Why Your Mind, Body, & Soul Need Time to Unwind

Life is hard.

Between family, work, caregiving, errands, housework, and all the people who need us, it can feel like the entire day belongs to everyone else.

We keep telling ourselves we’ll take a break when everything is finished—but there will always be one more thing waiting.

That’s why taking time for yourself matters. Not because you don’t love the people in your life, but because you are a person in your life, too.

Who deserves time for herself?

You do.

If you’re a caregiver, wife, mother, daughter, business owner, employee, or the person everyone calls when they need something, you deserve a few moments that belong only to you.

You don’t have to earn them by finishing your entire to-do list first.

Long-term stress can affect both your mental and physical well-being. Caregivers, especially women, report higher levels of stress and health concerns than people who aren’t caregivers. Taking care of yourself helps you continue caring for the people you love without completely losing yourself in the process.

How much time do you need?

There isn’t one perfect number of minutes that works for every woman or every day.

The good news is that you don’t need hours. Research on “micro-breaks”—short pauses of 10 minutes or less—found that they can help reduce fatigue and improve feelings of energy.

So start with five minutes.

Close your eyes. Listen to music. Write in a journal. Light a candle. Sit quietly and breathe.

When you can, build toward 15 or 20 minutes a few times a week. That isn’t another rule you can fail at—it’s simply a realistic place to begin.

What can your time look like?

Self-care doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated. It can be something that helps your mind slow down, your body relax, or your spirit feel encouraged.

It might be:

• Reading a devotional

• Journaling your thoughts

• Coloring or working on a puzzle

• Listening to calming music

• Meditating, praying, or sitting quietly

• Enjoying a warm drink without your phone in your hand

Relaxation practices can help bring on the body’s relaxation response, which includes slower breathing and a reduced heart rate. Sometimes a small pause really can help you feel more settled before you return to everything waiting for you.

What I do to unwind

I wear a lot of hats as a caregiver to my dad, a wife, a fur baby mom, and a business owner.

Two or three times a week, when one of Dad’s caretakers comes in, I try to use part of that time for myself. Sometimes I turn on Native American flute music, close my eyes, and sit quietly for 15 or 20 minutes.

Other times, I bring out my cross-stitch and work on it for a while.

It doesn’t fix everything. Dad still needs me, the business still needs attention, and the laundry isn’t going anywhere. But those quiet moments give me enough inner peace to step back into my busy life feeling a little more like myself.

When and where can you find your moment?

Maybe it’s before everyone wakes up, during a lunch break, in the evening before bed, or while someone you trust gives you a little uninterrupted time.

Find a quiet room, a comfortable chair, a peaceful corner, or even a few minutes in your car before you walk through the door.

The point isn’t to create a perfect routine. The point is to give yourself permission to pause.

That is the heart behind our new Mind, Body, & Soul collection at BeYOUtifully Comfortable: meaningful items to help you reflect, relax, feel encouraged, and reconnect with yourself.

Although BeYOUtifully Comfortable has grown and evolved, we did it with you in mind—to offer you a complete Beautifully, Comfortably, YOU from the inside out. 💜