it too much. This list can include simple reminders like going to bed early so you get enough sleep, eating nutritious food to keep your energy up or asking for help you need because these are all things you might forget when you’ve got a ton on your plate. During times of trouble, the very basic foundations of self-care can be the most important. Make a Self-Care Hamper Another way to boost your chances of keeping self-care focused during hard times is to prepare a care package ahead of time. This can include some of your favourite little indulgences like a good book, herbal teas, a facial mask, fuzzy slippers and a soothing playlist. Include anything that brings you joy. Being able to reach for this package when you’re stressed can mean the world and make a huge difference to your outlook. Get your loved ones Involved When things look bleak, you may require a bit of help to get back on track. That’s why it’s a good idea to reach out to trusted friends and family now to enlist their help for the future. Talk to your closest confidantes and let them know you would like them to always encourage your self-care routine. Share with them the benefits it’s provided you and tell them you’d appreciate their assistance if they see you aren’t caring for yourself as well as you should be. Sometimes those who know us best can see things we don’t. Taking steps to plan now can make maintaining your self-care routine easier in the future. Always remember it’s during the hardest times that you need to nurture yourself the most. Self-Care Doesn’t Have To Cost Anything Lots of people get the wrong idea about self-care. They think they have to be deserving of it. They feel like it’s splurging to do something good for themselves. It’s time we change that mindset. Self-care is something you deserve. Everyone does. It benefits us all, along with those around us, when we put our well-being first. You can’t take care of others when your well-being is suffering. Let’s take a look at some free and low-cost ways you can care for yourself. Take a Time Out Sometimes just a little bit of alone time is all you need to feel rejuvenated. So why not give yourself a time-out? Lock yourself in your room with a nice cup of tea. Listen to some quiet music. Just sit still and think for a bit. It’s a luxury we all can afford. Do NOTHING! We often feel pressured to be productive all the time. Being busy is a sign of worth and accomplishment. However, it doesn’t have to be that way. Just kicking back and doing nothing is important to recharge our batteries. Let yourself have some downtime to do something frivolous like binge on your favourite Netflix show, take a nap or just sit and pet your cat. You deserve it. Put pen to paper Even if you don’t consider yourself a writer, journaling can be a very therapeutic activity. Jotting down what you’re grateful for has proven beneficial to your well-being. It can also be energizing to simply do a brain dump in which you write down all the things that are floating around in your head. Jotting down dreams for the future might inspire and motivate you to take action. Give it a try. Reach Out to Someone Socializing is a crucial part of self-care. Even introverts benefit from interpersonal connections. Humans aren’t meant to be isolated. Pick up the phone and call a friend you haven’t talked to in a while. Meeting up in person for a walk together or a cup of coffee is even better. Connecting to others might just provide the spark you’ve been missing. Change Your Perspective A change of scenery can be a wonderful source of renewal, and it doesn’t have to cost a lot. Just heading...

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Healthy Eating and Easy Meal Options

