5 Quick and Easy Self-Care Tips for Women who Work

Have you ever found yourself just going through the motions of everyday life and feeling disconnected from the world around you?

Me too.

We are taught the golden rule — treat others how you want to be treated. The part they fail to teach you is how to treat yourself.

We spend most of our time focusing on the things going on around us that we don’t stop and notice the things going on inside ourselves. By the time we do, we’re already feeling burnt out, overworked, or just plain bad.

So, how do you treat yourself?

Let me teach you. These quick and easy self-care tips will help you be kind to yourself when the world around you isn’t. 

Self-Care?

Yes, SELF-CARE!

On the surface, it’s exactly what it sounds like — spending the time to care for yourself. Although it may sound like something everyone does without thinking, it’s actually pretty difficult.

With all the outside noise and constant screams for your attention, people tend to forget about themselves fairly easily. 

Self-Care: “the practice of taking action to preserve or improve one’s own health.” 

Like any habit, learning to care for yourself also takes practice.

Everyone knows how to take care of their physical health because school has taught us what healthy foods to eat and how to exercise. Yes, you can look great on the outside but self-care focuses on the way we feel inside.

It helps ground ourselves when our mind starts to wander and the effects of feeling great on the inside can have a greater impact on the way you go about your daily life.

Why is self-care for working women important?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), gender is one of the critical determinants of mental health. Women make up a large percentage of those who suffer from mental health disorders. 

Most of the time, working women are so preoccupied with the task at hand that they don’t notice the factors slowly eating away at their mental health. Some may even suffer from high functioning anxiety without knowing because they’re still able to get things done.

We are often pressured to keep moving, keep producing results, keep grinding. Although you may have accomplished everything on your to-do list, at the end of the day you might just feel glad it’s over. 

These self-care tips for women who work are important because it allows you to experience life the way it was meant to — with all the little nuances in between.

After practicing even just a little self-care throughout your day, you are able to look forward to tomorrow. 

Since everyone is unique, self-care might look different depending on what works for you. Here are a few quick and easy self-care tips for women who work and have busy schedules:

Self-Care Tip for Women #1: Listen to Uplifting Podcasts

Podcasts are a great way for you to take care of yourself with the help of someone else.

This is a great self-care tip for working women because just like learning how to ride a bike, a little help can get you riding in no time. These are just some podcasts (available on Spotify or Apple Music) that allow you to carve out time for your mental health while on the go:

The Self Love Fix Podcast

Beatrice helps women of color dive deeper into self love, self-worth, personal development, self-esteem, and self-care. She’s all about helping women learn the truth of who they are and what they deserve.

The Positive Mindset Podcast

With meditation-style storytelling, this podcast will help you raise your vibration, lift your perspective, and build a positive mindset.

UnF*ck Your Brain Podcast

Master Certified Confidence Coach Kara Loewentheil, J.D., created this podcast for the high-achieving feminist women who struggle with anxiety, self-doubt, and imposter syndrome. Kara teaches you how to overcome social conditioning and your own self-critical thoughts so you can reduce your anxiety and insecurity, boost your confidence, and get what you want in life.

Mindful in Minutes Meditation Podcast

Kelly Smith, the founder of Yoga for You, leads simple and guided meditations that will help you with real life in 20 minutes or less. Her podcast covers an array of topics such as anxiety, insomnia, self-esteem, and manifestation.

Self-Care Tip for Women #2: Words of Affirmation

Sometimes you just need a little pick-me-up to get through the day. Instead of reaching for another cup of coffee, try using that inner voice for good. 

This self-care tip for women helps you remember that there will always be someone rooting for you when no one is around.

Say these words or phrases either out loud to yourself or in your head. If you forget them, try writing little notes for yourself in places you frequently visit. It only takes a second to turn your day around! 

• I am important and valued.
• I admire how strong you are!
• I am a fighter and I never give up.
• I admire your tenacity and courage!
• My beauty and personality is unique.
• I am doing my best and my best is enough.
• I’m so proud of the woman I’ve become. 
• I am worthy of accomplishment, success and abundance.
• I can powerfully attract what I want. 
• I accept myself the way I am.
• My mind is clear of self-doubt and I am ready to embrace every challenge that comes my way.
• My contributions are unique and meaningful.

These are just some powerful affirmations to help you on your journey to self-care.

Everyone is different so feel free to make up your own depending on what you feel like you need to hear throughout the day. Check out our list of 27 Career Affirmations to Manifest Your Dream Career for more uplifting words!

For those of us working women who like to journal, we have a Career Affirmation Journal available for purchase online. The best part— all the proceeds from this journal are donated to the SeekHer Foundation to support other women on their mental health journey!

Self-Care Tip for Women #3: Remember to Eat!

Your mental health and physical health go hand-in-hand.

As a working woman, it may be hard to find the time to eat because you’re so preoccupied with your to-do list. The lack of food in your system can make it hard to focus and contribute to your overall mood.

So… remember to eat!

Here are some ideas of breakfast food you can make in minutes or prep the night before:

• Yogurt parfait
• Bagel and cream cheese
• Protein Bar
• Avocado toast
• Breakfast smoothie
• Overnight Oats

For more healthy no-cook breakfast ideas on the go, check out these recipes!

Self-Care Tip for Women #4: Take a Break!

Taking 5-10 minutes out of your day to reconnect with yourself can go a long way.

It’s more effective to put your day on pause for a second than to power through only to feel drained and burnt out.

This self-care tip for women is very open-ended so I encourage you to experiment and find out what works for you. Here are some ways you can leave room for yourself throughout the day:

• 4-7-8 Breathing Technique
• Close your eyes and breathe in through your nose for 4 seconds
• Hold your breath for 7 seconds
• Breathe out for 8 seconds 
• Go for a walk outside
• Look up meditation exercises on Youtube
• Take your eyes off your screen and look outside the window for 5 minutes

Self-Care Tip for Women #5: Plan Something To Look Forward To

A plan doesn’t have to be something well thought out.

Planning something small can help you enjoy the smaller things in life — smell the roses as they say! Here are some ideas on small ways you can continue self-care at the end of your day:

• Take a bubble bath
• Go out for drinks with a friend
• Watch a movie (at home or go to the theater)
• Set aside a treat (some type of dessert)
• Play some games with family or friends
• Put on some music and dance/sing like no one is watching
• Unwind with a drink of our choice
• Read a book
• Buy yourself some flowers
• Play with your pet
• Do a face mask
• Go to the gym
• Partake in a hobby

By finding something to look forward to, you are leaving room in your day for something you WANT to do instead of only doing what you HAVE to do. 

Conclusion

Like I said before, self-care looks different for everyone.

This is just a short list of quick and easy self-care tips for women to get you started on your journey. I encourage you to try out these tips to see what makes you feel more present, relaxed, and ultimately happier. If anything, I hope this post at least brings to light how important self-care is and I promise you that taking care of yourself will help you better take care of others. 

While on my self-care journey, I was introduced to self-compassion and learned that being kind to yourself is the core of self-care.

So, if you struggle with the idea of being kind to yourself, I encourage you to check out Dr. Kristen Neff. Her website is filled with podcasts, exercises, and tips to help get in the habit of practicing self-compassion.

Remember, self-care is a practice so be patient with yourself, laugh with yourself, love yourself, and of course — take care of yourself!

Written by Angelina Herrera