Me-time and a happy you go hand in hand. But between hanging out with your friends, hitting all the new restaurants that opened up, making sure you spend some quality time with your family–and all of this usually on top of your job could get you swamped up, without any time for yourself. And even if multi-tasking is your game, when was the last time you paused, took a deep breath and tapped into your happy place? Now you may catch yourself thinking “Oh, there’s so much to do. I feel guilty prioritising myself!” Well we’re here to assure you it’s anything but selfish. Let us let you in on a secret – putting yourself first and carving out your own space and time isn’t just something you deserve, it’s something you need!

Prioritising yourself is the first step towards being able to give your best in all aspects of life. Constantly giving in to the wants of others and letting your me-time take a backseat only compounds stress, both on a daily basis and in the long term. But avoiding burnout is not as hard as it seems—you just have to find your Happy Place. A Happy Place can be a physical place or just an emotional space where all your best dreams, memories and hopes reside. And the simplest way to get there? Me-time.

And plus, if you skimp out on your me-time, all the built up stress and exhaustion makes you take a step back from being able to give your best. Stress is your body’s way of signalling and telling you that you’re now approaching your limit and that it’s time to take it slow. To take a deep breath, a sip of water, get in a couple of oms, and realign back into your happy place! Because when you’re getting in your weekly dose of self-care, your mind is too busy to focus on all the stressful distractions keeping you from living your best life.

Start small, and unlock your happy place through simple rituals that you can easily incorporate into your daily life. Set aside twenty minutes everyday for yourself and the magic will follow. If you don’t know where to begin, we’ve got some ideas:

For a fresher way to float through a busy day, tackle your mornings right. Instead of snoozing the alarm, take a few moments in bed (no screens!) and decide what note you’d like the day to start on. Make yourself a cup of your favourite coffee or tea, and journal. You could plan the day, put down some goals or even try remembering that crazy dream you had.

After the day is done, decompress with a warm shower. Wash away your worries and scrub away the stress. Then decide how you’d like to wind down for the evening. Maybe call a friend or get in some one-on-one time with your pet. Want some alone time? Put on your favourite playlist and jam out like no one’s watching. And if even that’s too much, we get it—try spritzing a fragrant mist into the air, lighting a candle and just lying down. It really is that easy to reset, and find your happy place.

So even though social media may show you that me-time means aesthetic bathtubs and extensive self-care routines, it’s really just a sign to take a break. Our advice? Do what makes you happy in the moment. Go to that spa, read the book, make a journal entry, go on a walk, run a hot bath – it doesn’t matter what you do for yourself, so long as you do it. It is your me-time – so make it yours, and make it count.