Quick Self Care Activities For When You’re Short On Time

This post may contain affiliate links.

Many people think that self care is something that they don’t have time for because it’s time consuming. But, self care can actually be quick, easy and absolutely free! In fact, self care is something that can be sprinkled in throughout your day and it doesn’t have to take hours to do. So I’m going to be sharing my simple and quick self care activities that I fit into my busy, busy days. And you can too!

With a full time job, my blog and Etsy shop, there’s not much spare time in my day. But that doesn’t stop me from practicing self care each day! It used to be so difficult for me to take a few minutes for myself. But that’ before I realized self care doesn’t have to take a long time. So, I’ve complied a list of my favorite and quick self care activities.

Let’s be honest, in a perfect world, we would have endless amounts of extra time in our days. Wouldn’t that be nice! No matter what you have going on in your life, I guarantee you will find a self care activity on this list you can fit into your busy day!

What Is Self Care

Put simply, self care is making sure you are taking care of yourself physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Sounds simple, right? Unfortunately, it’s not always straightforward. If you’re new to self care, you might even wonder “how do I practice self care?” And it’s really simple!

Self care can be any activity that you enjoy with the goal of taking care of your physical, mental and emotional health. The goal of self care is to focus on yourself.

Quick Self Care Strategies

When starting a self care routine, it can be helpful to create a self care strategy. It can help you identify certain areas you need to nurture within yourself. So, how do you come up with self care strategies? And how do you come up with self care strategies when you’re short on time? It’s easy!

The hard part about self care is identifying your needs and what you can do about them. It involves being very in tune to your mind. And this can be a hard thing to do at first! You have to really listen to yourself, your body, your mind. What are they telling you? Are you mentally drained? Physically drained? Emotionally?

Answering these questions can help you figure out what self care activity would be best to practice. Of course, no matter what you do, self care will always benefit you. But, to get the most out of practicing self care, you should try to strategically pick your self care activity based on your current needs.

Why Practice Self Care

Self care has become trendy, which I for one am grateful for. However, I think some people confuse self care with self-indulgent activities. Which self care can be self indulgent, it’s important to remember that you don’t have to go into debt or make yourself more stressed because of the “self care” activity you are doing!

I think everyone can benefit from it and it’s something that anyone can do easily! Self care doesn’t have to take hours out of your day. And it doesn’t have to cost anything!

I personally noticed a lot of improvements in my day to day life after starting to practice self care daily. And no, I don’t spend hours of my day practicing self care! Typically, I only have a few minutes each day to practice it.

Some benefits of practicing self care include:

• Stress management
• More productive
• Better mental health
• Time management
• Physically healthier
• Learn more about yourself

Doesn’t that sound great? Self care is something that everyone needs in their busy days! Self care has so many other benefits and it’s something that can add so much positivity to your daily life.

I become so much happier, less stressed and felt better than ever when I started adding self care into my days. And I typically don’t spend more than 20 minutes each day.

Quick Self Care Activities

Here’s my list of 50 quick and easy self care activities that don’t cost a thing and only take a few minutes each day! These are activities that I personally pick from each day when deciding what self care activity to do.

I know making the time for self care can be tough. However, many of these activities don’t take more than a few minutes. Everyone can carve out a few extra minutes to focus on yourself each day!

These quick self care activities are perfect for kids, teenagers, adults or even groups!

1. Practice meditation
2. Make your bed
3. Bedtime yoga
4. Do a face mask
5. Moisturize your body
6. Change your sheets
7. Put on something comfy
8. Make a cup of tea
9. Diffuse essential oils
10. Journal your feelings
11. Practice deep breathing
12. Drink a glass of water
13. Listen to your favorite song
14. Read a chapter of your favorite book
15. Call your bestie
16. Spend time with your pet
17. Stretch your body
18. Go for a quick walk
19. Do a hair mask
20. Color or draw
21. Enjoy quiet time with a cup of coffee
22. Turn off your phone
23. Power nap
24. Make a quick and healthy meal
25. Indulge in your favorite food
26. Take a hot shower or bath
27. Dance to your favorite songs
28. Watch your favorite show
29. Paint your nails
30. Do some light cleaning
31. Get outside
32. Open your blinds and let the sun in
33. Check off your to do list
34. Make something crafty
35. Make a bucket list
36. Light your favorite candle
37. Sit and do nothing
38. Practice positive affirmations
39. Plan some goals
40. Pour a glass of your favorite wine
41. Water your plants/flowers
42. Pick some flowers and make a flower arrangement
43. Go outside and stargaze
44. Watch the sunset
45. Declutter your junk drawer
46. Reach out to an old friend
47. Dry brush your body
48. Go on a scenic drive
49. Clean up your phone
50. Organize something

See how easy and quick self care can be? It doesn’t have to be complicated, time consuming or expensive. In fact, the best self care doesn’t cost a thing but it makes you feel energized and refreshed instantly.

---

Remember, self care isn’t selfish! It’s important to take time for yourself and focus on your needs. This will allow you to be the best you can be in every day life. Hopefully you can find some activities on this list that will fit into your busy life and start to practice self care more.

It’s also fun to find ways to make self care your own. Finding your own ideas and favorite self care activities to fit your needs is one of my favorite things to do. It doesn’t have to come from this list to be self care! The opportunities are endless. Anything that helps you feel more energized, relaxed or happier will work!

Extra tip: when you have more time than usual, pick out multiple activities from the list and create your own self care routine to practice! I like to do this before bed to completely relax and I sleep so much better at night!

What are your favorite quick self care activities for when you’re short on time?

Be sure to check out my fall self care ideas that are perfect for the upcoming fall season!