Creating a self-care plan of habits, treatments and rituals that will restore you, build you up, give you confidence and make you feel amazing.
A self-care plan for body, mind and soul to renew and nourish the physical, intellectual, social, spiritual, and mental aspects of your life. Incorporating activities from a whole living perspective means you’ll be nourishing every aspect in your life.
THIS IS THE START OF SOMETHING FOR YOU – SOMETHING POSITIVE AND PERSONAL.
Self care is a journey to self-respect, and self-love; it’s about being as good to yourself as you are to everyone else. We’re going to create a self-care routine together.
Start thinking about what self care should look like for you. Here are some easy ideas to get you started and maybe even re-thinking the concept of self-care:
- Plant an herb garden
- Drink warm lemon water
- Make lunch for a friend
- Have lunch in a park
- Use an essential oil diffuser in your home and office
- Start a morning routine
- Dry brush your skin and shower
- Enjoy a green juice
- Make time for a sit down breakfast
- Go outside for a morning activity
- Have a late morning snack
- Create a relaxing playlist
- Spend some time coloring
- Declutter your closet
- Go for a walk
- DIY or buy essential oil rollerballs to keep in your purse
- Take a nap
- Buy fresh flowers for your home
- Enjoy a mindful lunch
- Spend some time in the sun enjoying the warmth on your skin
- Make a nourishing green smoothie
- Choose an afternoon activity
- Enjoy a dinner of your favorite nourishing foods
- Relax in a spa bath
- Write in your journal – list 5 things you’re grateful for
- Practice yoga
- Practice meditation
- Give yourself a facial
- Turn off all communication
- Wake up early enough to watch the sunrise
- Sit outside and watch the sunset
- Exercise- get your body moving
- Unplug from social media
- Create a vision board
- Write in your journal – list 5 things you like about yourself
- Spend some time alone
- Try a new recipe
- Listen to your favorite song
- Snuggle up in your comfiest pajamas with a warm blanket and soft lighting
- Give yourself a manicure/pedicure
- Include positive affirmations in your day
- Go for a bike ride
- Splurge on something you’ve wanted for a long time
- Say “no” (guilt free)
- Try something new
- Make a playlist of your favorite upbeat music
- Write in your journal – make a long list of the things you love
- Pop popcorn and watch one of your favorite movies
- Look in the mirror and say something nice to yourself
- Go to a farmer’s market
However you choose to practice self care, the point is to take time to do the things that make you feel happy, healthy and beautiful—you deserve it.
Think about the aspects in life that are important to body, mind and soul and the things you can do that make your soul and your spirit sing.
More information and resources for creating your self-care plan:
- 25 Affirmations To Start Your Day In a Positive Way
- How To Use Essential Oils with a Diffuser
- Ideas To Start a Daily Practice of Gratitude
- Start Your Day With a Miracle Morning
- 10 Wonderful Essential Oil Blends for Your Diffuser
- A Collection of the Most Inspiring Brene Brown Quotes
be the best version of YOU
I am focusing on finding more balance this year and self care is a big part of that for me.
I will definitely be taking full advantage of all of these self care tips!
The quote by Audre Lorde is so important. It’s not indulgent, it’s important. I have done so many of the things on your list but I definitely could do with some more!
Taking a nap is my number one self care tip!
I find that going for a quick walk helps to clear my head more than anything else. Of course, some warm lemon water never hurt, either! These are such great tips and I can’t wait to partake in a few more of them!
Yet another great article I’ve read of yours. I liked the ideas of unplugging from social media, doing meditation and mindfulness, and doing positive affirmations. I hope to try positive affirmations eventually.
So many great tips!
I completely feel you here – as time goes by I can really see why self-care is so important… We live in such a fast-paced world… Everything is instant and fast and it’s so hard not to get caught up in all the stress that society puts on us…
What really works for me is a walk in the park… Whenever I have a chance I just go by myself and completely shut off from the world… And it’s just so good!
