When experiencing any of the symptoms of chronic stress, it's all too easy to get caught up in the fight-or-flight mentality and attempt to simply power through our days, despite the negative impact on our health. As a byproduct, our self-care quickly falls by the wayside.

What exactly is self-care, by the way? It is any action taken to preserve your own health (emotionally, physically, and spiritually).

Here’s how you can slow down and practice self-care when life feels a bit too crazy:

1. Reassess Your Priorities

It’s possible that your feelings of stress are stemming from an overcommitment to requests and engagements that aren’t actually a huge priority for you. Ask yourself: Are these commitments helping or hindering me when it comes to reaching my goals?

When it comes to your period, it’s essential to take an even more significant step back and to really listen to your body. Every month is different— sometimes my period makes me feel invincible and, sometimes, I feel exhausted. Learning to adjust your schedule and priorities (without guilt) will support you in alleviating stress. Be open and honest and reassess your to-do list accordingly.

Have Trouble Saying No? Learning how to say "No" isn’t always easy, especially if you’re a recovering people-pleaser, like myself.

Here are a few sentences you can keep in your back pocket for the next time you need to say "No":

• Thanks for the offer, but it’s not something I can commit to right now.
• I appreciate you thinking of me, but I can’t swing that at this moment.
• I’ve got too much going on right now and this isn’t a priority for me right now. Maybe another time?
• No, thanks!

2. Create Small and Sustainable Routines

Don’t knock the power of simple self-care! Having small routines in place, which feel realistic to stick to, will help create momentum in your bigger picture of self-care. Plus, these little habits will help to invoke a greater sense of accomplishment, which is always a good feeling!

Some simple self-care activities to incorporate into your daily life include:

• Making your bed every morning.
• Taking a few deep breaths when feeling overwhelmed.
• Drinking a glass of water upon rising.
• Taking a midday break with one of our Moon Mylk blends.
• Creating a quick skincare routine.
• Disconnecting from your phone for an hour.
• (For tips on how to reduce screen time, check out this blog post)
• Reading a book instead of scrolling through social media.
• Going to bed without a screen in sight.

Looking for more self-care habits that you can integrate into your routine? Check out these two blog posts for some additional tips and tricks!

14 Self Care Habits of Confident and Successful Women

21 Ways to Improve Your Self Care Practice

3. Take a Break (And Don't Feel Guilty About It!)

Learning to rest without feeling sorry for doing so is indeed an art. Okay, not really, but it has become progressively more difficult in our over-connected world to take a step back without feeling guilty, so it’s certainly a valuable skill to develop.

Taking a break can ease our stress and improve our mental wellbeing. By doing so, we give our bodies a chance to catch up and bounce back from stressors. And we create space for true relaxation.

Like I mentioned above, when we are menstruating, sometimes taking breaks is completely necessary (and okay!). It’s important to take a look at how you’re feeling and realize that you don’t have to do it all.

Taking a step back from life for a short period is totally okay. Trust me, the world will keep spinning and you’ll feel more empowered than before to take your wellbeing back into your own hands.

Above all, it's important to remember that self-care looks different for everyone, but these actions all have a common thread: they help to improve and support our wellbeing and to alleviate the effects of chronic stress.

If you're looking to jumpstart your self-care routine, I invite you to check out my At-Home Self-Care Retreat Bundle.

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