Self-care means many different things for everyone but it needs to be prioritized overall. You will rarely regret a nice run on a warm spring day or baking that cookie recipe that you always wanted to make. Prioritizing things that fill your cup is essential for knowing who are and what you like so that you can show up as your best self.
We talk more about this in our Importance of Self-Care post (Importance of Self-Care – Culture Healthline) but this post will offer different ideas that we hope will spark something in you.
As you learn more about yourself and develop your self-care routine remember to do things because you want to do them not because someone or something such as social media is telling you that you should be doing it.
1. Reading
I wanted to put reading first because I have been on such a reading kick lately. Reading is one of those things that can bring you so much joy during and after it but is also hard to stay consistent with it. Especially as busy students and professionals, prioritizing time to read can feel like a drag.
Something that has helped me stay consistent with reading is making it fun. Some ways I do this, consist of making challenges and having prizes attached to them. Currently, I’m midway through a summer reading challenge I set for myself and after reaching my goal I will be treating myself to a Bath and Body Works candle or two.
Another way I make it fun is by doing book swaps with people. If you have read everything in your collection try swapping a book with a friend or loved one. Another alternative could be joining a book club online or in your local community.
Lastly, I alternate between what I am reading. For example, I switch between non-fiction and fiction to keep things interesting and light.
Some practical ways that I stay consistent with my reading is to try to get in at least 10 minutes a day and in turn, I end up doing more. I also like to plan out 2-3 books in advance and this keeps me excited for what’s next to come.
Lastly, a huge tip that has made reading way more accessible is getting a local library card and connecting it to the Libby App. If you don’t know this is an app that allows you to connect with your local library and get access to all their autobooks and ebooks. I love a good physical copy but this allows me to have access to way more books.
2. Journal
Journaling whether it’s on the phone, on a physical notebook or laptop is a good way to organize your thoughts. Some people are very structured about their journaling like with bullet journals while others are more loose.
However you like to journal, being consistent with this habit can help you get your thoughts out about the day or a specific situation, or allow space for self-reflection.
There are tons of free journal prompts online that can give you a good start but you also can come up with your own prompts.
Like reading, this can be hard for me to fit in but I have taken the pressure off of it and now I journal when I want to instead of trying to do it every day or week. One of my favorite ways to journal is doing full moon reflections and new moon intentions.
This can be adapted many ways but it helps me to reflect on how I felt that month and set intentions for what I want to do in the following month.
Whatever route you do, investing time in journaling can give you real insight into who you are.
3. Cleaning
This next thing may be controversial but hear me out….cleaning. Shifting your mindset about cleaning can be life-changing. If you are the type of person who hates chores you probably aren’t alone but if you try to think about it as a form of self-care you may be able to transform this way of thinking.
As humans, we know that taking care of our environment is so crucial for our mental health. So dreading chores every time you have to do them will only continue to perpetuate the negative emotion you feel towards those actions.
I challenge you to make chores a vibe and what I mean by this is put on your favorite playlist or show, light a candle, open the windows, and go to town. Doing this is almost guaranteed to put you in a better mood to clean.
My next tip is to make a schedule for yourself. Doing this allows you to not even think about cleaning because you already know what is ahead. For example, making your bed as soon as you get up, or vacuuming the living room every Friday evening. It helps to lighten the mental load on something that can already be draining.
Lastly, I recommend especially for students or anyone super busy to break up the chores. This means doing little tasks such as throwing in a load of laundry every other day if it piles up fast, washing the dishes as you cook, or sweeping the floor every time you cook. Doing this helps to keep the load down by doing a little something every day.
4. Movement
This is one of my favorite self-care tasks because it changes my mood instantly. Movement can come in many different ways and doesn’t look the same for everyone.
Some people prefer to lift a 400 pounds in the gym, others prefer to run 10 miles, some like to hike on a nice day or simply walk their dog in the park, or beat their dad at a game of tennis or a combination of all. Obviously, these are just some examples as the list of ways to move your body goes on but the idea is to just move.
Find ways that feel good to you and keep doing that consistently. Like everything on this list set aside a specific time each day or week that you want to get some movement in and do it.
If you need extra motivation call a friend or throw on a podcast just do what you need to do for your body to feel good. You will not regret it.
Lastly, do not fall into toxic fitness culture that tells you that you need to be doing a specific workout or the newest fitness fad. The whole point of this article is to do things that you want to do because you want to do them.
5. Cooking
Just like cleaning, cooking can be one of those things that can be exhausting depending on how you look at it but at the end of the day, it is a basic life skill that everyone should know.
The power of a homecooked healthy meal might just change your life. Learning how to cook is not only a basic life skill it can also save you so much money in the long run that you could put towards retirement or a vacation.
It also allows you to control what you put in your food which will allow you to be your healthiest. The feeling of taking that first bite of a meal that you just put your heart and soul into becomes addicting and makes you want to keep coming back for more.
Going out to eat is great but have you ever turned on your favorite shows and tried to learn a new Pinterest recipe with a friend or significant other or even by yourself? It is good vibes all around.
Also, I want to add in there that most people do not like to cook because they do not know how or it takes too much time but with practice, you will become more efficient in the kitchen and might start making meals that originally took you an hour in 40 minutes or less.
Try finding meals that are staples to you and you can pull together on your most tired days but also do not be afraid to try different recipes as this keeps things exciting in the kitchen.
6. Social Media Detox
Last but certainly not least my favorite tip… a social media detox. In this era of social media, it can become very toxic and out of control if you are not aware of your usage. If you feel yourself feeling bad after scrolling for hours on end DELETE THE APP. Even if it is for one full day that is better than nothing.
Taking time to realize that life still happens outside of social media and that social media isn’t real at all can help you humble and ground yourself. If you feel completely terrible on social media you probably should take more than a day and if you are really feeling crazy try 6 months to a year and see how that goes.
I understand that a lot of people feel FOMO but to help yourself get over that remember that a majority of people on this planet are not on social media, meaning there is a small population who is and they are not “everybody”.
Instead of feeling FOMO about what you may be missing on there try to foster things in your own life that will make you completely forget about it such as trying that new arts and crafts, new lemon bar recipe or literally calling your mom. Start creating a life outside of social media.
Conclusion
As simple as the things on this list are they are very impactful. Try to take it day by day and see what you can get done and keep track of the changes that occur in your life because of it.
In the future, we will be giving out more ideas but for now, these are foundational things to start with that can make huge impacts in your life.