30+ ways to practise self-care
written by Jasmine Irven
We’ve curated a list of 30+ ways to reconnect with ourselves, stay motivated, and create rituals and routines that bring us peace. We hope these provide you with some inspiration and ideas on how you can begin to cultivate a self-care practice that works for you.
You are uniquely you. Self-care looks different to everyone, and will look different individually as well depending on how you’re feeling in the moment.
And so, before you dive into this list, I’d invite you to answer a few questions:
How have you been feeling lately?
Why do you feel called to this concept of self-care?
What feels like it’s been giving you energy? What seems to be draining your energy?
When you’ve felt like this in the past, what methods or practises have you found helpful?
Once you’ve taken some time to explore your inner self, give yourself some time to move through this list. Which of these forms of self-care resonate with you? Which do you feel will prove to be most effective in this moment?
Start there. Take a breath. Make yourself a priority. Give yourself time. Know that you are worthy. Do things that make you feel good.
30+ ways to practise self-care
Drink more water (watch your energy levels shift).
Grab a journal, make yourself a cup of tea, and sit down for at least 10 minutes of uninterrupted journaling and daydreaming. Use some self-discovery prompts like: what are my values? How can I align myself more with these values? What do I want the next year of my life to look like? What can I do to bring more happiness to my day?
Take a bath or shower: need an energetic cleanse? Take a bath or shower and use the time to reflect on the day, to meditate, and to wash away any negativity or stress from the day.
Check something off your to-do list: your future self will thank you for it.
Clean: take a moment to reduce the anxiety and stress created by clutter by making your bed or clearing your desk. Cleaning your space can dramatically shift your frequency, allowing things to flow with greater ease.
Cook a nourishing meal: nourish all the cells in you that dedicate their entire lives to taking care of you!
Call a friend: connection is such an important part of the human experience. Pick up the phone and give yourself some time to connect with another human being.
Take time to disconnect: put your phone on airplane mode, do not disturb, turn it off, or throw it in a drawer for an hour/day/week.
Move: taking care of your physical being will allow you to be more connected with your sense of self and self-love.
Go on a walk: get out of your space and experience something new.
Do something you’ve been dreading: you’ll thank yourself when you’re done.
Say no: when you say yes to others, ensure you’re not saying no to yourself in the process. If you are, you may need to reassess how and where you’re spending your energy. If something feels like a “no”, it probably is. Trust your intuition.
Say yes: have you been holding off on doing something because you feel guilty or like you don’t deserve it? It’s time to get clear on a couple things: is this feeling of not being deserving external? F*** that noise! If it’s coming from internal sources, it may be time to reassess your self-worth and how incredible you really are (enter a gratitudes or big wins list, for example).
Set boundaries. Reassess the boundaries you currently have in your life. Do you have any? How are you at reinforcing them? Boundaries should stem directly from your core values and beliefs. Once you get clear on what matters to you, you can better establish boundaries that make the most sense and the most impact in your life. Maybe this means setting limits on tech or social media so you can recharge, maybe it means making every Wednesday night a night dedicated to your side project and that means not accepting social invites - whatever it is, first get clear on the boundary and why it’s important to you, and then ensure you’re communicating them clearly with those who are impacted.
Ask for help: people are more willing than you think to give you their time and energy. Repeat this with me: I am not weak for asking for help.
Send yourself love: write down and say a few affirmations that really resonate with you and make you feel GOOD. Or try a guided metta meditation.
Pursue your dreams: you deserve to live a life you love, and the only person holding yourself back is you. Make that phone call, quit your job, start that blog or company or non-profit or product: do what’s on your heart.
Remind yourself how incredible you are: make a list of all your accomplishments, certifications, all the things you’re good at, all the qualities you love about yourself, etc. Refer to this whenever you need a little confidence boost.
Let go of what you can’t control: worrying about what you can’t control will never serve you. Put your energy into the positive outcome; it will make the process much more enjoyable.
Create a daily routine that serves you: ask yourself: how can I connect with myself on a deeper level daily? Where can I make space in my day for the things I love? Then make a plan of action and begin incorporating these things into your day. Be REALISTIC. Don’t overwhelm yourself right away.
Take a mindful moment: take a deep breath in, breathing in cleansing oxygen and energy. Exhale fully, allowing your out breath to take with it any stress and anxiety. Notice any tension in your body, and take a moment to relieve it where you can. Take a sip of water. Get up and stretch for a moment. Note how much better you feel.
Complete a social media cleanse: go through your social media accounts and unfriend or unfollow any accounts that don’t bring you joy. Ask yourself: is this person still in my life? Am I following this person/account because I want to or because I feel I have to? Do I enjoy the content on this account?
Get out of your comfort zone: try something new or something that’s been weighing on your mind or heart for a while now.
Schedule appointments with yourself: put a date with yourself in your calendar and honour it like you would a meeting or a date with a loved one.
Take time to rest: take a nap, go to bed earlier than you normally do, or sleep in for an extra hour on the weekend.
Create space: stop booking yourself back to back with commitments, meetings, and to-dos! Give yourself space. Space to just be, rather than do.
Start a “feel good” folder on your phone or laptop: take screenshots of positive texts, emails, compliments, etc., and look at it whenever you’re feeling down.
Give yourself grace: forgive yourself when something falls apart. Stop ruminating on the past so much. You’re human. Perfection is impossible. Stop aiming for it. Try your best and give yourself grace when things inevitably go wrong. Instead of seeing what happened as a mistake, view it as a learning opportunity.
Get to know yourself better: spend time alone. Ask yourself questions. Start to recognize what makes you feel good and what doesn’t. Adjust accordingly.
Invest in yourself: show yourself you’re worth it by investing in your ideas, projects, business, appearance - whatever will bring you happiness.
Tackle your finances: get clear on where you’re at and where you want to go. Look at what debts you need to pay off and set up monthly auto-deposits. Create a budget. Refresh yourself on your investments.
Have a reset day: get up early. Enjoy your coffee. Write a to-do list. Make a nourishing breakfast. Clean your space. Wash your towels and sheets. Grocery shop. Meal prep. Go on a walk. Empty your inbox. Listen to good music. Shower. Do a face mask. Light a candle. Read. Go to bed early.
Ask yourself: what matters most to me? Then determine how you can fit more of that into your daily life.
Be kind to yourself: notice your thoughts. Notice how you talk to yourself. And, if it’s negative (which unfortunately a lot of self-talk is), shift your narrative. Rewrite the story you’re telling yourself.
Above all, dive deep into what self-care looks like for you. Which area of self needs the most nourishment? How can you show yourself how much you’re worth?
Let us know your favourite self-care practises below so we can all find some inspiration.
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about the author
Hey there! I’m Jasmine, founder of the Sustainable Bliss Collective, a Certified Meditation Teacher, and lover of all things self-care, slow-living, and personal development.
I believe that ambition and self-care can coexist, and as such I hope to encourage and inspire you to take care of yourself, breathe deeply, connect with who you are, manifest your dreams, enjoy the blissful moments of each day, and make an impact in this beautiful world we call home.
Connect with me on Instagram here!
