With Mother's Day coming up on the weekend coupled with a busy time at work and having a lot of feelings, I've been working on my own self care this month. As a self-admitted perfectionist who sometimes feels like they need to be "on" or "doing something" all the time, it needs to be a choice for me to slow down. And it isn't always easy.
But I know I'm better for it when I slow down, give myself some time and get on the self care piece.
I've been thinking a lot about what self care looks like for me, and wanted to share some ideas for ways to practice self care in your own life -- as a regular practice, but also in times when you really need to nourish your soul. For me that looks like busier than normal periods in my life, but also tough days like Mother's Day or my mom's death anniversary. It's an important habit to get into. You deserve it!
Here are 33 self care ideas to help you nurture yourself:
- Take a walk
- Read your favourite book
- Workout
- Nap
- Take a bath
- Watch your favourite movie/show/Netflix series (bonus points for a full season)
- Go out for brunch
- Buy yourself flowers, a cactus or succulent
- Get a manicure, pedicure or facial
- Journal
- See a show or concert
- Spend time with someone special
- Go to an art gallery or museum
- Meditate
- Sing
- Bake some donuts
- Say no
- Shut down your technology and take a social media break
- Do something crafty or artistic
- Diffuse essential oils or light some candles
- Spend time with animal friends
- Go to a farmer's market and make a nourishing meal
- Phone / Skype / Facetime a friend
- Play
- Make an awesome playlist and have a dance party
- Enjoy the sunshine / rain / stars
- Make a pot of tea
- Colour
- Go to your favourite coffee shop and have the best warm beverage
- Hang out in nature or near water
- Learn an instrument (or practice that one you used to play)
- Go for a bike ride
- Breathe
Over the past two weeks, I've been working hard at numbers 3, 4, 6, 12, 15, 17, 18, 20, 23, 27 and 33.
One of my best friends came for a visit and brought me beautiful flowers. Time with her + tulips = 2 wins in one!
And since the weekend I've been teaching myself ukulele (you can follow my adventures over on Instagram!) Learning something new in a gentle way plus having the opportunity to sing and surround myself with music I love has been a very positive thing for my mental health this week.
Whether you're going through a stressful time, find yourself losing momentum in the hustle or just need a little bit of TLC -- make some time in the near future to do something nice for yourself by practicing some good self care. (Pin this for future reference!)
What are your favourite ways to practice self care?
