Self-care is a growing topic of interest, and for a good reason. With stress levels soaring for many people, finding time to maintain or improve one’s overall wellness is of utmost importance. Learning new ways to take care of yourself, including your physical health, emotional wellness, and mental well-being, can lead you down the path to happiness and a healthy lifestyle.
What is Self-Care?
In short, self-care is anything you do to improve your health and well-being. Your idea of me-time can look very different to others. For example, self-care can be anything from participating in physical activity or relaxation techniques to attending support groups or meeting one-on-one with a counselor. Any action you perform to nurture yourself can be considered self-care.
Why is Self-Care Important
Self-care is important because it helps you feel good about yourself. But there are many more fantastic benefits of caring for yourself. Here are the most popular reasons to develop a self-care plan.
Cope With Stress
High-stress levels affect you mentally, physically, and emotionally. Many self-care activities make excellent stress-management techniques and help you to relax. Some people prefer calming activities for reducing stress, while others opt for blood-pumping activities, such as exercising, to manage stress. The key is to find the best stress-reduction techniques for you and do them consistently.
Avoid Burnout
Caring for others is a tough job. Whether you are a caregiver for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease or other health problems or have babies or adolescents to care for, you are at risk of feeling burned out from putting others’ needs first. Incorporating self-care into your daily routine will help you recharge, be resilient, and avoid symptoms of burnout.
Maintain Good Mental Health
Research suggests taking time out of your busy day for me-time helps fight depression and anxiety. Regularly practicing self-care enables you to relax and feel good about yourself. It can help you feel happier and reduce feelings of overwhelm. However, paying attention to your mental health and acknowledging when you need to talk to a mental health professional or counselor should not be overlooked.
Boost Energy Levels
Exhaustion occurs when life pulls you in too many directions, and you don’t have time to nurture yourself. Chronic fatigue and feeling run down are detrimental to your well-being. Getting adequate rest and participating in the self-care activities you enjoy will allow you to be the best version of yourself.
Physical Well-Being
Research has linked daily self-care to less illness by boosting your immune system and decreasing the risk of cancer, stroke, and heart disease. Excellent self-care activities to promote physical well-being include exercise, yoga, and pilates.
100 Self-Care Ideas to Start Your Self-Love Routine
If you are looking for some of the best self-care ideas, look no further. Here are 100 cheap or free ways to give yourself some love. A few of these are unusual self-care ideas, so read the entire list to find a new way to participate in self-love.
- Take a nap
- Read a book
- Exercise
- Meditate
- Give yourself a mani or pedi
- Daydream
- Make a cup of hot tea and relax
- Do a word search
- Take a hot bubble bath
- Play with your pet
- Hug your kids
- Chat with your partner
- Give yourself a foot massage (try a massage ball or roller)
- Stretch your tight muscles
- Dance like no one is watching
- Give yourself a facial
- Run your oil diffuser
- Clean and declutter one area of your home
- Watch your favorite movie
- Listen to your playlist
- Make your favorite coffee at home
- Sit in the sun for a couple of minutes to get your vitamin D
- Work in your garden
- Care for your house plants
- Color in an adult coloring book
- Progressive muscle relaxation
- Draw or paint
- Write in your journal
- Exchange massages with your partner
- Eat dinner by candlelight
- Turn off electronics
- Play a board game with your family
- Try a new yoga pose
- Play solitaire
- Plan your next getaway or road trip
- Call a close family member to chat
- Take a walk
- Listen to your favorite podcast
- Window shop
- Jump rope
- Lounge in the shade
- Star-gaze
- Bake your favorite treat
- Try aromatherapy with essential oils
- Use deep breathing techniques
- Browse your community library
- Attend a support group
- Find a free event in your community
- Review your finances and budget
- Pray
- Call a friend
- Develop a bedtime routine (and stick to it)
- Come up with a bucket list
- Watch your favorite comedian
- Go for a hike
- Swim at your community pool
- Look at old photos
- Create a photo book online
- Put together a jigsaw puzzle
- Binge-watch your favorite TV series
- Eat your favorite ice cream
- Have a bonfire with friends
- Go fishing
- Browse Pinterest and create a board for your next home project
- Head to your local museum
- Say daily affirmations to yourself
- Let go of things from the past that is weighing on your mind
- Pick up some fresh flowers for your home
- Cook a healthy dinner for you and your partner
- Drink enough water every day
- Participate in an activity you have wanted to try
- Light a candle
- Stay off social media for a day or longer
- Find a new hobby
- Take a steamy shower (try a shower steamer)
- Make a healthy smoothie
- Get dressed up, even if you are working from home or running errands
- Listen to an audiobook during your commute
- Write personal or financial goals for yourself (and then crush them!)
- Start a gratitude journal (write something every day)
- Try a weighted blanket to help you relax
- Go on a picnic (don’t forget to take off your shoes!)
- Try manifesting
- Learn how to “dry brush” your skin before your shower
- Experiment with your makeup (and then take beautiful selfies!)
- Do a brain dump (write down everything on your mind)
- Write down and memorize your favorite motivational quotes
- Do a workout from the FitOn app (it’s free!)
