Take care of yourself with these simple self-care ideas.
Practicing self-care isn’t just about spoiling yourself with a big treat or moment of luxury—like staying at a bougie hotel for the weekend, purchasing an all-new wardrobe, or opting for two desserts instead of one. The art of simple self-care is much more internally nourishing than that, and one that takes some time to get the hang of given our propensity to put others before ourselves.
If you’re not quite sure where to begin when it comes to taking care of yourself, these simple self-care tips will help you set off on the right path forward, one day at a time.
Why Is Self-Care Important?
Self-care should be more of a daily practice, often made up of small but impactful intentions, that helps keep you energized, gratified, and able to show up for others. “A sustainable self-care practice is about creating moments within each day, week, month, season, and year to practice the kind of meaningful self-care that makes you feel healthy and joyful in mind, body, and soul,” says Shel Pink, author of Slow Beauty, a book on mindful self-care. “When practiced over time, these small rituals add up to a healthier and more joyful life.”
1. Be Self-Compassionate
The first step in practicing self-care is learning how to be self-compassionate. “Pay attention to your self-talk and speak to yourself the way you would to someone you love. If you notice your self-talk isn’t loving, catch it and try again with care,” says marriage and family therapist Zereana Jess-Huff, PhD, MA, LMFT. Sometimes this can be difficult, but the key is to identify triggers and to reframe your approach when necessary. Jess-Huff notes that working with a therapist can help you eliminate negative self-talk if it’s a recurring habit you can’t seem to tackle on your own.
2. Get Enough Sleep—Every Single Night
“We’re a chronically sleep-deprived society. We now know that the vast majority of the population requires a full eight hours of sleep per night for both short-term and long-term good health, and we also know very few people get it,” says Alex Lickerman, MD, author of The Ten Worlds: The New Psychology of Happiness. “Many adapt to six to seven hours of sleep and feel basically OK, but studies show the risk of Alzheimer’s, dementia, and heart attacks rises sharply even with 30 to 60 minutes less sleep than our bodies need.”
Instead of only focusing on setting an alarm to wake up, Dr. Lickerman also suggests setting one to go to sleep. To figure out a good bedtime, start with when you need to wake up and count back eight hours. Outside of getting enough precious sleep, you can at least apply some soothing skin care—try Tula Skincare’s Instant De-Puff Eye Renewal Serum to reduce those tell-tale signs of sleep deprivation under your eyes.
3. Nourish Your Body With Healthy Foods
Have you ever grabbed a bag of candy, devoured most of it, and then felt terrible, both mentally and physically for hours after? Breaking this negative pattern and reframing the way you view food is an excellent way to practice self-care. While it’s perfectly OK (in fact, encouraged!) to indulge in treats occasionally, viewing food as fuel that nourishes your body, and then consuming things that make you feel good is extremely important. “Willpower is the wrong mental force to maintain any long-term behavioral change. Instead, figure out how to control your environment,” Dr. Lickerman says. That’s right, setting yourself up for nutritional success is a simple act of self-care. Maybe that means keeping healthy snacks prepped and ready, avoiding food shopping when you’re hungry, and opting to split dessert at a restaurant instead of keeping a box of candy in the house.
4. Keep a Gratitude Journal
It’s easy to lose sight of positivity, especially when work and personal stress seems to be at its height. In these moments, writing down the things you’re grateful for can help you feel better.
“Even in the midst of a crappy day, reminding yourself of gratitudes—whether it’s the sun, a productive meeting at work, a special moment with family, or simply that your day is over and tomorrow brings a fresh start—can reframe the day,” says Jess-Huff. “The more you practice gratitude, the more it becomes a natural part of your life.”
5. Meditate
Meditation is another excellent way to practice self-care.
“A consistent meditation practice can be life-changing. It’s even been scientifically proven to reduce stress, increase feelings of empathy, improve focus, boost the immune system, and slow the signs of aging,” Pink says.
“To start, I recommend using [a meditation app] to access a variety of different styles of meditation to see what works for you.”
6. Give Yourself a Daily Self-Massage
A “treat yourself” moment can be far simpler than spending lots of money on a full-day pampering session at the spa. Instead, you can opt for a self-administered massage, Pink says. She recommends the Abhyanga massage technique, which is part of the Ayurvedic tradition. Other options include a simple hand or foot massage given to yourself, or a DIY neck massage.
7. Learn to Say No
One powerful way to practice self-care includes acknowledging and honoring your own boundaries. Many people struggle with setting appropriate boundaries with others (physical and emotional), which can lead them to commit to things even when they’d rather not. This may not seem like a big deal, but Dr. Lickerman notes that an inability to say no—even with the best intentions—often leads to resentment and even anger outbursts. It can also make you feel like you’re not living your own life, or that you’re living your life according to others’ whims, which can make you lose sight of your own needs and desires.
“Many voices in your head may push you to say yes when you really want to say no, and the chief among these voices is the one that tells you that you risk being disliked if you say no,” Dr. Lickerman says. “You must learn to tolerate the anxiety that saying no likely brings. Once you learn to do this, you’ll discover people don’t dislike you for it. In fact, they’ll likely respect you even more.”
8. Declutter Your Spaces
It may sound strange to add cleaning duties to a self care guide, but having a cluttered, untidy home can certainly lead to having unnecessary stress. After all, a messy house equals a messy mind, right?
If you don’t know where to start, make it a habit of doing a weekly house declutter. This includes throwing out any junk mail, old bills, or any other paperwork taking up space on your counters. Additionally, at the beginning of every season, donate any unworn clothes or items. And don’t forget to throw away any expired cosmetics, medications, or toiletries.
In addition to the home, think about your organizing your phone. A “digital declutter” at the beginning of every year may also help you feel more at ease. To do this, make sure to delete any old files or emails on your computer and unsubscribe from newsletters you don’t read anymore.
9. Enjoy Some Time Outside
Nature bathing is simply the practice of spending deliberate time outdoors to appreciate the living Earth around you. “Seek out daily opportunities to be in nature. Walk in the woods, go for a hike, walk along the beach, do some gardening, anything in nature that resonates with you will do. Expose yourself to the beauty of nature and reap the benefits,” Pink says. “Immersing yourself in nature helps calm the central nervous system, elevate your mood, and increase energy levels. The effects of the benefits are felt for hours and days post-immersion.”
