By Joy Onovo

“I have come to believe that caring for myself is not self indulgent. Caring for myself is an act of survival” – Audre Lorde

With the popular lifestyle of working adult, and the ‘always on the move’ fast paced culture in today’s world, it is always a good practice to slow down and refill for a better performance.

Self-care practices are the best way to slow down and smell the roses. Contrary to popular opinion, self-care is not limited to just our physical health. It spans beyond that into our mental, spiritual and overall wellbeing.

With the high rise of depression, stress and burn out, self-care should be a no brainer.

It can be quite a challenging task to think up what to do for self-care, especially when you have other areas of your life to brain storm and function. So here, I’ve collated a list of self-care activities that you can practice, to set your body, spirit and soul in the right frame to function effectively.

71 SIMPLE SELF CARE IDEAS FOR A BETTER LIFE

1. Setting clear boundaries – As absurd as this may sound, it does make a huge difference as to how we feel inside out. Limiting behaviour and setting clear boundaries especially in your relationship with people can always work to your benefit and keep you sane.

 

2. Meditation – It has been proven to help relax, declutter and refocus the mind.

 

3. Staying away from toxic people and environment

 

 

4. Uninterrupted quality sleep – Focus on the word ‘uninterrupted’. Many of us sleep for long hours, but in between are frequent interruptions, which is tantamount to poor sleep duration.

 

5. Reading an interesting book

 

6. Singing out loud in the bathroom or anywhere you love

 

7. Taking your vitamins

 

 

8. Getting fresh air

9. Taking a walk

 

 

10. Having a massage

 

11. Having a pedicure

 

 

12. Treating yourself to a favourite dish

 

13. Journaling

 

 

14. Painting – even if you are not good at it. This is a good practice to refocus your mind away from your worries as you tend to focus on achieving a near to perfect art.

 

15. Planting and caring for plants – when you care for your environment especially plants, it can be a rewarding experience especially when they thrive and in return, you tend to feel good.

 

 

16. Practicing mindfulness – Because of how busy we get in our day-to-day activities, the art of mindfulness is slowly lost. People tend to zone through their daily lives without actually relieving each moment. Practicing mindfulness helps us to be intentional about the present and the gift that it brings.

 

17. Listening to your favourite playlist

 

 

18. Taking a break – It is good practice to schedule in break at interval of our lives. Even if it means doing nothing in particular. Just stop and give your body, mind and soul time to catch its breath before to restart the hustle over again.

 

19. Exercising

 

 

20. Making beautiful craft work

 

21. Sewing a lovely dress; this is my thing. When I get into the groove of creating a beautiful design piece from start to finish. The creative process is very fulfilling, though can take a couple of hours or even days depending on the project, but in the end, the whole experience is satisfying.

 

22. Playing a musical instrument – For those who are skilled in this, this is good as it can put you in the flow state and help block out all the craziness going on in the world.

 

23. Talking to a friend – As long as it is not gossip, having a healthy conversation with a good friend is a good way to relax. A lot of laughs are gotten from such conversation, which is a good way to boost your health.

24. Listening to a podcast

 

 

25. Visiting a museum

 

26. Visiting a zoo

 

27. Going to an aquarium

 

 

28. Making yourself a warm drink

29. Practicing deep breathing

 

 

30. Dealing kindly with yourself – One way to stress is to have unhealthy conversations in your head. This is why it is good to practice speaking kind words to yourself in form of affirmations. Also be mindful of your tone. Do not beat yourself up especially about things that are beyond your control.

 

31. Having a solo party – Who ever said that having a party must be with people. One of the best way to relax and refill is to have a solo party, away from the noise and influence of the world and just be.

 

 

32. Putting on your best outfit for no occasion at all

 

33. Cooking your favourite dish

 

 

34. Spending time in nature

35. Decluttering your space – You will agree with me that most time, a crowded mind is as a result of a crowded environment. Have you ever decluttered your space one moment, and the next moment, you suddenly feel so light and free? Decluttering your space is a good self-care practice.

 

 

36. Dancing like no one is watching – This might seem crazy to an onlooker, especially if you are using a head set that no one can hear the music. Dancing like you are alone helps you ease out and feel like a bird. Personally, the song Chandalier by Sia does the trick for me.

