50 Self-Care Practices for the Holidays + All Year Long

50 Self Care Practices

Last week, I talked about boundaries and how they’re integral to practicing self-care. This week, I’d like to share some self-care practices that will serve you now and throughout the entire year:

  1. Put your to-do list away and don’t think about it until tomorrow
  2. Turn off your phone
  3. Step away from your computer
  4. Take a bath (my favorite way is by candlelight)
  5. Read for pleasure
  6. Watch guilty-pleasure television
  7. Sing along to your favorite song
  8. Dance around your living room
  9. Watch comedy and laugh your ass off
  10. Treat yourself to a minute of decadence: suck on a peppermint, strawberry, or square of dark chocolate  and savor it from first bite until the last iota of flavor melts away
  11. Plan (and take) a “personal day” or artist date
  12. Go for a walk or a run—if it’s something you want to do versus feel you have to do
  13. Sit outside and soak up your environment
  14. Watch a sunset or sunrise
  15. Meditate, even for just 3 minutes
  16. Breathe deeply and consciously
  17. Take a nap
  18. Go to the beach, the mountains, or the park
  19. Take a hike
  20. Play with your pet
  21. Sleep in
  22. Snuggle with your partner
  23. Give and get hugs
  24. Get a massage
  25. Get a manicure or pedicure
  26. Schedule a spa day, at home or the spa
  27. Journal, particularly first thing in the morning
  28. Savor a cup of tea or coffee
  29. Sit at a coffee shop and people watch
  30. Stretch
  31. Practice yoga
  32. Get crafty
  33. Browse in your favorite store. No purchases necessary!
  34. Cuddle something small, like a kitten or a baby
  35. Clean out your closet
  36. Purge anything that stresses you more than uplifts you (e-mail newsletters, friend lists, social media accounts)
  37. Take yourself out to breakfast, lunch, or dinner
  38. Try something new
  39. Connect with a friend
  40. Cook or bake something
  41. Create a gratitude list or journal
  42. Go on an adventure. It’s more of a mindset than an activity.
  43. Do something you loved to do as a child
  44. Draw, doodle, or color
  45. Take a class
  46. Solve a puzzle
  47. Play a game
  48. Ease into your mornings, with a self-care morning ritual
  49. Buy yourself a little something that makes you smile, like fresh-cut flowers
  50. Ask for help if you need it

However you choose to practice self-care, make sure you’re doing something you want to do, something that makes you feel good while you’re doing it and after you’re done. Taking care of yourself works best when it feeds your soul, not when it’s another “should” on your to-do list.

If you like this list, please like it or share it. If I missed anything, please share your favorite way to practice self care in the comments.

Cheers,

Kate Watson

Massage Photo Credit: whl.travel via Compfight cc