Taking care of your self. Self care. Me time. These are all things we say about making sure that in our very busy lives, we don’t look after everyone else and neglect ourselves. Here are 21 different (and pretty easy!) ways to take better care of yourself.
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1. Practice gratitude!
Do you have a gratitude journal? I like writing three things I’m grateful for in the morning and three good things at night. It helps me focus on good things and reflect on my day. I use the 5 minute journal so it really doesn’t have to be a long exercise, but it really helps my attitude. Sometimes I had a bad day but I can always find something to be grateful for.
2. Light a candle or use a diffuser to spread nice scents around your house.
I love this one. It makes my house feel clean. Plus, there’s just something about having nice smells in your home to make it feel extra homey.
3. Plan out your day.
You may think, ”Oh I don’t like to do that,” or “That takes too long.” But it’s as simple as looking at what’s coming up today (so you don’t forget any obligations) and listing out a couple of tasks that you need to and/or want to get done. Doing this has helped me prioritize what I want to do and helped me be more productive. Isn’t if funny how planning out my day has actually given me more freedom because I know I have space for what I want to do? It’s just one of the ways that I take better care of myself.
4. Create a skin care routine.
Your skin is important. Taking care of it can really help to boost your confidence. It just feels nice when you have one and know your self care will have a noticeable (positive) impact on your appearance. And hey, look good feel good, right?
5. Spend some time outside.
Get that vitamin D in your life. It makes you happy and is good for you!
6. Have 10 minute tidying sessions each night.
Having a clean space makes a huge difference. Adding in 10 minutes to tidy up your space is a super easy way to take better care of yourself. When your space is clean, your brain can focus on other things and it’s just nice.
7. Have a morning routine.
There’s a reason why morning routine’s are popping up everywhere, especially the that girl morning routine. Morning routines help to set the tone for your day. Having a morning routine can help you feel prepared to meet the day and ready for what awaits you.
8. Have an evening routine.
It’s in line with the above, but an evening routine is just as important. It helps you wind down after the day and get you ready for sleep. When your body knows what to expect, I feel like it’s easier to go along to sleep.
9. Compliment yourself.
Do it! Find a mirror. Look yourself in the eye and give yourself three compliments. Doing this boosts your mood and just puts out good vibes into the world. I was dubious at first, but I really like this practice.
10. Surround yourself with people who lift you up.
This one really matters. Surrounding yourself with people who’ll lift you up is one of the best ways to take better care of yourself. On your bad days you have people to encourage you, and on your good days you have people to celebrate with you. I cannot stress this one enough.
11. Meal prep.
When I don’t have ready made meals in my fridge/freezer, that’s when Door Dash/GrubHub/Post Mates become increasingly attractive or I just eat snacks and my healthy eating has been tossed out the window. Having meals on hand makes this way less likely.
12. Move around a bit each hour.
Your body was not made to be hunched over a piece of technology. Move around a bit! I love my apple watch for that reason. Sometimes I roll my eyes when it tells me to stand, but I love having an outside force hold me accountable to my goals whether its movement or simply standing. But that reminder is enough to break me out of whatever I’m doing (whether its mindlessly scrolling on TikTok or working hard at my day job)
13. Do something nice for yourself each day
This doesn’t have to be material. It could be a simple as having dessert, taking a bath, going for a walk, or maybe it is buying yourself something. Do something nice for yourself each day because you do so much.
14. Do something nice for someone else each day.
Keep focus on other soot to spread the love and happiness (there’s seriously not enough in this world). It could be a hone call to a friend, a word of encouragement to a coworker, a letter in the mail or a text. Just try to do something else for someone. How does this help you take better care of yourself? Well it spreads positivity and you feel better about yourself. Seriously, makes. Big difference.
15. Automate your savings.
Everyone should have some money set aside for those things that we have absolutely no control over or for savings. Automating it means that you don’t even have to think about it, so you don’t notice that money going elsewhere and then it’s there for you on your rainy day. Plus, you may be pleasantly surprised when you check in on the account later to see how much it has grown!
16. Set a bedtime and stick to it.
You body needs rest. Seriously. Try to make sure you’re getting 8 hours (some people need more, some need less). During this time, your brain sorts through the event of the day and your body rests and recuperates. Sleep is crucial to the maintenance and proper functioning of your brain and your body. Make sure you’re getting enough sleep.
I get distracted and caught up in what I’m doing, so I created a system to help me go to sleep. With this in place, I don’t even have to think about my bedtime. For me, my echo dot turns off my lights at the same time each night and turns off any music that’s playing. That’s my cue to put my phone/book/whatever I’m doing down and go to bed. For you it could be setting an alarm to go off to get ready for bed, or an alarm for a 5 minute warning for bed. Just try to make sure that you don’t have to think about it.
17. Drink your water!
Seriously. Drink it. Drinking water and staying hydrated is such a simple fix but it makes such a big difference. It helps your body, your mind, curbs hunger, and helps your skin! There’s a ton of benefits and its so simple!
18. Use a tongue scraper!
It’s weird, I know. But honestly, adding in a tongue scraper after I brush my teeth makes my mouth feel so clean. Why would you neglect your tongue and make your teeth all nice and clean, but then leave your tongue behind? Oh yeah and fresh breath. Enough said.
19. Floss
Yes, your dentist tells you that you should be flossing and you probably tell them you do it daily. But, do you? Flossing is a super easy way to take better care of yourself. Plus, It makes such a big hygiene difference and can actually help make your teeth appear whiter. String floss is good but I also have a waterpik and its really nice and way easier to do.
20. Schedule in your self care.
Do it. Do it right now. I’m a firm believer that if it’s not in my planner it’s not going to happen. Scheduling in your self care means that you’re acknowledging that you are making yourself a priority. Self care helps to refill you and takes a different form for everyone. Whether you’re pencilling in a long bath, time to finish that book, or time to binge that tv show, make sure you have some you time to reward yourself for doing all of the things that you do.
21. Move your body.
In that vein, you should also schedule in your workouts! Or even better, plan to do them with a friend or accountability partner! This will ensure that you actually do it and gets your body moving! Your body was meant to move. Not only is it good for keeping your ability to move, it releases endorphins, and keeps you fit! Exercising also burns off excess energy and can help you sleep better at night. I don’t think I need to explain how working out helps you take better care of yourself.
So there you have it. Which way are you going to try first?
