79 Ways to Practice Self Care
Here are 79 ideas for practicing self care. No need to break the bank doing it…many of these self care suggestions are free! Relax, refresh, and enjoy. You might be doing some of these already, so take notice and enjoy those simple pleasures!
The Ultimate List of Easy Self Care Ideas
Self care waters our dry roots and helps us to flourish no matter what life throws at us.
We practice it every day, whether we realise it or not, but sometimes realising it and taking note makes a little self care go a longer way.
If you want to learn about the heart health and longevity benefits of self care or how it produces endorphins, you’ll have to look elsewhere. I’m not here to cite studies and convince you that a good thing is good. My aim is to inspire you. To get you musing about all the ways you can practice self care on a daily, ongoing basis. To point out to you, as you browse this list, that you’re likely already taking better care of yourself than you realise.
If you ever lack for inspiration and ideas for practicing self care, refer to this list and pick something that refreshes your body, mind, or soul.
And I’ll go ahead and tell you right from the start: yoga isn’t on the list. I decided to only include things I personally do, and yoga isn’t one of them (not yet, at least!) I suppose you can make yoga #80, if you like.(:
Update for 2017: I do yoga now, too. I love it!
79 Ways to Practice Self Care
1. Colour
2. Drink a glass of water
4. Make and use a sugar scrub
5. Get a haircut
7. Create a wardrobe wishlist
8. Go for a walk on the edges of the day…at dawn or dusk
9. Paint your nails
10. Drink a smoothie
11. Diffuse essential oils
12. Stay off the internet for the day
13. Make a fancy coffee shop drink
14. Sit up straight
15. Take a personal planning retreat
16. Go to bed 15 minutes earlier
17. Say “no” to non-essentials
18. Host a tea party
19. Read comics
21. Write a haiku
22. Do a self-paced course on a topic you’ve been wanting to know more about
23. Swing on the swingset
24. The next time you watch a movie, soak your feet while you watch
25. Eat outside
28. Do something you loved to do as a child
30. Spend time with animals
31. “Plan” your dream vacation
32. Discover your personality type
33. Bring flowers indoors
34. Listen to Pachelbel’s Canon
35. Create a secret Pinterest board for your dream house or wardrobe
36. Drive a scenic highway/byway
37. Buy new sheets
38. Go to the library and read a magazine you don’t have a subscription to
39. Swim in your clothes (in the lake, river, whatever’s available to you)
40. Declutter your personal space (clothes, shoes, accessories)
41. Ask your family or friends what your strengths and weaknesses are
42. Drink a glass of Champagne for no occasion
43. Build margin into your life
44. Have a girls’ movie night with friends
46. Explore the archives of your favourite blogs
47. Watch Anne of Green Gables
48. Take an afternoon nap
49. Relax with a cup of decaf coffee in the evening
50. Have a full breakfast
51. Pursue a hobby
54. Sing in the shower
55. Go stargazing
56. Use a planner
57. Make a new recipe
58. Do something spontaneous
60. Give yourself a facial steam
63. Read the Psalms
64. Buy a new perfume or fragrance
65. Clean out your makeup stash
66. Buy something beautiful
68. Write a letter
69. Light a candle while you eat, work, or read
70. Start taking cod liver oil
71. Do a seasonal colour analysis to discover what colours look best on you
72. Savor a piece of dark chocolate
74. Buy a good pen…and don’t let anyone else use it!
75. Eat a bowl of berries and cream
76. Leave non-essential Facebook groups and edit your friends list
78. Eat a big salad with all the fixings
79. Rearrange your room
What is this list missing? How do YOU practice self care?
Great list. Although I don’t understand why 67 is a self care tip.
Thanks! The post that #67 links to (this one) explains it! Basically, it’s about doing things that are outside the norm for you, and in the process discovering new interests, talents, and personality traits.
Love, love, love this!!! I am reading a book right now called “Live Your Joy” by Bonnie St. John, and it is about finding and living the life that you find joyful. God has been teaching me about how important it is to be happy. I will be pinning this! 🙂
Thank you, Kristie!! I will have to check out that book for sure!
This amazing! I love all the varieties! Thank you so much for posting!
My pleasure! I hope you find some good time for self care this year!