101 Ways to Practice Self Care

It seems that I was sick all of the month of January. I had strep throat twice and the rest of the time I was tired and worn out trying to keep up with the pace of the life in a new year. Fortunately, I seem to be on the mend and life is getting back to normal.

In light of my month of sickness, I thought it might be helpful for myself and others who are struggling right along with me to create a list of ways to practice self care. I’ve talked many times about the importance of self care. I really think that prioritizing ourselves allows us to work and serve others at the highest capacity. By filling ourselves up on a regular basis, we have an overflow of passion, energy, strength, and peace that will spill over in all areas of our lives.

If you feel like you are running on empty, that you have nothing left to give to your family and the world, I encourage you to browse through this list and find a couple of activities you can do today to start filling yourself up. Not every activity will work for every person, that’s why I made the list so long. There will certainly be plenty of things in the list that will work for you though, and if you have no idea what will work, start with a couple activities on the list and keep trying until you find some things that work for you.

I didn’t segment the list into specific categories, but you should notice several themes including exercise, social, intellectual, spiritual, and more. Try to make sure you practice a wide variety of self care activities to make sure you are meeting all of the needs of your body and mind for rest and refreshment. I know I usually focus on one or two areas really well (ahem, exercise), but ignore several others, which might be why I’ve been struggling with illness so much lately.

Bookmark or Pin this list so you can come back to it any time you find yourself in need of a little refueling. (A couple links in this post are affiliate links, check out the disclosure here.)

1. Go for a walk.

2. Run.

3. Practice yoga.

4. Take a spinning class.

5. Have a dance party.

6. Sworkit exercise app.

7. Go swimming.

8. Go for a bike ride.

9. Zumba.

10. Head to the gym.

11. Do an exercise video.

12. Attend a barre class.

13. Do some body weight exercises.

14. Pray.

15. Listen to worship music.

16. Read the Bible.

17. Do a Bible study.

18. Attend a small group/discipleship group.

19. Read a book on a spiritual topic that interests you.

20. Call a friend.

21. Watch a movie.

22. Go on a date.

23. Head out for a girl’s night/weekend.

24. Join a book club.

25. Take a bubble bath.

26. Do your nails.

27. Get a massage.

28. Meditate.

29. Take a nap.

30. Go to bed early.

31. Sit in silence.

32. Write in a journal.

33. Read a novel.

34. Take a class on something fun you want to learn.

35. Study something new.

36. Do a craft.

37. Color.

38. Go to a coffee shop.

39. Meet a friend for drinks.

40. Stop complaining.

41. Watch funny videos on youtube.

42. Pet a cat.

43. Play with a puppy.

44. Snuggle a baby.

45. Light a candle.

46. Eat a nice meal.

47. Listen to a podcast.

48. Play a board game or card game.

49. Eat healthy foods.

50. Drink a green smoothie.

51. Bake something special.

52. Do a jigsaw puzzle.

53. Cook a delicious meal.

54. Sip some hot tea.

55. Make a gratitude list.

56. Listen to your favorite music.

57. Rearrange or redecorate your space.

58. Drink some water.

59. Play a game on your phone.

60. Choose joy.

61. Read a blog.

62. Take pictures of beautiful things.

63. Scrapbook.

64. Memorize scripture.

65. Watch an inspiring person on Periscope.

66. Create a vision/dream board on Pinterest.

67. Go geocaching.

68. Play with your kids.

69. Go for a scenic drive.

70. Have quality time with your husband.

71. Catch up on your favorite TV show.

72. Do a crossword puzzle.

73. Plant a garden.

74. Try a new hobby.

75. Go to a play or theater show.

76. Soak up some sunshine.

77. Play in the snow.

78. Go to the beach.

79. Watch a ball game.

80. Play a ball game.

81. Go to the symphony.

82. Play an instrument.

83. Write a love note, to yourself.

84. Visit your favorite relative.

85. Go through old photos.

86. Relax and watch the clouds or stars.

87. Unplug from all technology for a period of time (hour, day, week).

88. Unfriend or block negative or drama filled people on social media.

89. Take 10 deep breaths.

90. Say nice things about yourself in the mirror.

91. Allow yourself to cry.

92. Practice affirmations.

93. Smell something amazing.

94. Hire or ask someone to help with something.

95. Give generously to someone (money, time, or other resources)

96. Eat a big yummy salad.

97. Remove clutter.

98. Write out all of your thoughts.

99. Smile.

100. Do something kind.

101. Read something funny.

Let me know in the comments what one or two things you plan to do today to refuel and refresh yourself. Take care of yourself, you are the only you there is. Your life and your gift is important to the world, make it important to you too.