Everybody’s busy these days. Whether it’s with their career, hobbies, or family, there’s always something that keeps them preoccupied.

Society has been glorifying being busy for quite some time now. The less hours of sleep you get at night, the more hours you put in at work, the more activities you can pack in a weekend, the earlier your toddler starts their education, the more clubs your kids join in school– the more you impress people around you.

But is it really something worth envying or striving for? Isn’t it a better use of life to get more from doing less?

It’s odd that the less time you have to actually enjoy the things that matter is what appears as the measure of success. It’s about time we change this unhealthy perspective of what constitutes “living the life”.

You need to impose a self-care regimen on yourself, and be religious about it. Form the habit of putting yourself first, your real interests, what matters to YOU.

Here are some proposals on how to do that:

Tiny goals

Every day, or night for that matter, pick out at least 3 activities for you to do the following day that serves no other purpose than to make you feel good.

Don’t overthink this one. It can be anything that you could insert within your day that will make you feel relaxed and happy.

For example, in the morning, your tiny goal could be enjoying a cup of coffee undisturbed. Or basking in the sun for 5 minutes. In the afternoon it could be taking a quick nap in between meetings to rest your mind. In the nighttime, maybe talking to your significant other for 1 hour or maybe watching one episode of your favorite TV show.

This gives you the satisfaction of crossing out things on a list and actually taking time out to do something selfishly rewarding.

Take a stroll, not a scroll

We’re all guilty of picking up our gadgets and looking through our social media feeds without putting a real thought to it. It’s just a reflex now.

But while you think you’re enjoying, or taking some down time doing this, it’s not entirely true. Sometimes your mindless scrolling can add more stress to your state.

There are upsetting news everywhere, irrational envy that takes you by surprise, etc. Not counting the wasted minutes that you can’t get back.

Instead of reaching for your mobile, be mobile instead. Go walk around the office or take a quick stroll outside. It will be much more effective in calming your mind and relaxing your body.

Repeat as necessary

Self-care is not something that you should just do whenever you remember to do it. It’s a conscious effort to better your life. There are many ways to do this, not just my suggestions.

Remember that this is about forming the habit to live consciously.

If you don’t take care of yourself, you’re more likely to get tired of your life and all that surrounds it, which would be a real shame as there’s a lot of goodness to be had.