Quick Self-Care Tips To Getting Ready in a Hurry

by | Nov 16, 2022 | How To | 0 comments

Your life may seem like one big rush sprinting from one activity to another without time to catch your breath. Such a life likely fatigues you in the long run, and extreme circumstances result in a mental breakdown. Incorporate self-care habits into your life without disrupting daily activities to alleviate stress. 

Self-care is the antidote for daily stress and has become the buzzword of interest, going by the doubled number of Google searches on the subject since 2015. If you are busy, you’ll love to find seamless ways to integrate self-care into your daily routine. Remember that the activities are not about negative self-indulgence habits but those that help you feel good about yourself. 

If you have a busy lifestyle, hurried morning routines are your life, and you will be racing against time to start your day. Amid the flurry of activity, you can still indulge in self-care habits to uplift your spirit. Quick tips for getting ready in a hurry but still finding time for yourself include the following. 

Start Your Mornings with Meditation

Meditation calms you by enabling your mind to focus on the present and reduce negative emotions. Beginning your day with meditation will serve as focus improvement, manage stress, and give you a new perspective on challenging situations. Dedicate a few minutes of your morning to the calming exercise to jumpstart your day. 

A five-minute meditation exercise is enough to ready you for a challenging day. Make maximum use of the limited time by ensuring you are completely relaxed. Take some deep breaths, inhaling from the belly. You must inhale into the ribs, followed by the chest, until the crown of the head. Hold your breath gently, then release.  

Stop Being too Obsessive About Calories

The world focuses on healthy living, compelling people to adopt dietary measures to keep their calories in check. The balanced eating campaigns are well-intentioned and offer various options to avoid harmful foods. 

However, some people overdo it by obsessing about calories with every serving of food. If you find yourself being picky with everything you eat and feeling guilty after consumption, it borders on harmful behavior.  

Mind your calories but do not let them make you lose your self-esteem. Establish a healthy balance where you start your day with balanced meals to avoid guilt-tripping yourself with an occasional indulgence during the day. To gain confidence, keep your physical appearance in a prime state. If your dental state keeps you from smiling, check the top 10 teeth whitening products to smile again confidently.  

Make a Deliberate Connection

Connecting with people you care about is a great way to uplift your spirit and have a good day. Take a moment to connect intentionally with someone you care for by reaching out. For instance, be more intentional in initiating conversations and keeping tabs on friends. Sometimes people complain that no one checks on them but the more you check on others, they return the favor. 

Build relationships with people you can share with and trust. The world can be one lonely place when all you have is yourself and work. The acquaintances may not solve the challenges you experience but let you vent and release pent-up emotions. You are less likely to succumb to depression when you have confidantes, so start your day with a quick call to one of them. 

Meal Prep

Preparing meals can take substantial time out of your busy schedule. You can cut out significant time spent on cooking by prepping meals beforehand. Meal prepping involves preparing dishes or whole meals ahead of schedule. Early meal preparation is an excellent idea for busy people to eat at home and spend less, unlike eating outside.

Allocate time when your schedule is lighter or over the weekend to prep your meals. Prepare your favorite meals and have a variety to make your meal times worthy of looking forward to every day. 

You also derive pleasure in fixing your favorite gourmet dishes. Pack the meals and freeze them for later days serving. With enough meal stock, you can breeze through your busy days and afford relaxation time. 

Learn to Say “No.”

Many people take on pressure because they do not know how to turn down requests they cannot deliver. You drain yourself trying to say “yes” to everyone because you want to please them. Learn to say “no” when necessary to save yourself from unnecessary stress. Accommodating people who have unreasonable requests only makes them come back again for more.

Your turn-down should be assertive and not sound like a “maybe” to avoid confusion and misunderstanding. Release yourself from commitments that bog you down and stick to critical responsibilities you cannot avoid. Do not accept running late because you had to cover for somebody else. 

Practice Self-Care and Live Healthy 

To adopt a self-care routine, you have to be purposive about it. Make every activity intentional, and never be tempted to replace it with energy-sapping activities. 

Focusing on yourself improves your life quality and keeps stress, depression, and mental disorders at bay. Your life may be busy, and you are always in a rush, but you can still retain your sanity.  

In Columbia, Maryland, there’s a former grocery store that has been transformed into a department store for mythical creatures, time travelers, and intergalactic tourists.

It’s called DoodleHATCH.

You can groom a unicorn, visit an intergalactic space station, climb onto a giant’s bed, meet guinea pigs, explore an artist’s studio, and discover approximately a million other things that somebody actually sat down and made.

