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WHAT IS SELF CARE?
When we talk about self-care, we are talking about a person’s physical, emotional and mental well being.
Self-care activities help ease out any tension in the mind and body.
A destress routine if you’d like to call it.
Life can get stressful, whether at home, at work or if you are going through a difficult phase in life.
We all need to take a step back once in a while -from all the hustle and bustle – and give ourselves a stress break. Whether we need it or not, this does do a lot of good to our body.
So today we are going to take a look at some simple self-care activities that can be done even if you have just 10 minutes to spare. Little tips and tricks to help break away and rewind a little to put you in a better mood.
Let’s check them out.
**This post may contain affiliate links. Please read disclosure.
SELF CARE PLAN
1. TAKE A POWER NAP
If you are losing sleep, you are also losing productivity. Take a power nap when you can, as it can give you the much-required quick burst of energy. This is great if you have a long day ahead and you are already tired out. That 20 minutes you rest, can do great wonders to re-energise yourself.
2. LET IN SOME FRESH AIR
A simple healing natural remedy to relieve stress is some outdoor freshness. I particularly enjoy the morning breeze, when its the purest. Get into a morning routine to open your windows while you enjoy your morning drink. Just 5 minutes of this is well worth the effort.
3. YOUR MORNING DRINK
While an instant caffeine hit is great when you wake up, a healthier alternative can do a lot of good to your body. Green tea or lemon water with some Himalayan salt are good choices.
4. MAKE A HEALTHY SNACK
Just the act of doing something good can make you feel great. Knowing that you are eating healthy, reassures you that your body is getting what it deserves.
Some healthy snack ideas are:
- Avocado and salsa on toast
- Baked apple crisps
- Almond/Peanut butter and banana toast
- Popcorn
- Plain Yoghurt topped with fresh or frozen berries
- Chickpea salad
Check out some of our healthy zero calorie snack options.
5. COOK A NEW MEAL
With just so many ideas and inspirations on YouTube and Pinterest, you have plenty to choose from. Whether you are following a keto, paleo or vegan diet, you can cook something new and interesting that can become a new family favourite.
6. GET NAILS DONE AT HOME
While you can pamper yourself at a nail salon, the downside is, it comes with a price tag. If you are not ready to spend on someone doing your nails, you can consider learning to do it yourself at home.
7. RELAXING BATH
Who doesn’t enjoy a nice warm bath, right? Warm water can relax your body muscles, and you feel re-energised. This is one of my favourite no-prep self-care activities that always works!
8. LIGHT UP SOME SCENTED CANDLES
Create an at-home spa effect by lighting up some candles. If you are afraid to have lit candles in your room, you can choose to use battery-operated tea-light candles which still gives you that cosy feeling.
9. LOOK THROUHG OLD PHOTOS
Re-live and cherish old memories by looking through some old photos and videos.
10. ADULT COLOURING
Nothing like some art therapy to relax and rewind. There are many online adult colouring pages available on the internet, that you can just print and colour.
If you enjoy other forms of art, check out Skillshare for a 2-month free trial using this link. You get access to thousands of online courses to unleash your creativity.
11. DECLUTTER
While cleaning or decluttering might feel like a chore, the feeling that comes once the job is done is so rewarding. Knowing that the once messy room or closet is no more a pile of mess is so relieving of stress. Make sure to give it a try!
12. DO A BRAIN DUMP
A brain dump is nothing that transferring ideas and productive thoughts into a book or journal.
Instead of feeling overwhelmed with all these ideas inside your head – let them out. This definitely lessens workload. You start feeling more relaxes and ready to take on more ideas.
A brain dump is great because you are saving your ideas, so someday it might come in handy!
13. DINNER FOR LOVED ONES
If you enjoy cooking, spread the love by inviting some family and friends over for a meal. You can also try your hand at something new, making it a fun experience for you.
14. READ
If there is a good book you’ve always wanted to read, now is the time to catch up on it.
15. PRODUCTIVE NETFLIX SERIES
I love this series Tidying Up with Marie Kondo. If you are someone that needs help with decluttering and maintaining a mess-free home, this one is a must-watch.
16. CATCH UP ON A MOVIE
Why not!
17. DRY BRUSH YOUR BODY
If you haven’t heard this before, dry brushing is when you brush your skin with a dry brush before a shower. Not only does dry brushing help exfoliate your skin, but it also helps in energising your body.
Many health and wellness stores sell dry brushes which are usually under $15 dollars. It is well worth investing in one.
18. EXFOLIATE
I love exfoliating my face with a natural DIY scrub. Knowing that I made this on my own makes it feel even better, because I know I’ve made it using all-natural ingredients.