- Read a self-help book
- Learn a new language
- Try out a new hairstyle
- Watch the sunrise or sunset
- Head to the beach with a friend for the day
- Head to a beautiful location for a photo shoot with your friends or family
- Go for a drive with the windows down and listen to your favorite song
- Spend time with your mom
- Volunteer at a charity
- Make a to-do list when you are feeling stressed
- Try a satin pillowcase and use a pillow spray
- Do something nice and unexpected for someone else
Self-Care Quotes and Affirmations
Participating in self-care activities takes some initiative on your part. If you don’t proactively set aside time for self-love, days or months can pass by, and before you know it, you aren’t feeling your best.
Even though it’s best to take time every day to participate in self-care, we all know life happens. But having a list of affirmations or quotes to think or say to yourself can be enough to get you through a rough day, even when you don’t have time for yourself. Below is a list of self-care quotes and affirmations to keep a positive mindset between your favorite self-care activities.
25 Self-Care Quotes for Self-Reassurance
Don’t let others judge you or make you feel guilty for taking the time to focus on yourself. Self-care is necessary for happiness and being the best version of yourself. These self-care quotes will help you understand the importance of taking care of yourself first.
“Every one of us needs to show how much we care for each other, and in the process, care for ourselves.” –Princess Diana
“An empty lantern provides no light. Self-care is the fuel that allows your light to shine brightly.” –Unknown
“The thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself.” –Anna Quindlen
“If you don’t love yourself, nobody will. Not only that, you won’t be good at loving anyone else. Loving starts with the self.” –Wayne Dyer
“People who love themselves don’t hurt other people. The more we hate ourselves, the more we want others to suffer.” –Dan Pearce
“It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.” –Sir Edmund Hillary
“To accept ourselves as we are means to value our imperfections as much as our perfections.” –Sandra Bierig
“Loving yourself isn’t vanity. It’s sanity.” –Katrina Mayer
“Beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself.” –Coco Chanel
“You have to believe in yourself when no one else does—that makes you a winner right there.” –Venus Williams
“Nothing external to you has any power over you.” –Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Be who you are and say how you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.” –Dr. Seuss
“A smile is a curve that sets everything straight.” –Phyllis Diller
“Happiness doesn’t depend on outward conditions. It depends on inner conditions.” –Dale Carnegie
“By making time for self-care, you prepare yourself to be your best so you can share your gifts with the world. Rest and self-care are so important. When you take time to replenish your spirit, it allows you to serve others from the overflow. Self-care isn’t selfish. You cannot serve from an empty vessel.” –Eleanor Brownn
“Self-care isn’t selfish. It’s self-esteem.” –Ashley Judd
“Selfishness at the expense of others is bad. Self-care for the betterment of others is good.” –Richie Norton
“Self-care is how you take your power back.” –Lalah Delia
“Carve out and claim the time to care for yourself and kindle your own fire.” –Amy Ippoliti
“Self-care is your fuel … Whatever the road ahead or the path you’ve taken, self-care is what keeps your motor running and your wheels turning.” –Melissa Steginus
“One person’s self-care isn’t necessarily another’s—there is going to be a lot of individuality.” –Gail Saltz, M.D.
“Love yourself first, and everything else falls in line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world.” –Lucille Ball
“If you have the ability to love, love yourself first.” –Charles Bukwoski
“It’s not selfish to love yourself, take care of yourself, and to make your happiness a priority. It’s necessary.” –Mandy Hale
“It is so important to take time for yourself and find clarity. The most important relationship is the one you have with yourself.” –Diane Von Furstenberg
25 Self-Care Affirmations for When You Need a Boost
Sometimes there isn’t enough time in the day to participate in an entire self-care activity. But there is always time to say a few motivating one-liners to yourself to feel better. The trick is to find a few affirmations that resonate with you. Then, memorize them and repeat them when you need an instant boost.
“I love myself.”
“I am loved.”
“I am proud of myself.”
“I am intelligent.”
“I am honest.”
“I am grateful for the life I have.”
“I matter.”
“I am in charge of myself.”
“I love my body.”
“My work matters.”
“I am successful.”
“I am an amazing mother.”
“I am a loving wife/partner.”
“I make a difference in the world.”
“I am perfect just the way I am.”
“I have done the best I can.”
“I will be happy today.”
“I won’t give in to negativity.”
“I forgive myself for my mistakes.”
“I have so much to look forward to.”
“Times are tough, but it is only temporary.”
“I can and will do this.”
“I am proud of myself for my accomplishment.”
“I am worthy of any compliments I receive.”
“I can do anything I set my mind to do.”
Self-Care Matters for Your Wellness
Taking time every day to participate in a self-care activity is just as crucial for your wellness as getting enough sleep or eating healthy foods. Whether you have a day to spend on self-love or only a few moments to say your daily affirmations, self-care is vital for your mental, physical, and emotional well-being. Use these lists of self-care ideas, quotes, and affirmations to get started on your self-care routine.
Written by
Chris
I went from checking my bank balance before every grocery run to building a $10K emergency fund. Now I share the exact strategies that worked—no jargon, no judgment.