Self-Care is a HUGE umbrella.
Before we even get into why self-care is important for maintaining good mental well-being, or what it is – I’d like to start off with 3 reasons WHY it’s important. As a busy parent regardless of taking care of others – you are still just as important. How many times have you felt guilty for doing something for yourself? Or allowed your needs to fall to the bottom of the to-do list?
3 reasons why self-care is important
- Self-care is important for maintaining good physical and mental health. It helps you to manage stress, reduce anxiety and depression, and increase your overall well-being.
- Self-care helps you to stay productive and motivated. Taking time to focus on yourself and your needs helps you to stay energized and focused on the tasks at hand.
- Practising self-care will enable you to build better relationships with yourself and others. It can help you to better understand your emotions and needs and foster a greater sense of empathy and understanding in your relationships.
And whilst you likely know all this, and it’s very positve. There are SO many different things that can be classed as ‘self-care’!
What if taking a bath with a face mask is the last thing on the planet you fancy, but all of the #selfcaresaturdays seem to only promote bubbles and skincare?! It can be hard to figure out what feels good and helps you to recharge. And the last thing you want is to stress out – over how to feel less stressed!
How do you even begin to know what works for you? What even IS ‘self-care’?
If you’re running around looking after kids, partners, friends or family – you likely take care of other people all the time. You could even think of self-care as doing those things; but for yourself. Self-care could even be doing little jobs that ‘future-you’ will thank you for; like preparing a slow-cooker meal so that you can simply dish up dinner and relax in the evening.
To help you try out some new things to find out what kind of self-care works for you, to improve your well-being, we’ve put together a list of different self-care ideas so you can pick out one or two, and give them a go.
69 self-care ideas
Here are 69 self-care ideas to help you feel your best:
1. Take a walk in nature
2. Take a relaxing bubble bath
3. Read a book
4. Listen to calming music
5. Practice yoga
6. Write in a journal
7. Get a massage
8. Take a nap
9. Spend time with friends
10. Watch a funny movie
11. Go for a bike ride
12. Do some arts and crafts
13. Go for a swim
14. Spend time in nature
15. Do some gardening
16. Write a letter to a friend
17. Take a yoga class
18. Play a board game
19. Do some deep breathing exercises
20. Do some stretching
21. Take a dance class
22. Go on a hike
23. Take a hot bath
24. Meditate 25. Visit a museum
26. Do a crossword puzzle
27. Have a picnic in the park
28. Bake something delicious
29. Make a favourite meal
30. Organize your space
31. Go for a jog
32. Take a cooking class
33. Have a movie night with friends
34. Listen to a podcast
35. Listen to a new album
36. Visit a new place
37. Visit an old friend
38. Do a puzzle
39. Take a class
40. Go stargazing
41. Have a spa day
42. Plant something
43. Take a road trip
44. Do a DIY project
45. Go to a comedy show
46. Paint something
47. Have a game night – consoles or board games, adults-only card games.
48. Attend a concert
49. Take a class
50. Go to the beach
51. Take a day off from work
52. Go for a walk
53. Do volunteer work – call a local dog boarders, soup kitchen, or care home – there are loads of options out there.
54. Have an at-home spa day; you could even make the treatments.
55. Do something creative
56. Take a hot yoga class
57. Have a movie marathon
58. Do some yoga on the beach or in a park
59. Take a cooking class
60. Go to a farmer’s market
61. Take time to relax
62. Go for a bike ride
63. Take a photography class
64. Visit a nearby city
65. Spend time with family
66. Do a craft project
67. Spend time with a pet
68. Take a yoga retreat
69. Visit where you grew up and reflect on how far you’ve come!
Phew.. that was a lot. If you need a hand-picking something – or a gentle nudge to try it, grab a free self-care goal-setting sheet from the resources page, and choose one or two.
Self-care ultimately can be whatever you want it to be, therefore by looking at your physical, mental and emotional well-being, it’s helpful to find activities that help to support your health in those areas. You might want to cook for yourself, be more active or sociable – it all depends on you and your life. Finding something that you actually enjoy makes it much easier to stay consistent.
If you’d like extra support – book a free call to discuss your options and see what we can do.
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