How to Actually Stick to a Self-Care Routine When Life Gets Busy
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How to Actually Stick to a Self-Care Routine When Life Gets Busy
Self-care has become an overused term that conjures images of bath bombs and expensive skincare. The practical reality is far simpler and more essential: self-care is any deliberate action you take to maintain or improve your physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. The challenge isn’t knowing what to do — it’s maintaining habits when work and life pile up.
Why Routines Break Down
Most routines collapse not during ordinary busy periods but during transitions — a new job, a move, illness, or a change in family demands. The habits that worked in one context weren’t built to survive disruption, because they relied on external cues that no longer exist. Rebuilding requires deliberately identifying new cues in the changed context.
The Minimum Viable Self-Care Principle
For each habit, define the smallest version you’ll do no matter what. Not the ideal version — the floor. For exercise, maybe that’s a ten-minute walk. For rest, maybe it’s turning off work notifications by 9pm. For nutrition, maybe it’s choosing a piece of fruit over nothing when you’re too tired to cook. On hard days, doing the minimum version protects your identity as someone who takes care of themselves, and makes full resumption easier when space returns.
Making It Easier to Start
- Reduce friction: Gym clothes laid out, a water bottle already filled, a book left on the pillow. Small preparations remove the decision fatigue that stops habits before they start.
- Pair new habits with existing ones: Exercise after the school run. Five minutes of breathing before you open your laptop. The existing habit acts as a reliable cue.
- Protect one anchor habit: Identify the single self-care habit that most affects your wellbeing and protect it disproportionately when other things have to give.
Self-Care Is Not Selfish
There’s a persistent cultural narrative — especially for carers and people with demanding jobs — that prioritising your own wellbeing is an indulgence. The opposite is more accurate: consistently neglecting basic self-care reduces your capacity to perform, maintain relationships, and show up for others. Treating your own needs as legitimate is not a luxury.
If you are struggling to maintain basic self-care due to mental health difficulties, burnout, or chronic illness, speak with your GP. There may be underlying factors that are making ordinary habits feel unusually difficult, and professional support can make a meaningful difference.