If you’re having a bad day and want to get yourself back on track, here are some self care ideas you can do right away.
It took me years to learn the correlation between having a bad day and a lack of self care. I used to think bad days happened because of uncontrollable circumstances.
But the truth is that it doesn’t matter what happens. If you’re not taking care of yourself, any day could end up being a bad day.
On the flip side, when things don’t go well, you can still have a good day if you’re practicing good self care habits.
What is self care?
Let’s first talk about what self care isn’t. Self care is not eating Ben and Jerry’s and binging on Netflix after a bad day. It’s not treating yourself to a pedicure and massage that you can’t afford.
Actually, those things listed will probably make your life worse rather than better. And that’s what self care is. It is daily habits that make you a better person physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
A lot of the self care ideas I’m sharing in this post don’t even cost you money! Many of these things will only cost you time and effort.
For example, one simple self care habit is getting enough sleep. This requires going to bed at a decent time, following a night time routine, and calming your brain. This won’t cost you any money, but it will take extra effort to implement.
How to practice self care consistently
Even though most of these ideas are free or cheap, you’ll need to figure out how to include them into your every day life.
Start with small changes.
You may look at the following list and want to incorporate a bunch of these ideas all at once. However, that will be overwhelming. Instead, pick one or two ideas that you are excited about.
Start with those and don’t add more until the first one or two have become a consistent habit.
Add them to your routines.
A great way to become consistent with anything new is to follow daily routines. You already follow routines wether you know it or not. There are things that you do every single evening.
Maybe you want to start flossing every night before bed. That means you need to add it to your evening routine. Write out the things you do each evening and include flossing.
Remember your reasons for practicing self care.
There are days when you won’t want to floss your teeth or go to bed on time. You’ll be tampted to stay up late and skip your dental hygiene.
However, those are the nights you’ve got to remember why you want to pracitce self care.
I’ve learned that self care has a domino effect. If I stay up late one night, it’ll be easier to do the same the next night and the next night. Then I’ll end up tired and grouchy which effects my family and my homemaking abilities.
That’s why I remember my reasons for going to bed earlier even when I’d rather stay up late.
Self care ideas
Most of the things on my self care list are free or cheap. Some of these things should be done every day. Other things will only happen every once in awhile.
Hopefully, these ideas give you lots of inspiration as you create your own list of things to do for self care.
1. Wear clothes that make you feel good and are comfortable.
2. Go to bed early and get enough sleep.
3. Drink a glass of refreshing ice water. Add lemon or lime slices for extra flavor.
4. Go for a walk around the neighborhood.
5. Check out a book from the library.
6. Read the book you checked out!
7. Call a friend or loved family member.
8. Turn off the news and stop worrying about things that are out of your control.
9. Trim and file your fingernails. Paint them or add a clear coat of polish.
10. Trim and file your toenails.
11. Write a thank you note.
12. Drink a hot cup of tea and enjoy some quiet time.
13. Listen to up lifting music.
14. Journal about your day. Look for the good parts.
15. Start a daily gratitude list.
16. Eat a salad with lots of healthy toppings.
17. Spend an “unplugged” evening without any screens. (ie, phone, tablet, TV)
18. Take a bubble bath.
19. Draw a picture, paint or color.
20. Ride your bike.
21. Use a facial mask.
22. Dry brush your skin and add lotion.
23. Floss your teeth.
24. Organize your nightstand.
25. Declutter clothes that don’t fit you.
26. Clean up your room.
27. Go to church.
28. Have a good cry.
29. Listen to an encouraging podcast.
30. Participate in a hobby you forgot about.
31. Volunteer for an event or at a shelter.
32. Bake your favorite cookie.
33. Clean out your desk drawers.
34. Wake up at a decent time.
35. Take a compliment without dismissing it.
36. Read your Bible.
37. Pray to God instead of worrying.
38. Buy a planner (affiliate link) and use it to organize your life.
39. Clean your kitchen before you go to bed each night.
40. Plan a date night with your spouse.
41. Sit outside and listen to nature.
42. Have a friend over for dinner or game night.
43. Ask for help when you need it.
44. Forgive someone you’ve been holding a grudge against.
45. Forgive yourself for past mistakes.
46. Light a candle (affiliate link) or diffuse essential oils.
47. Build your strength by strength training. You can start small with hand dumbbells and squats.
48. Buy flowers or cut some from your yard and put in a vase.
49. Open the windows for fresh air.
50. Sit or walk in the sun.
51. Set a new goal.
52. Wake up before your kids and enjoy the quietness.
53. Make a smoothie.
54. Laugh as much as possible.
55. Do a brain dump of things that are stressful and look for possible solutions.
56. Wash your makeup off before going to bed.
57. Finish a project that you started but never finished.
58. Make a plan for your day.
59. Say “no” to something that you just don’t have the time or energy to do.