It’s a nonprofit interactive art museum, a community project, an educational resource, and one of my favorite places I’ve ever discovered.

And it could be demolished as part of a proposed redevelopment of the Long Reach Village Center.

But there’s still an opportunity to help.

You don’t need to donate money. You don’t need to live in Maryland. And you don’t need to know anything about zoning laws.

You can start by writing an email.

🚨 Here's what's happening

Developer Columbia Concepts has proposed redeveloping the Long Reach Village Center in Columbia, Maryland.

The proposal would replace existing buildings with new housing, recreational facilities, and other development.

Unfortunately, that puts a whole collection of existing community resources at risk of being demolished, including:

  • DoodleHATCH Interactive Art Museum
  • Maryland Fashion Institute
  • A makerspace used for community education
  • Local restaurants, shops, and service businesses
  • Early childhood education and community programs
  • A 140-foot-long mural created by approximately 100 community members

This isn’t just about losing a fabulous museum. It’s about losing an entire collection of places that people have built, supported, and relied on.

And there’s another possibility!

🌈 Meet The REALM

Lee Andersen, the founder of DoodleHATCH, and her nonprofit ManneqART want to preserve the existing community resources and transform the village center into an arts and culture destination called The REALM.

Imagine a place where artists have studios, children have room to explore, students can learn creative skills, people can attend performances, and local businesses continue serving their neighbors.

There are plans for a performing arts space, more opportunities for artists, and a Witches Kitchen that might serve you a horrible-disgusting breakfast.

Which, personally, I think sounds promising.

The people behind DoodleHATCH are gathering support to oppose the developer’s zoning proposal and advocate for The REALM.

And they’d love your help.

💌 How to help in about two minutes

If you live in Howard County, Maryland

If you’re 18 or older, DoodleHATCH is asking eligible county residents to visit the museum and sign their petition in person.

📍DoodleHATCH Interactive Art Museum

8775 Cloudleap Court, Unit 101
Columbia, MD 21045

⏱️ Museum hours: Friday–Sunday, 10 AM–5 PM.

And while you’re there, I highly recommend exploring the museum. Bring someone who needs a reminder that being an adult doesn’t mean you have to stop enjoying ridiculous things.

If you don't live in Howard County

You can still help!

DoodleHATCH is collecting emails from people who oppose the proposed Columbia Concepts redevelopment and support preserving the existing arts and community resources through The REALM.

Send your email to: Lilou@DoodleHATCH.com

Suggested subject: Support The REALM | Oppose Columbia Concepts Zoning Proposal ZB 1132M

You can write your own message or use one of the templates below.

You don’t need to write an essay. A short, genuine message explaining what you support and why is enough to participate in this email campaign.

✍️ What should your email say?

To make your position clear, include these three things:

1. Say what you’re opposing.

State that you oppose the proposed Columbia Concepts redevelopment and zoning amendment for the Long Reach Village Center, case ZB 1132M.

2. Say what you’re supporting.

Express your support for preserving DoodleHATCH, the Maryland Fashion Institute, existing community resources, and the proposed arts and culture center called The REALM.

3. Explain why you care.

This is the part that makes your email yours.

Maybe you’ve visited DoodleHATCH. Maybe you’re a parent who wants more creative places for children. Maybe you’re an artist, an educator, or someone who thinks it’s important to protect the few spaces where people can explore and make things without needing to buy something.

Maybe you live across the country and just learned that there’s a department store for mythical creatures in Maryland, and you think the world would be a little less interesting without it.

That’s a perfectly good reason to care.

💌 Email templates you can copy

Option 1: Short, simple, and effective

Subject: Support The REALM | Oppose ZB 1132M

Hello,

I’m writing to express my opposition to the proposed Columbia Concepts zoning amendment and redevelopment of the Long Reach Village Center (ZB 1132M).

I support preserving DoodleHATCH, the Maryland Fashion Institute, and the existing community services and small businesses, as well as the proposal to create The REALM arts and culture center.

Creative and educational spaces like these provide valuable opportunities for families, artists, students, and the wider community. I believe they deserve to be protected.

Please include my email with the messages of support being collected for DoodleHATCH and The REALM.

Thank you,

[Your Name]
[Your City/State]

Option 2: For artists, creatives, and fellow merriment makers

Subject: Please Protect DoodleHATCH and Support The REALM

Hello,

I’m writing in opposition to Columbia Concepts’ proposed redevelopment and zoning amendment for the Long Reach Village Center (ZB 1132M), and in support of The REALM.

