There's more to self-care than most people think—it's an important practice to eliminate stress, make yourself feel energized, and improve your mental and overall well-being. With the right self-care, anyone can feel more relaxed and uplifted. Here are seven self-care habits of successful women. 

1. Making a Habit of Self-Care

While taking a bubble bath or doing a facial night every once in a while is a great start, developing a routine of self-care sets aside personal time for you that can help you succeed in other areas of your life. We all need to do activities that make us feel happy and relaxed, so it's important to make a habit out of self-care.

Once you have a habit in place, whether it's going for a nice stroll every evening after work or doing yoga three times a week, it's important to protect it. That means that you stick to your self-care plans so that you can continue to be the best version of yourself. 

2. Having a Morning Routine

Part of building a self-care habit is starting at the beginning of the day. Believe it or not, there are successful women out there who aren't morning people. However, they still develop a morning routine so that they start the day off right. 

Your morning routine may involve exercising, showering, following your skincare routine, and eating a healthy breakfast. Successful women know what they need in order to have a great day. There's no correct formula that works for every person. Instead, successful women incorporate the things they know revitalize them in the morning to set the day up for success. 

3. Making Time to Exercise 

Exercise might not be your favorite thing to do, but you can't argue with the known benefits of breaking a sweat. While the typical ideas about self-care center around a relaxing night in, exercise is crucial because it's a form of taking care of yourself both physically and mentally. Successful women know that it's not as important to go to the gym as it is to be active. Whether you prefer yoga or going for a run, self-care is about making the commitment to yourself to take care of your body. 

4. Valuing Alone Time

Some successful women are introverts who already value their alone time, while others are extroverts who love to be the life of the party. Extroverts can also benefit from alone time because this time allows them to reflect on their lives and the future. 

The busier you are, the less time you seem to have where you can be alone, but you can create alone time by finding when it works best in your schedule. Alone time can also be combined with other activities like yoga and meditation. 

5. Eating Healthy 

Let's face it: Successful women are busy. When it comes to having the time to make a quality meal, many don't have it, so it's okay if you’re not eating healthy 100% of the time. However, eating healthy is another form of taking care of your body and mind, so it's absolutely essential to make an effort and get the proper nutrients. 

Making diet changes isn't always easy, but it's worth it. Consider how you feel after eating fast food for lunch at work. The odds are that you feel groggy, lethargic, tired, and unmotivated. Eating healthy can boost your productivity because you're eliminating the foods that make you feel this way. 

Eating healthy more often can be achieved for even the busiest of people. All it takes is some planning. You might find that planning your meals Sunday night works best because you're able to look at your schedule throughout the week to determine what you can make for yourself and when. 

6. Saying "No"

Many people have a fear of telling their loved ones that they can't do something. Whether it's hanging out on a Tuesday night or babysitting their children while they go out, people are always expecting something of us. Successful women know when it's appropriate to say "no," especially when it comes to things that will be taking away from their downtime. 

While it might be difficult at first, saying "no" to some of the things people ask of you can help you find more necessary time for yourself. With so many commitments and plans in the future, sometimes it's better to just do the things that make you happy instead of focusing on the happiness of others. 

Not to mention, agreeing to too many plans can make you stressed, especially if you're already very busy. It's okay to say "no" to your friends, family, coworkers, and even your boss, especially if you need that valuable downtime for yourself. Saying no can keep you positive and upbeat throughout the day, allowing you to focus on the things that need to get done. 

7. Limiting Social Media 

Social media is complicated—it can have both a positive and negative impact on your life. If you’re regularly using social media while you're with your loved ones, you’re losing valuable quality time that you could be enjoying without staring at your phone. Successful women, just like everyone else, enjoy scrolling through social media, but they know when it's time to put down the phone to focus on other tasks. 

Self Care for a Better You

Successful women all do self-care differently, so there's no right way to take care of yourself. If you want to find the best self-care habits for you, make sure to be mindful of the everyday things that make you happy. If painting your nails every Sunday is something that keeps you motivated throughout the week, continue to do it. Always find ways to enjoy yourself and spend time doing the things that are important to you. 

Samantha Rupp holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. She is the managing editor for 365 Business Tips as well as runs a personal blog, Mixed Bits Media. She lives in San Diego, California and enjoys spending time on the beach, reading up on current industry trends, and traveling.