For several weeks in August and September 2022, I led a group discussion on the Wisdo.com platform on the subject of self-care. I asked the participants to share their favorite self-care ideas. This article is based on the best of the best self-care ideas contributed by that group.
Home, family and work seem to be the priorities for most of us. These priorities make it hard to find time (let alone the energy) to take care of ourselves. Many of the ideas people submitted were small, but powerful, things like getting fresh air and time alone. One new mom said taking a shower without worrying about the baby gave her a new outlook on the day. So, even small things can help. “The key to practicing self-care is making conscious choices throughout your day,” says Erin Wiley, a clinical psychotherapist and the executive director of The Willow Center, a counseling practice.
Daily Self-Care Ideas
Along those lines, we got several ideas on things to do throughout the day:
- Drink water. It is key for energy and vital to every system in your body. Water is crucial for your mind too.
- Show self-compassion. No negative self-talk. Use positive affirmations. Be forgiving.
- Stay connected. (This is a good one.) Friends are important. Reach out by phone or email to someone every day and arrange meet-ups as often as you can.
- Exercise body and mind. Several of you suggested this one. Physical movement improves your health and it produces chemicals that reduce depression. Exercise your mind. We are never too old to learn so take 10 minutes and work a puzzle. One woman says she had a book of minute mysteries she reads at lunch and tries to solve. There are many Aps on line or puzzle books to buy. Or, just read, and/or learn a new word. I personally do a puzzle online every day called Waffle.
- Be Grateful. Several people mentioned keeping track of things you are grateful for. I suggest writing 3 to 4 every day.
- Be mindful. This is my tip. When something good happens, take time to celebrate and relish the good feeling. If you get into a stressful spot, stop and examine what is happening and take a deep breath. It will stop you from over reacting.
- Laugh. This releases endorphins that lift your mood, reduce stress and lower your blood pressure. Chuckle regularly.
More Self-Care Ideas
The group had even more great ideas to contribute:
- Sit outdoors and breath
- Listen to the birds chirping
- Get lost staring at the stars on a summer evening
- Enjoy the sunrise or sunset
- Listen to your favorite music
- Take a nice hot bath
- Take care of your skin by keeping a daily routine
- Light a scented candle
- Create your happy place or therapy box that you can concentrate on to refocus your mind if you are stressed or upset.
“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.”—Anne Lamott
You will always be more productive if you take a break. Whether you take an hour, a day, or just 15 minutes out of your busy schedule, you will feel refreshed after stepping away from your hectic life. Purposely work some self-care activities into your day. Track them to make sure it happens until they become a habit.
Make a Self-Care Plan
What you do for self-care is individual. What works for me probably won’t work for you. That’s because we each have individual physical, mental and emotional needs. While the list of above activities gives you many ways to include daily self-care breaks they are only part of your self-care plan.
“A self-care plan is activities we deliberately take part in to improve our inner and outer well-being. Self-care isn’t just about pampering or grooming yourself, although that can be part of it. Taking time out of each day to nourish every part of ourselves helps us live healthier, happier, and more fulfilling lives.” betterup.com
A self-care plan includes nourishment for your whole self. It includes multi-dimensions of your physical, emotional and mental well-being. These ideas were suggested:
- Physical side of self-care is about making lifestyle choices to stay healthy and energized. Make healthy habit choices, including regular checkups, a well-balanced diet, regular plentiful sleep, and quitting smoking all support often-neglected physical self-care.
- Mental aspects of self-care include taking care of your mental well-being and keeping your mind sharp. Set goals and celebrate wins, have a fun hobby that entertains or challenges you, and take a break from your phone are some ideas to start with.
- Emotional pieces of self-care involve becoming aware of our emotional needs by understanding our feelings. Things like journaling, meditation, practicing random acts of kindness, and breath-work to regulate emotions all help us respond to life challenges instead of over-reacting to them.
Make it Personal
“Create your personal self-care plan:
- Take an inventory of your hood and bad habit
- Write down your self-care needs
- Decide what self-care activities will help you meet your needs
- Purposefully put them into your schedule
- Remove any barriers (negative habits, destructive self-coping acts)
- Reach out for help if needed” betterup.com
A self-care plan takes time and determination. It is certainly worth it. Each forward step makes your life better. Keep your plan simple and full of things you like so it’s easier to keep working on it. Keep it flexible so if something isn’t quite right you can adjust. Most important is to treat yourself with kindness. It can be a long road but remember you deserve to be happy, you deserve good things and you are worthy and necessary.
P.S. Many of the ideas discussed in this article are included in our new free downloadable Self-Care Ideas Poster.
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