100 self-care ideas
Self-care; those two little words, so obvious in their meaning, but with the ever growing popularity of self-care it can feel very overwhelming to know what it's all about anymore.
We also have societal pressure to be doing self-care ‘right’. Are you doing enough self-care? Are you keeping up with the self-care trends? Is it even self-care if it costs less than £100?
And then if that’s not enough, we also have people saying things like ‘sounds like you need some self-care’. ‘Are you prioritising yourself right now’? ‘What are you doing for you’?
It can leave us feeling like telling the world to f-off and leave us alone.
To help you with the enigma that is self-care, I have put together 100 ideas, lots of which I used when I was on my road to recovery. Screaming is number 1 on the list and my goodness did I do a lot of that.
Others are more traditional, like taking a bath because they have a place too, but personally I leant towards more of the out of the box thinking, because when we are recovering from a life changing event the last thing we’re thinking about is self-care.
If you are in the midst of it all, then these ideas are for you. Like people, self-care comes in all shapes and sizes. If you hate taking a bath don’t take one, but if you love exercising and haven’t had the energy to get to the gym for a while, start with a kitchen dance party. One song to dance, stomp or cry it all out.
Do whatever you need to do to support you. You are rebuilding yourself and in the process getting your s**t together. These ideas are going to aid that and as a bonus you can tell your loved ones that yes, you are doing enough self-care!
Don’t knock them till you’ve tried them
1. Scream! Sometimes a bath just won’t cut it, the only way to get the frustration/anger/sadness out is to scream it out.
2. Online window shopping; this one is risky if you’re being budget savvy. Check out number 72 if you need the encouragement to click purchase.
3. Volunteer
4. Do something outside your comfort zone. Advance to the ‘Outside your comfort zone’ section for inspiration
5. Get a tattoo (only if you want one that is)
6. Have solo sex; one of the best bits of advice I’ve heard came from The Big Bang theory of all places. Leonards Mum (played by the amazing Christine Baranski) tells Penny to always be responsible for your own orgasms. Rules to live by.
7. Adrenaline rush; is there something you’ve always wanted to try? Book it. There is nothing better (in my opinion) than doing something that makes you feel alive
8. Speak your mind
9. Quit the thing
10. Invest your money; there are lots of women helping other women learn about investing. I am a big fan of The Wallet podcast as a good place to start. Investing comes with risks, so make sure you can afford to invest first.
11. Use your time wisely
12. Learn something new
13. Complete an annual review; within the Elita La Vie Approach we map out exactly how to do this and within the community space we complete it together each year. It’s a great way to check in on what you had hoped to achieve and what you are aiming for going forward.
14. Be an activist; if there is something you’re passionate about, get involved.
Free ideas
15. Walk in nature
16. Take a bath. A bath always has a place in my opinion. I’m a 60 minutes plus kind of bather, but whatever your bath preferences, allowing the day to wash over you can be very cathartic.
17. Read a book
18. Listen to music
19. Listen to a podcast
20. Watch a comedy
21. Binge watch your favourite TV show
22. Have a kitchen dance party
23. Learn a new language; free if you start with Duolingo (other apps might be available), but then if you really get into it, maybe some classes will be purchased in time.
24. Spend the day at the beach
25. Walk the dog
26. Laugh
27. Meditate. You may choose to pay for this to receive guided meditation. I enjoy the GABA podcast for slightly different meditations
28. Get into nature
29. Bike ride
30. Running
31. Call a friend
32. Sleep
33. Name your inner critic; we all have a negative Nancy, by giving yours a name or a complete identity we are able to remove ourselves from the negativity and treat ourselves with more kindness on the bad days. For example ‘Clive won’t stop berating me about being tidy today’ rather than ‘What is wrong with you, why can’t you tidy up after yourself’.
34. Appreciate the little things and celebrate the wins
35. Drink water
36. Write lists/your ideas down
37. Write an action list. When we need a nudge to get some forward momentum in our lives aka getting shit done writing it down in a list can be enough to give us a boost and let the positivity in.
38. Have a to do list
39. Be productive
40. Get yourself a mantra; I stick to the classic ‘this too shall pass’
41. Take the day off
42. Throw the things away; you might even make money if you sell it on. One person’s junk is another’s treasure. I’ve been known to make over £100 by doing a car boot.
43. Say thank you
44. Pay it forward
45. Plan your day
46. Be your own cheerleader
47. Dare to dream
48. Organise your wardrobe; one of my most favourite past times!!
49. Consider what superhero you wants; this is an Elita La Vie character you’ll meet within the programme. Superhero you, is the version of yourself you long to be. Think about what they want and how you might start working towards it.
50. Address your aches and pains
51. Take a nap
52. Watch the sunset
53. Meal prep; an absolute game changer if you can create the habit!
Less than £20 ideas
54. Buy yourself some flowers
55. Go for a coffee and cake with a friend
56. Get a take away
57. Pilates; can also be free if you DIY it
58. Yoga; can also be free if you DIY it
59. Swim; make it free by swimming in the sea
60. Eat your favourite food
61. Cook your favourite meal
62. Drink wine; really savouring and enjoying your favourite tipple whether alcoholic or not is a great way to give to yourself.
63. Try new hobbies
64. Surprise a friend; unless you surprise them with a luxury cruise then this should only be the cost of travel to their home or the cost of a picnic (you get my drift).
65. Bake
66. Take time out with you
67. Play
68. Do something you find fun
Flashing the cash, but why the f**k not!?
69. Buy the shoes/dress etc
70. Go out for dinner
71. Relocate; not an instant self-care gratification, but putting a serious action plan together to begin your dream relocation can definitely be classed as self-care
72. Plan a dream holiday; if you only plan it, maybe this is free, but…
73. Save for the dream holiday. Then why not allow yourself to go for it and…
74. Book the dream holiday
75. Save up for something you really want
76. Make your bedroom a special place; turn it into your perfect sanctuary
77. Complete a health assessment
78. Book the dentist; or whatever it is you have been putting off
79. Go for a massage
80. Book/have a hair cut
81. Book in for your favourite beauty treatment
Outside your comfort zone (maybe)
82. Go for a solo coffee date
83. Stop holding a grudge; easier said than done maybe.
84. Try a new food you maybe think you don’t like
85. Come up with a signature dish. Do you ever feel like you need a go-to meal to entertain with, but aren’t a huge fan of cooking? Spending some time developing your ‘secret sauce’ can be a good way to give to yourself. It’s two-fold. 1. Practice makes perfect, so a little ego boost when you nail it and 2. No more fretting when friends are coming over because you have your signature dish.
86. Get rid of the people that don't make you feel good
87. Write a list of what you want
88. Have the difficult conversations
89. Be the change
90. Say sorry
91. Wear the outfit
92. Strut
93. Set boundaries
94. Replace goals with systems; one of the topics we explore in The Elita La Vie Approach is around the meaning of goals and how systems can aid us through life changes. Systems are the habits you want to make such as ‘flossing every day’.
95. Ask for help/receive help/offer help
96. Post the selfie
97. Say what you really think
98. Change job
99. Leave the relationship
And last, but not least;
100. Live the life you long for