Self-Care in 30 Minutes or Less

If you have half an hour, you have all the time you need to plan or participate in some very effective self-care strategies.

While a few do require that you shuffle your schedule around, the end result will be a better you. From exercise to utilizing your workplace benefits, opportunities for self-care are all around all the time. Here are a few ways you can get started in just 30 minutes.

Plan A Vacation

Time away from work is one of the most useful things you can do for yourself and your career. More importantly, women especially benefit from longer lives simply by stepping away from their responsibilities a few times each year. If you’re already owed vacation time, don’t be afraid to take it.

And don’t let vacation planning intimidate you, either. There’s no need for intensive planning and expensive and stressful travel when you can stay near home and take your vacation right in Fort Lauderdale. Whether you want to be on the waterfront in Idlewild or Las Olas Isles or enjoy the bustling activity of Barrier Island, there’s a vacation home that will suit your needs. All you need is about half an hour and the right vacation rental website to put you on the right track.

Exercise

You don’t have to live in the gym to reap the benefits of exercise. In fact, as Shape explains, even being active on the weekends is better than not working out at all. However, you can get the most out of your time in the gym by doing CrossFit. Since it is an intense and fast-paced workout, you only need about 20 minutes to burn calories and enhance your overall fitness level.

Clean Up

Okay, it’s true that doing laundry might not feel like self-care, but the reality is that a clean home can do wonders for your mood and physical health. You don’t have to give each room a thorough scrubbing each day. If you only have 30 minutes, plan to clean the kitchen and bathroom on Monday, the living room and master bedroom on Wednesday, and hunker down with a few loads of laundry while you watch your favorite show on Friday afternoon. By spreading things out, you won’t feel so overwhelmed, and you’ll always have at least one area neat and tidy.

Drink a Glass of Water

It certainly won’t take 30 minutes to drink a single glass of water, but if you are drinking enough, which is about half your weight in ounces, it might take that long to consume enough liquid each day. It’s no secret that your body is made up of 60% water. But, what you might not realize is that your brain is comprised of about 75 percent water. Even minor fluid loss can give you a headache and put you in a bad mood, according to FilterWater.com.

Listen To Music

Regardless of what lands on your playlist, listening to your favorite music should be added to your list of self-care staples. The Pfizer Medical Team lists 10 benefits of listening to music, including that it improves cognition, eases pain, and can make your exercise routine that much more enjoyable. Plus, cranking up the radio can actually reduce stress and make you feel as cool as you were in your teens, even if your kids disagree.

Nurture Your Senior Years

If you’re a senior, you probably know that it’s especially important to practice self-care in your golden years. Issues such as falling accidents and medical conditions can often come into play as we age. Simply installing some extra railings (or anything stable that will keep you from falling) takes very little time but can mean so much to your health. And aside from reducing the risk of fall injuries, exercise is crucial to improving your physical, mental, and social health. Look for a Medicare Advantage plan such as one from Aetna that offers access to wellness centers.

As you can clearly see, it doesn’t take a ton of time or money to do little things for yourself. It could be something as simple as turning up the radio while you work out to taking a quick weekend getaway with your best friend. Whatever you choose to do, just remember that self-care isn’t being selfish. If you don’t tend your physical and emotional needs, you won’t have the energy to take care of your other responsibilities.

More about our guest contributor Julie Morris:

Julie Morris is a life and career coach. She thrives on helping others live their best lives. It’s easy for her to relate to clients who feel run over by life because she’s been there. After years in a successful (but unfulfilling) career in finance, Julie busted out of the corner office that had become her prison. Today, she is fulfilled by helping busy professionals like her past self-get the clarity they need in order to live inspired lives that fill more than just their bank accounts. When Julie isn’t working with clients, she enjoys writing and is currently working on her first book. She also loves spending time outdoors and getting lost in a good book.

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