I believe communities need places where creativity, imagination, and play are actively encouraged.

DoodleHATCH is an extraordinary example of what can happen when artists and community members are given room to create something that doesn’t fit into an ordinary commercial space.

Places like this are rare. They encourage people of all ages to experiment, learn, explore, and connect with one another.

I support preserving DoodleHATCH, the Maryland Fashion Institute, the existing community resources, and the vision for The REALM.

Thank you for collecting these messages and advocating for the creative community.

[Your Name]
[Your City/State]

Option 3: For people who've visited DoodleHATCH

Subject: Please Save DoodleHATCH | Oppose ZB 1132M

Hello,

I’m writing to express my opposition to the proposed Columbia Concepts redevelopment and zoning amendment for the Long Reach Village Center (ZB 1132M), and my support for The REALM.

I’ve personally visited DoodleHATCH, and I want to share why I believe it’s worth preserving.

[Write two or three sentences about your experience. What did you see? Who did you bring? What surprised you? What made you want to return?]

DoodleHATCH is more than a collection of exhibits. It’s a place where creativity is something people can actively participate in, and I believe losing it would be a tremendous loss to the community.

I support preserving the museum, the Maryland Fashion Institute, and the other existing community resources through the proposed arts and culture center, The REALM.

Please include my email with the messages of support you’re collecting.

Thank you,

[Your Name]
[Your City/State]

A few tips before you hit send

DO:

  • Use your real name.

  • Include your city and state so organizers can understand where support is coming from.

  • Clearly identify the redevelopment proposal you’re opposing.

  • Specifically mention your support for The REALM.

  • Add a personal sentence or two if you can.

  • Be respectful, even if you’re frustrated.

  • Share this page with other people who might want to help.

DON’T:

  • Pretend to be a Howard County resident if you’re not.

  • Claim to have visited DoodleHATCH if you haven’t.

  • Make up experiences or information.

  • Send threatening, insulting, or harassing messages.

  • Assume your email is the same thing as signing the official petition.

  • Worry about making your message sound impressive. Clear and genuine is better than elaborate.

💌 The Save DoodleHATCH Email Machine

A few clicks, a little personality, and an email that helps support DoodleHATCH and The REALM. No account or signup required.

What's your connection to DoodleHATCH?
Why does protecting places like this matter to you?
✨ Your email preview
To: Lilou@DoodleHATCH.com
Subject:

Your information stays in your browser until you choose to copy or open the message. The email does not send automatically. Emails support DoodleHATCH's advocacy campaign; they are not the same as official petition signatures or zoning testimony. Please review the message before sending.

🐹 Wait. What exactly is DoodleHATCH?

I’m so glad you asked.

DoodleHATCH is an interactive art museum in Columbia, Maryland, created by artist, designer, and professional generator of wildly ambitious ideas, Lee Andersen.

The museum is designed as a pretend department store for mythological creatures, time travelers, and galactic tourists.

There are dozens of installations, and unlike most museums, you’re encouraged to touch things, explore, and participate.

There’s also an artist’s studio full of fabric and handmade garments, workshops, special events, birthday parties, free books, and opportunities for local artists to share their work.

The museum welcomes families and children, but adults are absolutely allowed to enjoy themselves, too.

And the woman behind it has spent decades bringing creativity into the community through fashion, festivals, education, and public art.

I discovered DoodleHATCH in 2020 and loved it so much that I started volunteering.

I’ve been back multiple times, and there are still things I haven’t seen.

That’s part of what makes it special. You can keep discovering things because people keep creating them.

You don't have to live near DoodleHATCH to care about it.

There are Merriment Makers everywhere.

People turning empty buildings into art spaces. People organizing parades. People teaching kids how to sew, paint, dance, or build things. People putting enormous amounts of time into projects that make their communities more interesting.

Sometimes they’re running nonprofits. Sometimes they’re working out of their garages. Sometimes they’re making something weird in a strip mall that you might drive past a hundred times without realizing what’s inside.

I hope you’ll help protect DoodleHATCH.

And I hope you’ll look around your own community, too. Visit the strange little museum. Go to the local art show. Find the person who makes giant puppets or organizes an absurd annual festival. Spend your money at the independent shop with the handmade things.

There are people everywhere creating reasons for us to be curious about being alive.

I’d like them to be able to keep doing that.

Help save DoodleHATCH. Help protect The REALM. Help keep the world interesting.

💌 Email: Lilou@DoodleHATCH.com

🌈 Visit: DoodleHATCH.com

🦄 Share: Uncustomary.org/Doodle