Since this fascination with self-care started, there’s been a lot of talk about what self-care actually means. Is it bubble baths and spa dates? Is it eating junk food while watching Orange Is the New Black? Or is it simply just another word for health and wellness?

Self-care is ultimately about reducing burnout and creating a sustainable work-life balance. Rather than thinking self-care has to be elaborate or time-consuming, I want to show you that it’s more about the things you do on a daily basis that add up.

1. Say No and Stop Over-Committing Yourself

When we keep saying yes, we no longer have time to do the things that we want to do. Instead, we end up doing what other people want us to do. An important act of self-care is standing up for your energy and time when other people are asking too much of you. This means listening to your inner voice, putting your needs first, and being firm in your decision to say no.

2. Identify Your Top Priorities

When you define what’s actually important to you, it becomes easier to focus on doing what matters. Often we spend our time on things that aren’t always productive, which means that we run out of time to practice self-care. Once you’ve defined your top priorities in life (and hopefully self-care is one of them), you’ll be able to schedule your time more easily around it.

3. Practice Self-Reflection

Self-reflection is one of the best ways that you can practice self-care. Self-reflection can help you make sense of your emotions, understand yourself more, and uncover ways to deal with situations positively instead of letting them consume you. Try to find time to reflect a few times a week by writing down what’s on your mind and what’s happened in your life.

4. Focus on Your Basic Needs

Sometimes self-care is a lot more simple than we make it out to be. When we get to the root of it, self-care is about taking care of yourself so that you can be the healthiest version of yourself – mind, body, and soul. If you’re feeling stressed out, ask yourself if you’ve had enough sleep, if you’ve been eating a balanced diet, and if you’ve been moving your body. If the answer is no to any of these things, focus on improving those first before jumping into an elaborate self-care routine.

5. Take Imperfect Action

When we hold ourselves back from doing the things we actually want to do, we can cause ourselves more stress than necessary. Even if taking a leap into the unknown or facing your fear is stressful, holding yourself back will cause you more stress in the long run. Push yourself to try new things every single day, especially little things that will get you closer to your big dreams. Following your heart is an act of self-care, my friend.

6. Find Your Place to Vent

No matter how much you try to keep a positive mindset, there will always be times when you need to vent. No one can be positive all the time, and you shouldn’t feel bad for needing to complain or vent sometimes. Just try to find a place where you can be productive about getting your frustrations out without hurting yourself or another person. Maybe that’s journaling, writing a blog post, calling a friend, dancing, or going for a run.

7. Create More Stability

Lack of structure can make us feel unmotivated and distracted and often leads to doing everything at the last minute. If we can prevent this, we can reduce a lot of unnecessary stress in our lives. Of course flexibility is important, but structure is necessary for creating a sense of stability and balance in your life. When you create stability and structure in your schedule, you can actually make time for self-care and not feel quite as stressed out all the time.

8. Feel Your Feelings

Most of us have a tendency to over-analyze our feelings because they don’t always make sense. If we’re constantly trying to come up with a reason for our feelings, we deny ourselves the experience to just feel and connect with our inner selves. Instead, give yourself permission to feel on a daily basis without trying to analyze or eliminate your feelings. By all means, seek to understand your feelings, but try to do so without judgment or attachment.

Hopefully this post has given you some self-care inspiration to help you create more balance in your life. Remember that taking care of yourself is about more than luxurious indulgences; self-care is about the habits, behaviors, and mindset you engage in every single day.

Source: Catherine Beard, The Blissful Mind