Here is one of the easiest DIY coffee facial scrubs you can try:
Add equal quantities of ground coffee, brown sugar and coconut oil. Store them in a little mason jar for up to a month. You never have to think about buying a scrub from the store after you’ve tried these!
19. HAIR MASSAGE
The hair is one part of the body that might tend to get neglected in terms of moisture. While conditioning does help, a good hair massage helps in hydration, circulation and relaxation.
20. PLAN A TRIP
If summer is around the corner and you are hoping to take a short family vacation, you can start brainstorming ideas now. Not only are you getting things done in advance, but you are also doing some exciting planning!
21. SHOP
While this is not a very productive idea, you can shop at DollarTree for craft supplies or budget decor to divert your mind with some DIY projects.
22. KARAOAKE AT HOME
Sure is fun!
23. WAKE UP EARLY
If you have kids at home, try and wake up at least half an hour before they do. This gives you enough time to do so some morning self-care activities to rejuvenate yourself.
24. EXERCISE
Exercise is a great stress buster and you don’t even need to hit the gym. There are so many YouTube videos that will walk you through some regular routines.
After your session, you are sure to feel a gush of energy and a feeling of satisfaction that you are on the road to fitness.
25. YOGA
This is best done in the morning. If you can get yourself a yoga mat and play some soothing music, it will make you feel calm and peaceful.
26. CHARITY
Donating to charity is your way of showing that you care. Giving and sharing what you have with someone else is a lovely gesture.
27. SPREAD POSITIVITY
The reach social media has these days is amazing. With almost everyone using it, it is one of the best places to spread some love.
If you can post a word of encouragement on any of the social platforms, it is sure to brighten someone’s day.
28. PRAY AND MEDITATE
Needless to say how important this is, getting into the habit of praying and reading the word of God is also a great way to get kids involved in family prayer time.
Here are a couple of scriptures that are encouraging.
29. GARDENING
Plant a small vegetable or fruit. It’s rewarding to see how well they grow into a fruit.
31. START A HOBBY
Whether its crocheting, knitting or baking, learn a new hobby online as a way to relax.
32. LEARN A NEW SKILL
Make use of Skillshare’s free 2-month trial here to get the opportunity to access hundreds of online courses to learn a new skill. You could also use this skill to make you some money!
33. CREATE A VISION BOARD
If you haven’t heard this term before, here’s my simple explanation.
A vision board are like the magnets you place on your fridge, the only difference is these magnets actually have a deep story.
So whether its a past memory or something you want to achieve in the future, setting up a vision board helps inspire you to reach your goals.
34. USE A PLANNER
Planners are very therapeutic. It puts your mind at rest because you feel organised and in control of your life.
You can choose to do a weekly plan or a monthly plan based on how busy your life is.
Make sure to include some “me time” in your weekly activities.
35. START A BULLET JOURNAL
A bullet journal is a creative way to stay on top of things. Bullet journals help pour out your thoughts into a notebook in a creative way. You can make it pretty, professional or just keep it simple.
If you haven’t started one yet, here is a bullet journal beginner’s tutorial.
36. GRATITUDE JOURNAL
This is the last type of journal we are going to talk about today – a gratitude journal.
Feeling grateful about something? Put it down in a gratitude journal. This is very useful to read back later, especially when you are feeling low.
37. TURN ON YOUR FAVOURITE MUSIC
Listen to some of your favourite songs to help feel relaxed.
38. SOCIAL MEDIA DETOX
Try and stay away from social media a couple of days a week – if possible. Unless you are someone that relies on social media for business, switching away from social sites allow you time to do other self-care activities!
39. BEDTIME ROUTINE
This allows you to de-stress and rewind before you sleep.
40. PLAN A BIRTHDAY IN ADVANCE
It’s fun to try and plan for events like a birthday or an anniversary because there are so many components to it. You can shop for a cake now, but it can take a look at trending clothes and party ideas to use on your own.
41. GO ON A DATE WITH YOURSELF
I actually enjoy this time to myself, where I can just grab a hot chocolate at a cafe and relax – doing absolutely nothing. It truly is!
42. Call a friend or family
43. Invite friends for dinner
44. Have a potluck
45. Create a weekend plan
46. Brainstorm ideas for your next vacation
There you go! Over 40 truly relaxing ways to care for yourself and motivate you to become a better person. As a bonus, you can print the entire list for free below. Just click and print. No need to sign up for anything or go through any trouble to get your printable.
SELF CARE CHECKLIST
Free Printable Download Below:
Just click the link below to download the self care activities pdf.
40 self-care activities checklist printable
