35 Self-Care Ideas For You To Try!

Posted on February 10, 2022
selfcare

35 Self-care ideas for you to try: (We recognize self-care looks different for everyone, so we encourage you to pick out a few new ideas that resonate with you)

  1. Disconnect from social media. Take a social media detox.
  2. Switch off your smartphone for 24 hours
  3. Write a list of compliments to yourself
  4. Declutter 10 items
  5. Pick or buy a bouquet of fresh flowers
  6. Do something crafty: coloring, knitting, sewing
  7. Watch funny YouTube videos
  8. Have a dance party to your favorite music
  9. Walk around the fancy grocery store without a list. Buy some stuff just for fun
  10. Sing at the top of your lungs
  11. Go to the park and play on the playground. Be a kid again!
  12. Wear an outfit that makes you feel great even if you have no reason to ( YOU ARE the reason!).
  13. Read a book, blog, or magazine that makes you happy. If you’re new to reading/want to dive back into reading for fun, start by reading the book that made you fall in love with books and adventure.
  14. Make yourself a batch of infused water to sip on
  15. Listen to your favorite podcast.
  16. Listen to your favorite music playlist
  17. Meditate. Research shows meditating for 30min a day may help reduce overall stress.
  18. Sleep in on the weekend
  19. Call a friend or family member that makes you laugh
  20. Write a letter (or an email) to an old friend
  21. Research something that you’ve been interested in but haven’t had the time to dive into
  22. Color in, draw, or paint
  23. Do some yoga
  24. Breathe
  25. Exercise
  26. Reorganize your room
  27. Spend quality time with a loved one
  28. Go to bed early. Take a look at this article for tips on a bedtime ritual: https://www.mentemia.com/blog/bedtime-rituals-for-better-sleep
  29. Drink herbal tea
  30. Cook your favorite meal or maybe a fancy meal
  31. Do random acts of kindness/ do something kind for someone
  32. Drink a full glass of water
  33. Hug a loved one
  34. Take a mini-vacation and visit a museum: art, children’s, history, science—whatever brings you joy that day!
  35. Press pause and reflect. Check out this 1 min video for ideas on pausing and reflecting. Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GatKaBMw0BM&ab_channel=HalfofUs
For more self-care ideas, visit our Self-care page on our website here: https://wellnesscenter.uic.edu/caring-for-your-flame/.
Modified on February 25, 2022