nmasipa — Mon, 09 Nov 2020 15:57:46 +0000

Healthy eating does not come natural or easy for most people. It is still a daily struggle for me. I have weaknesses. I love snacking and chocolates. Disclosure: Please note that this post may contain affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission at no extra cost to you. A healthy lifestyle is a lifetime behavioural journey of good habits. The food you eat has a huge impact on your overall health. Most illnesses are the result of unhealthy eating. Check out these easy steps to Healthy Eating We live in a busy world where we hardly have enough time to get through the day. Cooking or preparing food is often last on the list if it even makes it onto a list. Easy Ways to Incorporate Healthy Eating Meal Plan & Prep like a Boss Get your Free Meal Plan & Prep guide sent straight to your inbox By signing up you agree to be part of our email list. You can unsubscribe anytime. For more details, review our Privacy Policy. Send me the Guide Thank you! You have successfully joined our subscriber list. Your Meal Plan guide is on its way to your email. Be sure to check your spam/promotions folder and move to your inbox. Plan your Meals Meal planning is the key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. When you plan your meals ahead of time, you know what you need and what you’ll be making each day. A meal plan is a great way to limit food wastage and spending on unnecessary foods. It gives you more control of your meals and portions. The great thing about a meal plan is that it’s a time saver. And I’m all about using my time wisely. Worrying about what’s for dinner is not how I want to ideally spend my time. Make room in your meal plan for eating out. Just make sure you choose healthy options when eating out. If things change don’t fret or stress. Continue with the plan for the next meal or the next day. Meal Prep Meal preparation is important if you want to stick to healthier meal options. When you prep your meals, you decide what goes into the food you eat and choose your portion size. Once you’ve prepped your food, you kind of have to eat it. So you’ll maintain your healthy food choices better that way. I love these Glass Food Storage Containers designed to make meal prep easy. Choose a day where you can set up your meal menu for the week and ideally in a Sunday, do the prep and freeze what you can. This way you won’t be tempted to eat anything that comes your way. Prepare healthy, nutritious foods that you will enjoy. Don’t be shy to use seasoning and add flavour. Just be sure to use natural alternatives. Stock up the pantry When you have a pantry full of wholesome nutritious foods and snacks, it’s easier to stick to your healthy eating plan. Have a weekly or monthly grocery list with all the foods and supplies you will need. You won’t be easily tempted to go out and buy food because ‘you have nothing to cook’. Stock up on grains and legumes, condiments, spices, frozen fruits and vegetables and eggs. Cooking will be more fun when you readily have the ingredients on hand. Try different things and add variety to your meals. Buy Fresh Fresh foods are better than processed and prepacked foods. You get to control what’s in your meals. Canned and prepacked foods are often full of sugar, salt, preservatives and provide little nutrition. You should opt for fresh produce whenever possible and when it’s in season. However, frozen and dried foods are good alternatives. The downside of buying fresh produce is shelf life. However, the nutritional value and taste outweigh how long they may last. And to be honest, they shouldn’t be sitting in the pantry or the fridge for long if you eat the recommended quantities daily. Portion Control Too much of anything can be bad for you. Portion control doesn’t mean counting calories or cutting out any type of food. A balanced, healthy diet consists of all food groups; carbohydrates, protein, fruit & vegetables, and healthy fats. This is a great way to go, monitor, how much you eat to avoid overeating in general and eating too much of the same foods. Three Great Easy Recipes to Try Out These awesome easy recipes will help you start your healthy eating journey. Spinach and Mushroom Stuffed Butternut Squash Overnight Berry Banana Oats Crispy Roasted Chicken with Radish Healthy eating has never been easier. It takes effort, self-control and consistency, but it’s doable. And oh so worth it. Your body will thank you. Grab the Meal Plan & Meal Prep Guide to help you get started and keep going. Share your healthy meals and tips below. Love, Everyday Ntha

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Butternut Squash Stuffed with Spinach & Mushrooms

nmasipa — Thu, 05 Nov 2020 18:25:21 +0000

Stuffed butternut squash and spinach are a lovely combo. These are two of the most popular vegetables in South Africa. I’m not complaining. Having different ways of adding them to your meals is great. Or like in this recipe you can roast and stuff the butternut squash to have as a main dish. It’s a great healthy vegetarian meal. You can also add it to a dish with meat, fish, or chicken. If you have a lot of leftover butternut flesh, it’s great to mash and serve as a side or make a creamy butternut soup.

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Crispy Roasted Chicken Thighs and Radish

nmasipa — Wed, 04 Nov 2020 20:54:50 +0000

Chicken thighs are moist, juicy and full of flavour. They’re definitely my favourite piece of chicken. This was my first try at making radish. And it was amazing. I love new chicken recipes because I almost always have it in the freezer and it’s easy to make. I served it with mash potatoes and creamy spinach.

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