Self Care is so vital. I have been thinking of what my favorite methods of self care are. It’s nice to see a list of new ideas. I love the schedule and planner idea.
When I need a break from kids and life, I have no problem practicing self care. It’s the times when everything is moving forward at normal pace that I don’t think about it much. I should practice self care more often.
I think that so many women get in the mindset that doing any for ourselves is self-indulgent. But it is so important to remember exactly what you’re talking talking about. We have to take care of ourselves in order to take care of others.
I love this detailed list! I do a few of these already, but I need to work on a few more of them this year too!
Love your ideas for practicing self care. This is a great reminder as we head into a new year!
I absolutely love that quote from Eleanor Brown, unfortunately, nurses care for everyone but themselves. This year, I promise myself to be more caring for myself. I will follow most of your tips. I won’t do all because it’s too cold to enjoy any outdoor activity.
i have been enjoying all your self-care posts!!! so so important
Unfortunately, for me, struggling with mental illness, self-care looks really different. Self-care is remembering to take a shower or change the sheets on my bed. It’s a lot harder to try to reach normal functioning than when you’re neurotypical and somewhat stressed.
This is amazing Jill. I love this list.
This is incredible — thank you! I’m excited to put the guide/planner to work this year. I’m hoping to live the most positive life possible for 2018. <3
One of my 2018 resolutions is to practice self-care more. These are all great tips and ideas!
April
Great lis of ideas. Anyone reading it would be able to find something they could do. I like that you pointed out its not just self indulgent. More mom’s need to take and make the time for themselves and do it without the guilt.
Thank you for sharing the self-care guide. I’m going to save this so that I can look back on it in the future.
These are great ideas. We get very little sun these days but we definitely get our fair share of it in the summer. So my version of self care lately has been good tea and a good book in the warmest nook in our home.
Self-care is SO important, and it seems to be the last thing on our list. We are so busy being moms, partners, friend, sister, coworker… we think of our own downtime as a luxury instead of a must do. Thanks for sharing your list – and I hope, for this new start of the year, that everyone will make time for themselves…
These are fabulous self care tips!!!Its so important to take care of ourselves and that in turn makes us better moms, spouses, friends and people….
Thanks for your tips. I have never done these things before. I will try to refresh my mind from now on.
I hope to be able to focus on more self care this year. In the past, I’ve pretty much put myself behind everything else I was doing, and I’ve come to realize how wrong I’ve been!
My healthcare provider has “ordered” me to do more self-care. As a busy mom of 4, I tend to do a lot for everyone else and my stress level suffers. I can’t wait to use your resources! I am not sure if you do guest post but I would love to have you post on this subject on my blog!
Herb gardens are THE BEST!! I got so enthralled with gardening last year.. But with herbs, theyre much easier to grow than some things, and being able to put basil I grew myself in some homemade pasta was a GREAT feeling!
I love your blog. If you ever want to collaborate hit me up. In the meantime, self-care is so important. I also find it goes hand-in-hand with self-soothing which works great for anxiety.
This post is so informative. I loved the point where you said “pop popcorn”…I can relate to it 😀
Keep the good work coming in!
XOXO
Prajakta
I agree self care is not an indulgence but imperative to living well and being happy! It can be challenging to put off as a single mom, but I try!
great list!
… pull off as a single mom (I meant!) : )
Self care is so important and something I’ve been trying to focus on for the past year. Some amazing ideas and I love the quotes you’ve included!
I am in love with this list! I became a lot more in tune with self care last year.
These are some great ideas for self care. You are so right that it is not a selfish thing but necessary to take that time to yourself.
When I’m on social media, I deliberately scroll past things that could get my blood boiling. I also rarely watch the news and discourage friends from constantly talking about inflammatory issues.
Yes! Self care is more important in our life especially when we are already a mother. We shouldnt forget that we should still take care of our selves.