Self-care. This buzzword is everywhere lately! Why? Probably because life is busier, and more hectic than it’s ever been, and stress is at an all-time high. But, add a little self-care to the equation, and you can help bring joy, happiness, and peace back into your life.

The beauty of self-care is that it can be any activity that boosts your sense of your well-being. But, how do you make time for self-care when you have so much going on? Try these three simple steps:

Yes, you’re busy. You have to juggle work, family, friends, and more, and sometimes, you just need some downtime. But, is your downtime actually a waste of time?

There are certain habits, or guilty pleasures, that everyone knows are a waste of time — scrolling through social media, watching TV, and mindlessly checking your phone every few minutes. While fun in moderation, they do tend to be addictive and suck up your time. What’s worse, they don’t add much value to your life. Are there better activities you could be doing that will make you feel good physically, mentally, or emotionally? Activities and habits that don’t add value need to go, or at least be limited.

Once you’ve eliminated distractions, you’ll have more time for small acts of self-care. First, decide which self-care acts you crave and need the most right now. It could be anything from drinking tea, exercising, meditating, taking a bath, listening to music, journaling, reading, playing music, and more.

Then, set a time frame. If you want to start a gratitude journal, give yourself a specific start and end time, keeping the length of time easy to achieve, and commit to this time. Repeated daily, self-care will eventually become routine, which is so important for your physical and mental health. Consistency is key!

Daily self-care is a great place to start, but you can also think bigger. What’s something you’ve always wanted to try, but never taken the time to do? Whether it’s a wellness retreat, a new hobby, volunteering, or travelling, these activities may be a once-in-a-lifetime deal, and can help you discover new ways to love yourself.

What distractions do you need to eliminate from your life? Why not take a few minutes right now and decide which self-care rituals you’d like to make time for? Let us know what you come up with in the comments below.