Busy Philipps: There's no easy answer to finding time for self-care

Busy Philipps says there’s “no easy answer” to finding time for self-care as a mother.

The 42-year-old actress has values taking time for herself away from her husband, Marc Silverstein, and their two children – Birdie, 12, and Cricket, eight – but has said it’s never easy to break away from her family to do her own thing.

Busy admitted she struggles to make herself a “priority”, but urged other women to remember that it’s “okay to slow it down from time to time”.

Asked to give advice on finding time for self-care, she said: “There’s no easy answer to how you do that because it requires you to become an advocate for yourself. You just have to make it a priority.

“During the pandemic, statistically, women in households burdened more of the domestic labour, the schooling and the childcare, in addition to maintaining their jobs outside of the home.

“I think that what is interesting now is as we shift back to the new normal in our lives, is how we continue to remember that it’s important to carve out those moments for ourselves. It’s okay to slow it down from time to time.”

The ‘Busy Tonight’ star says her hectic schedule stops her from incorporating wellness into her life “daily”, but she “meditates” whenever she can.

She added: “I don’t do it daily because I don’t have a lot of time, but when I can I like to meditate. I sit up with my eyes closed and do transcendental meditation. Then, working out has been a thing that I’ve been able to do for myself for self-care because it really makes such a difference in my mood and getting endorphins going. I think if you had told me when I was in my early 20s that I would be one of those people, I would have rolled my eyes!”

Busy doesn’t like to unwind by binge-watching a TV series, but she does enjoy listening to mu, especially Taylor Swift.

Speaking to People magazine, she said: “I’m not a trashy TV watcher. It gives me anxiety. I do like taking quiet time and listening to mu. I really love the new songs Big Red Machine are coming out with, and Taylor Swift.

“I’m like a late-in-life Taylor fan because — just to be honest — I was too old for Taylor [at first]. But when my older kid got into Taylor’s mu, then I was like, ‘Oh, this is amazing. I love this.'”