 

37. Speaking words of encouragement to yourself -this is commonly done in front of the mirror, but you can do it any where you are. I usually do this on my early morning walk, especially when I’m not listening to a podcast or playing my favourite playlist. Words of affirmation serves as encouragement and helps uplift your spirit. It is especially effective when you speak it to yourself. With continuous repetition comes believing and eventually becoming.

 

38. Going to the theatre – If this is something you enjoy doing, by all means please treat yourself to a good theatre show. You can attend with a friend or even do this alone.

 

39. Appreciating arts – People who do this draw so much inspiration and see the world in a different light. Art is beautiful, and it is a subtle reminder that anything is possible if you are willing to see it and believe.

 

 

40. Creating a vision board – This is an exciting exercise to do. Creating a collage of who, where and what your future self should be like is such a fun experience to have.

 

41. Going to church – Christians will definitely relate to this one. There is usually an unseen burden and weight that gets lifted off your shoulder when you worship in total surrender in the presence of God.

 

42. Playing a game you love – For most people, this is a great way to destress and just disconnect from work. Playing your favourite game is a good stress reliever and is a sure way to practice self-care.

43. Learning a language – This can seem challenging especially when you are under pressure and putting a time frame to learn. But this can be so much fun and a relief experience when you do it at your own pace and time. Asides it being a self-care process, it is also a good way to broaden your repertoire of knowledge. Speak about using one stone to kill two birds. While at it, make sure you are having fun and don’t beat yourself up when you don’t get it right.

 

 

44. Practicing Yoga

44. Eating fresh fruits and vegetables – What you put into your body is a sure way to care for yourself. Imagine you are caring for a plant and want it to be in the best condition possible. You will do everything you can to make sure that it is getting the required nutrients and environmental condition needed to flourish. Treat yourself with the same measure of care by nourishing your body with the best foods there is.

 

46. Making your favourite hairstyle – especially for no occasion at all. You can do thing to feel yourself more and appreciate the person that you are. See this as a treat and a pat on the back for just being alive.

 

 

47. Painting your nails – this doesn’t take much time to do, but it can be very therapeutic and oddly satisfying.

48. Riding a bike – Especially in nature. This should be an opportunity to embrace the beauty of life and nature. Imagine the wind blowing through your hair as you ride and glide through it. Such an amazing feeling.

 

 

49. Taking a long and cozy bath – This is most effective in a bathtub, but can also be achieved in a shower.

 

50. Burning a scented candle – Scented candles has a way of bringing in calm, warmth and peace into your space. Be sure to pick scents that are not irritating but calming. Treat yourself to one and thank me later.

 

 

51. Unplugging from Social Media – The internet especially social media has a way of posing as a stress motivator especially for people who are easily pressured by the lifestyle of others online. This is very bad for your mental health, and it has a way of making you feel like you are not enough. One way to overcome this pressure is to either unfollow accounts and people who make you feel pressured or completely disconnect from social media until you are ready to come back.

52. Learning Floral arrangement – I haven’t tried out this particular activity myself, but I hear that it can be a satisfying and fulfilling experience, and that it gives you this sense of pride for a job well done.

 

 

53. Buying yourself flowers – If this is something you love, please do not wait for anyone to buy you flowers to show that you are appreciated. Buy yourself the flowers you love, and don’t forget to attach a lovely note of appreciation to yourself.

 

53. Going to bed early; As simple as this may sound, a lot of people find it hard going to bed earlier, and no, they don’t have sleeping problems. They just have the bad habits of staying on their phone or Netflix for long hours into the night. This is a really bad habit, and can affect your productivity the following day. Worst still, it’s not a good way of caring for yourself.

 

55. Going out in the sun – Don’t forget to put on your sun screen though.

 

56. Writing a book

 

57. Stretch

 

 

58. Doing your facials

 

59. Learning something new

 

 

60. Writing a love letter to yourself

 

61. Taking a shower

 

 

62. Writing a bucket list

 

63. Watching a comedy and laugh out loud

 

 

64. Changing your sheets

 

65. Go stargazing

 

 

66. Go for a swim

 

67. Visit the cinema

 

 

68. Own a pet you love

 

69. Buying yourself flowers

 

 

70. Sitting still in nature

 

71. Listening to spoken words art

 

So, there you have it folks. 71 easy to do self-care ideas to start you on your self-care journey.

I hope you find all the inspiration to need to love and care for yourself about any other.

 

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

How to build your self-worth even when no one taught you

The sad reality and truth of personal development

How to enjoy spending time alone

How to live a rich and interesting life