Some Self Care Ideas

2018-09-21 00:00:00 Andrew Huber

When the schedule gets busy, it can be hard to find time for self-care.  Self-care is important for our mental and physical health. It can even help in being productive in other areas of life.  To some, the words self-care conjures up a bunch of people at the nail salon but there are many other ideas. Self-care activities can take a lot of time or very little time.  Some of them might not even seem like self-care. At its core, self-care is really about providing the space and time to recognize our innate value and reconnecting with who we are.  So try making a list of your own and care for yourself.

Here are some ideas of self-care activities to try:

• Go for a walk.
• Go for a run.
• Go to the gym.
• Take the family to a state or national park for a hike.
• Join a debate team.
• Have friends over for board games.
• Read a book.
• Write a journal.
• Research a hobby.
• Write down some things for which you are grateful.
• Sing in a choir.
• Start a family choir.
• Clean one room of the house.
• Whistle.
• Practice some truthful affirmations about yourself.
• Talk with a friend.
• Research your family history.
• Burn some scented candles.
• Count down from a hundred by sevens.
• Write an encouraging card to someone else.
• Practice breathing for ten minutes.
• Try bird watching.
• Have a backyard picnic.
• Use a mindfulness app like Calm or Aura.
• Read the Bible or other religious book.
• Read a comedic book.
• Interact with animals at a pet shelter.
• Re-arrange your furniture for fun.
• Read to your kids.
• Try a craft such as sowing or carving.
• Do some stretches.
• Try out yoga.
• Practice mantras.
• Practice throat singing.
• Try making some art.
• Try drawing with your non-dominant hand with crayons.
• Practice a sport.
• Find a place where you can watch the stars.
• Get a massage.
• Give a massage to someone else.
• Watch a show or movie and then talk about it afterwards.
• Have a safe party.
• Write thank you notes to yourself.
• See a therapist.
• Listen to music.
• Start learning a language.
• Give and receive an appropriate hug for more than 40 seconds.
• Apologize to someone.
• Serve at a soup kitchen.
• Have a let's-do-work-together party.
• Join a boxing class.
• Actually get through that stack of papers on your desk.
• Stroll around a local park.
• Take a dance class.
• Dance around when no one can see you.
• Take a photography class.
• Do the laundry while singing Disney songs.

Mindfulness, Self-care