How to Fit Self-Care into a Busy Life

Life moves fast. Between work, family, social commitments, and the endless to-do lists, it can feel almost impossible to carve out me time. But here’s the truth — self-care is essential maintenance, required to intentionally and authentically show up for yourself and your loved ones.  It’s how we recharge, refocus, and stay grounded even when life gets hectic.

I am a working mother of three, and if I can manage to include daily self-care, anyone can. It just takes a little… organisation and intentionality. For me, it’s about creating small, meaningful rituals that nourish the body, mind and spirit — moments that help you be good to yourself, even on your worst days.

1. Define What Self-Care Means to You

We are often told that self-care is a bubble bath and a face mask, but it is much more than that. Self-care is anything that helps you feel restored and connected to yourself. For one person, it could mean taking a quiet five minutes with your morning tea, for someone else it could be reinforcing boundaries and sticking to your “no”, and for yet another person, it could be a bubble bath and face mask. What ‘it’ is doesn’t really matter; it’s about how the activity makes you feel.

The key is to make it personal. Ask yourself: what makes me feel good, centred, or at ease? Start there — and let that be your foundation for small, daily acts of care.

2. Simplify Your Routine

One of the challenges of commercial self-care is that it is a convoluted system of steps. You don’t need an hour-long routine. Sometimes, all it takes is two mindful minutes, a deep breath and the smell of freshly brewed coffee. If you struggle with self-care, a good place to start is with the things you already do. Transform your daily routine into a self-care moment.

Use the good soap:

• Cleanse with the good soap – Indulge your senses and skin with a rich, creamy shea butter bar that’s gentle on your skin and soothing to your senses. Swap your usual gel cleanser for a gentler, all-natural bar that cleanses as it soothes your senses. Our Spring Fling bar is the perfect way to start your day. Notes of lemon, bergamot and lavender combine to create a wonderfully balanced and energising bar that puts a spring in your step.
• Exfoliate with care and consistency using an authentic African sapo for year-round butter smooth skin.
• Moisturise with a luxuriously rich, fast-absorbing natural oils and butters that soften and smooth your skin whilst giving you a light, natural glow. After your shower, while your skin is still dewy, smooth on Bare Butter with slow, intentional strokes. As the butter melts into your skin, take a few deep breaths and let the ritual ground you. Feel the strength beneath your fingertips — the gentle curves and the texture. Notice how your skin responds — supple, alive, and deeply nourished. This is more than moisturising; it’s a moment to honour your body — to admire its tone, its resilience, its quiet beauty — and to remind yourself that caring for your skin is an act of love, not routine.

When you infuse care into your existing habits, your routine becomes a ritual of daily wellness.

3. Schedule Micro-Moments of Calm

If you’re waiting for the perfect “free time” to practice self-care, it’ll never happen. Schedule in your weekly self-care. It shows intentionality, and with intentionality, great things are achieved.

Here are a few to try:

• One mindful minute: Repeat an uplifting prayer or mantra whilst you brush your teeth.
• Five-minute reset: Squat or stretch while you brew your coffee.
• Ten-minute ritual: Listen to your favourite uplifting playlist, one that gets you energised and motivated for the day.

These seemingly small moments fill you with joy, build emotional resilience, calm, and clarity, which leads to happiness.

4. Make Skincare a Daily Ritual of Wellness

When you look good, you feel good. It took me over 40 years to understand this. If you are like me, you may have resistance in the area because it feels superficial, but I implore you to persist past that feeling.  A cute outfit, nice hair and clear skin go a long way to boosting your confidence, and the way you see yourself and, by extension, how others see you.

Skincare is an easily accessible place to start feeling good about yourself. Your routine can consist of simple yet effective steps that gently cleanse and moistures your skin. Go for good soap over gels, natural essential oils over synthetic fragrance, slow ritual over rushed routines.  Taking your time with your personal care is an effective way of strengthening the mind and body connection. The act of cleansing, moisturising, and massaging your skin invites you to slow down, breathe, and be present.

Our range of natural handcrafted soaps and moisturising butters are intentionally designed to make your everyday moments more sensory and indulgent. The natural textures, soothing scents, and nutrient-rich ingredients turn even the quickest shower into a moment of quiet pleasure.

Try this: As part of your nighttime routine, cleanse away the day’s stresses with our Lovely Lavender bar. Made with calming Lavender essential oil, whose calming effects have long been recognised and admired. Allow the herbaceous and floral notes of our shea-butter-rich bar to gently cleanse your skin and restore calm to your senses, easing you into a restful and peaceful night’s sleep.

5. Give Yourself Permission to Pause

We live in a culture that glorifies “the hustle.” But rest is a pivotal part of success. Rest is not wasted time; it is time away that edifies you and gives you and your brain time to process and reset, so that you can both come up with better solutions and brighter ideas.  Permitting yourself to pause is one of the greatest acts of self-care there is.

Rest needn’t be earned; you deserve it simply because you exist.

So, whether it’s a quiet bath, an unhurried walk, or a few minutes of stillness before bed, remember that caring for yourself helps you show up fully for everything else.

Be Good to Yourself

Self-care doesn’t have to be perfect. It doesn’t need to be elaborate. It just needs to be intentional. When you show up for yourself, even in small ways, you remind your body and mind that you are worthy of care and calm — no matter how busy life gets.

Because true luxury isn’t about having more. It’s about taking time to nourish what truly matters — you.

Mazel