Still on Your To-Do List? 5 Self-Care Habits for the Overloaded
“If you don’t make time for your wellbeing, your body and mind will eventually schedule it for you.”
Overloaded? You’re Not Alone
In today’s working world, “busy” has become a badge of honour. The emails never stop, deadlines are back-to-back, and the line between work and life feels more like a blur than a boundary.
For entrepreneurs, professionals, and small teams, the pressure is magnified: “If I don’t do it, it won’t get done.” And while that may feel true in the moment, the reality is this: running on empty eventually costs more than pausing to refuel.
When work demands too much, self-care isn’t a luxury—it’s a strategy. It’s how you keep showing up with clarity, creativity, and consistency.
🛠 5 Self-Care Habits That Work in Overloaded Seasons
1. The Micro-Break Rule
Every 90 minutes, pause for at least 5 minutes. Step away from your desk. Stretch. Sip water. Look out of a window.
📌 Why it matters: Research shows micro-breaks restore concentration, reduce stress hormones, and improve problem-solving. It’s not wasted time—it’s maintenance for your brain.
2. Boundaries on Notifications
Set “on” and “off” hours for checking emails and work chats. Use “Do Not Disturb” features to reclaim quiet time.
📌 Why it matters: Constant notifications keep your body in a low-level state of fight-or-flight. Boundaries reduce cortisol spikes, protect your sleep, and retrain your brain to focus deeply.
3. Fuel for Focus
Swap energy drinks or sugary snacks for whole foods that release energy slowly—nuts, fruit, yoghurt, or herbal teas.
📌 Why it matters: Sugar highs = energy crashes. A steady fuel supply keeps your mood balanced and prevents the “afternoon fog” that makes work take twice as long.
4. Body in Motion
Build in “movement snacks”—a 10-minute walk, a set of squats, stretching your shoulders, or dancing to a favourite song.
📌 Why it matters: Physical movement clears tension and resets your nervous system. It also oxygenates the brain, lifting your energy and creativity.
5. The Reset List
Before bed, write down 3 things that grounded you today. It could be as simple as “I laughed,” “I cooked dinner,” or “I called a friend.” Aim to repeat them tomorrow.
📌 Why it matters: The brain remembers patterns. By recording and repeating positive resets, you train yourself to anchor in habits that restore balance—even in busy seasons.
🔍 Why It All Matters
It’s easy to believe the lie that self-care is something you do after the work is done. But in reality, when the workload is highest, that’s when self-care is most vital. This is my personal testimony and I learned it the hardest way.
In a few short years, I:
- Moved countries and started a new business in the middle of a pandemic (by default)
- Lost all 3 of my dogs within months—and wasn’t there to say goodbye
- Buried my father just as the pandemic was ending
- Lost my home and started a new job (in employment, while still building my business), on the very same day I moved out
- Then, on another single day, 7 months later, lost that job and my younger brother - All in the space of 5 years
And through it all, I pushed. I kept going in silence. I told myself that if I just worked harder, I could outrun the pain, that I could grieve in silence and by helping others I was helping myself (lies).
Until my body stopped me. It stagged an intervention.
One morning, I woke up ended up in hospital with the entire left side of my face frozen. I had burned the candle at both ends, and my health bore the cost.
That experience taught me this truth:
- Ignoring self-care doesn’t make you strong. It makes you brittle.
- Recovery takes longer than maintenance. Burnout can steal months, while small resets preserve your energy daily.
- Sustainable energy sustains your impact. Your wellbeing fuels not just your work, but your relationships and the people who rely on you.
- Spiritual development is the foundation that holds up all other parts (emotional, physical, relational, financial). A strong spirit =resilience.
- Work remains after you stop (even when you are your work, with no successors or employees to carry on).
Self-care isn’t indulgence—it’s survival. It’s also the foundation for any meaningful success.
💬 Final Thought
When work demands too much, the answer isn’t to push harder—it’s to reset smarter. Because at the end of the day, burnout is far more expensive than balance.
Until next blog, work smart and please, be well.
Shalom Peace.
USI.
