51 Self Care Ideas To Kickstart Your Self Care Routine

Living a healthy life isn’t just about your physical health—what’s on your dinner plate or what you do at the gym. True holistic wellness focuses on your mental, social, and emotional health, too. That’s why I argue that it is just as important to workout your self care muscle as it is to get your sweat on doing your favorite activity (and as I’ll argue in a sec—maybe even more important).

If you tend to put yourself at the very end of your priority list, especially when that list gets long, that means you not only are neglecting yourself, but you’re also neglecting everyone who relies on you. It doesn’t seem that way in the moment when you take the time to make little Timmy a healthy breakfast before school but grab a donut for yourself because you’re out of time. But in the long run, if you don’t take time to fill up your own cup, you won’t be able to pour from it any more. You have to put on your own air mask before assisting others.

And if doing self care makes you feel guilty (I find this is especially true for parents), I’m going to tell you a phrase that was said to me when I felt this way a few months after my daughter was born. As parents, we’ll do absolutely anything for our kids. Except, it seems, take care of ourselves. YES. Taking care of yourself on a regular basis is just as important as making sure your kid has a clean diaper or doesn’t play with knives. EQUALLY IMPORTANT.

How can I practice self-care more consistently?

So practically, how do you go about including self-care in your daily routine? For me, I have to make it part of my to-do list—quite literally. On most mornings, I get up and make a task list for the day. And right alongside things like “clean the kitchen” and “call the plumber,” I slot in one or more self-care tasks. Everyday. They are just as non-negotiable in my daily life as getting the dishes done or cooking dinner.

51+ Self-Care Activities

Below you’ll find my personal list of self-care ideas, but I think everyone should make their own list of self-care ideas to pull from daily! Some of them are small ways to show myself some self-compassion, while others take a bit more time.

My list isn’t one-size-fits-all. For example, I know a lot of folks might put “go for a run” or “go to the gym” on their self-care list, but those items just aren’t emotionally fulfilling for me, so I left them off. So feel free to add them to your own self-care list. Enjoy!

1. Give myself a pedicure or a manicure.
2. Read a book or magazine for an hour.
3. Sit on the front porch. Just. Sit.
4. Take a bubble bath—complete with candles and calming music.
5. Pick or buy a bouquet of fresh flowers.
6. Take a leisurely walk without a goal.
7. Put on a homemade face mask.
8. Give myself permission to binge watch my latest show obsession without guilt.
9. Take a nap.
10. Order in dinner.
11. Do something crafty: coloring, knitting, sewing.
12. Go to the library or bookstore. Sit in a comfy chair and read.
13. Watch funny YouTube videos.
14. Sit in the grass and watch the clouds float by.
15. Look at the stars.
16. Have a dance party to my favorite music.
17. Take a mental health day—and feel not an ounce of guilt about it.
18. Burn a candle or diffuse some oils that have scents that bring me joy.
19. Sit in a coffee shop and sip on a luxurious drink.
20. Walk around the fancy grocery store without a list. Buy some stuff just for fun.
21. Try out a new hobby.
22. Do yoga.
23. Cook breakfast for myself before anyone else.
24. Sing at the top of my lungs. Preferably in the car and with the windows down.
25. Go for a drive—no destination required.
26. Close myself in a room and listen to the latest episode of my favorite podcast.
27. Have a 20 minute stretching session.
28. Go to the park and play on the playground. Be a kid again!
29. Go swimming (for fun, not exercise).
30. Plan out an extravagant vacation just for fun.
31. Wear an outfit that makes me feel great. Even if I have no reason to (I AM the reason!).
32. Declutter a spot in my house that’s been bugging me.
33. Write a list of “annoying tasks” that have been weighing on me and knock them out in an hour.
34. Bake a dessert I love. And then eat it.
35. Watch the sun rise or set. Don’t take any pictures or post about it on social media. Just watch.
36. Have a picnic (by myself even).
37. Go to bed early or sleep in late.
38. Research something that I’ve been interested in but haven’t had the time to dive into.
39. Edit who I follow on social media (if they don’t bring me joy, they gotta go—no matter how nice, inspiring, or cool they are).
40. Go to a museum: art, childrens’, history, science—whatever brings me joy that day!
41. Go to a cocktail hour at a bar—enjoy a drink!
42. Have an at-home spa session—light a candle or diffuse some essential oils, put on calming music, do my skincare, drink some warm tea or an infused water.
43. Get a massage.
44. Spend time out in the garden.
45. Take the time to do my hair and makeup, for no other reason than it makes me feel put together.
46. Write a list of 10 things I’m grateful for and why.
47. Make myself a batch of infused water to sip on.
48. Buy myself a new set of pens or markers.
49. Write a letter (or an email) to an old friend.
50. Cook a fancy meal for no other reason than I deserve a fancy meal.
51. Say “no” to someone.
52. Unplug for the rest of the day—put my devices in another room and do some meditation, engage in hobbies, or do anything else that soothes my soul.