10 Essential self-care ideas to boost your well-being

Taking care of yourself isn’t always the easiest thing. Between work, family, and just the stressors of everyday life, it’s easy to forget that everybody, including you, needs some TLC sometimes. Self-care is about creating a routine that nurtures your body and mind. It should help you feel more balanced, refreshed, and ready to face each new day. Whether you’re new to the idea of self-care or simply looking to refresh your routine, the following ten tips could help you prioritise your well-being. 

Journaling

Journaling can look and feel different depending on what you want to get out of it. For some, putting pen to paper and scrawling down the tangle of thoughts that have been bothering them for the last few days can often feel like an enormous weight lifted. For others, journaling might look more like asking themselves questions about their thoughts and feelings, and then mindfully answering them. It can even be as simple as writing down a list of five things that you enjoyed about your day.

Either way, there’s some truth to getting things out of your mind by writing them down. Journaling can be a mindful exercise that lets you explore how you’re feeling in the moment, and give you more insight into why you feel that way.

Meditation

Meditation comes in many forms and doesn’t just look like sitting cross legged on a hard floor. While that’s a perfectly acceptable way of meditating (we recommend sitting on a softer surface!), there are plenty more ways you can quiet your mind and be more present. Simply sitting and watching the flame of a candle, breathwork, listening to some calming music, or sitting through a guided meditation, can all be effective ways of meditating.

Taking time out of your day to quiet your mind and let thoughts calmly pass can help you better cope with stressful situations. It can help keep you calm in times of chaos.

Reading

For some people, there’s nothing more relaxing than sitting down with a good book and a warm drink. The benefits of reading are endless. From helping to expand your vocabulary and even develop empathy, to simply being an escape from the real world for a little while. There are different genres and types of text for everyone. You don’t need to read big, chunky books to consider yourself a reader. If short stories or even comic books are more your style, then you should go with that over something you don’t enjoy.

Escaping to a different world every now and then, or simply seeing the same world from another perspective, can help reduce stress and keep you mentally sharp.

Cooking or Baking

It might not be everyone’s idea of relaxing bliss, but baking and cooking can be a big stress buster. Finding recipes you enjoy and taking some time to find the right ingredients and follow the recipe step by step can help you feel more in control of your day. Cooking and baking also requires some level of patience, so it’s a great skill to have if you’re someone who finds themselves furiously tapping their foot a little too often.

Gardening

Gardening not only gives you a chance to step into nature, and even to enjoy some sunshine if you’re lucky, but it gives you regular goals to work towards and jobs to keep up with, which can help keep an anxious or stressed mind busy and fixed on tasks. It’s good to keep in mind that gardening can be a big learning curve, especially if you don’t have much experience with it. It’s a good idea to not expect everything to go right first time. So, if your strawberries and carrots come out too small or a little wonky, there’s always time to try again!

Creative hobbies

Having a creative hobby to do, like painting, knitting, or even pottery (if you’re brave enough), can give you some much needed time to yourself while being a rewarding project once it’s completed. If you’ve tried creative pursuits before and not found something that you’ve enjoyed yet, it might be time to think outside of the box.

A creative hobby can be anything from painting a watercolour of your favourite spot in the park, to doing a spot of home DIY or even upcycling furniture. Having something enjoyable and challenging to work on can give people a sense of fulfilment.

Listening to music or podcasts

There’s nothing quite as comforting as just plugging in some earphones – or popping on some headphones if you’re so inclined – and listening to one of your favourite podcasts or playlists.

Taking a bath

It might not be a long-term solution, but especially in the colder months when the darker days are getting to you, taking a warm bath can make a big difference to a bad day.

Practicing Gratitude

It’s as simple as it sounds! Gratitude can be something you just weave in to your everyday tasks. It can be as small as being grateful for a warm cup of coffee, or it can be related to bigger actions and the people around you. Such as a family member offering to help you move house.

Mentally noting or writing down when you feel grateful for something can help train your brain to look for the positive.

Digital Detox

Most of us are no strangers to the habit of constantly checking our devices. Be that for messages, emails, or just scrolling through the depths of social media. While our phones, laptops, and tablets, can be brilliant at helping us stay in touch with loved ones and connected to what’s going on in the world, it’s important we know when to take a break.

Having just one day a week where you limit interactions with your devices is a way to refresh and take some time to connect with people face to face, and to enjoy other activities like spending time outside walking, gardening, or simply sitting.