Let's Talk Self-Care and Efficiency 💆🏻♀️
Realistic self-care swaps for people with no f*cking time
Listen, I know that a big part of “self-care” is taking time for yourself, so when I talk about efficiency and self-care, it’s not because I think you should take less time for yourself…it’s because a couple small tweaks can help you optimize the benefits, save time, and spend less money ($$$).
And I also recognize that what most people need are structural support and community care. So its not that I think 30-minutes of self-care will cure all your problems, but I also don’t think it’ll hurt.
Our disposable income, available free time, and mental bandwidth will all fluctuate throughout our lives, but taking care of ourselves has to be a non-negotiable that we are able to prioritize through those ups and downs.
Below are three simple self-care “swaps” I’ve made in recent years that have done just that. In each instance they provide the same benefits (or additional benefits!) as the more popular, more time-consuming, more expensive method — allowing me to stick to them through life’s ups and downs (pandemics, wars, recessions, grief — you name it). Let’s dive in….
Instead of Gua Sha or Face Rolling ➡ Save Time with A Konjac Sponge
Beneath our skin is a delicate layer of tissue that resembles saran wrap called “fascia”. Gently massaging this tissue daily can help remove excess fluid so your skin looks smooth and depuffed. It’s especially popular for the face.
In recent years, routines like gua sha and face rolling have surged in popularity. And while it is an A+ experience, it can also be time-consuming and, if not done right, can actually damage the delicate passage ways beneath your skin.
The efficiency hack? You gotta wash your face anyway, right? Simply use a konjac sponge while washing your face. Now you're getting those same stimulating and massage benefits while washing your face AND gently exfoliating it. That, my friend, is what we call a three-for-one deal.
While I do a full skincare routine at night, my morning routine is simplified: just warm water and a light massage with the konjac sponge, followed by serum + moisturizer. It’s the perfect way to gently move excess fluid out of your face so you feel fresh and depuffed before starting the day.
I love the heart-shaped konjac sponges from One Love Organics (woman-owned, based in Georgia). The shape fits all the little curves and nooks of your face, and they have a string for hanging them up between use so they dry properly and last longer. but you can now find konjac sponges most places — including Amazon and Target.
Instead of Dry Brushing ➡ Save Time with Exfoliating Gloves
The skin on our body doesn’t always get the same attention that our face gets, but dry brushing been a popular self-care ritual that promises glowing skin along with lymphatic drainage.
While I’ve given it a solid go in year’s past, I gotta say that the results were less than impressive. And friends, when I tell you that this swap has made the BIGGEST difference in my skin I am not joking.
The efficiency hack? Use exfoliating gloves with high-quality soap while you're showering! You'll get the stimulating, lymphatic drainage benefits of dry brushing with an even deeper exfoliation combined with a massage (TLC!), cleansing your skin with soap, and you can use the lather as shaving cream if you like. If I’m counting correctly this is a four-for-one deal. We love to see it!
I love the luxurious, handmade soaps from Osmia Skincare (woman-owned, based in Colorado). You can find exfoliating gloves in the bath section of most stores. I like ones that are made from bamboo.
Instead of Meditation ➡ Save Time with Active Meditation
Are we tired of feeling the pressure to meditate?! Honestly I kinda am. Even though I know research backs up the importance of it.
The reality is that it is great for us and it is also one of the habits that people struggle with the most. Many of us put tremendous pressure on ourselves to be “able to meditate”, and when we aren’t able to do it perfectly we don’t do anything.
The efficiency hack? Knowing there are various things that provide similar benefits, but might be easier for you to implement. Even a couple minutes of silence provides benefits, and you don’t need to be sitting on a special pillow in a silent room to properly mediate.
Try prioritizing silence — like turning off the radio during your commute or going without headphones on your afternoon walk. Or, try meditation-adjacent activities like mind wandering, tapping, micro-meditation, or active meditation:
🧠Mind Wandering: almost the opposite of meditation, but basically putting yourself into a relaxed state and letting your mind go wherever it wants for a set amount of time. I call these a “think nap” and literally act like I’m taking a nap but I’m actually thinking (or so I claim 😏).
💆🏻♀️Tapping: Draws on the wisdom of acupuncture, which states that the body’s energy travels along certain pathways, and instead of applying a needle you simply tap these areas on the body while staying focused on a specific issue or topic that is bothering you.
🧘🏻♀️Micro-Meditation: I heard Goldie Hawn explain this on a podcast when discussing her school initiative, Mind Up. She said that when they are teaching young kids to meditate, they do 1-3 minutes sessions 2-3 times a day. At first, they might only be meditating a total of 1-3 minutes per day, but soon reach 20+ minutes. Sometimes 20 minutes all-at-once feels impossible, but this felt more doable to me.
🚶🏻♀️Active Meditation: Basically just be mindful while doing simple tasks (folding laundry, washing dishes, cooking, driving). This might mean thinking about the individual vegetables you’re chopping for dinner — where they came from, how they’ll taste, the individual nutrients within each one. You can do this on your own, but apps like SuperHuman provide short (3-5 minute) active meditations designed for everyday chores like cleaning or doing your makeup.
Remember, self-care is a necessity, not a luxury. Sometimes the simpler solution can out-perform the trendy one. And doing a simplified routine consistently throughout your life is better than a few months where you do something more complex, time-consuming, or expensive. I hope these swaps helped you think about how you can simplify your routine while optimizing the benefits.
I shared these swaps in an Instagram post a couple years ago, and it is still a post I get messages about almost weekly! So many people who made these swaps and are still loving them, and so many people who give these tools as gifts and get rave reviews in return!
Love this! One of my favorite 20-second mindfulness hacks is the S.T.O.P. technique-- Stop, Take A Breath, Observe How You're Feeling, Plan How You Want To Move Forward. Truly takes less than a minute, and such a lovely reset in the day!
Thank you for these thoughtful swaps ~ I'm going to use my exfoliating gloves tonight.