25 Self Care Ideas to Kickstart Your New Self Care Routine

What do you do for self care?

Share this post:

• WordPress

---

Self care is about self, you know the person you look in the mirror at daily? Yes, YOU! We tend to put ourselves at the bottom of our to do lists (or we are not even on the to do list at all) and neglect the need for filling up our cups. Self care is important because we cannot be our best selves for the family, friends, and co-workers around us if we are not taking time daily to care for ourselves. I know for me, in the past if I don’t make time for myself (at least ten minutes on a busy day) I will be no good to my family and will think about calling off work and curling up in my bed.

I approve of myself and love myself deeply and completely. I will make time for myself daily.

Jazzy Speaks

When you think about what would be on your list, think about those things that lift you up when you’re having a bad day, things that bring you joy, things that fill your emotional cup up in a way that no one else can.

Below you will find a list of 25 self care ideas that personally, I do myself. What works for me might not work for you. Check out this blog for additional tips. This list is just to help get you started or restarted on your self care routine. Remember, your goal is to find what works for you and stick to a routine. Consistency is key!

My favorite thing to do for self care is walking in nature with my son.

1. Cook breakfast for myself.
2. Do yoga. Switch it up and do yoga outside.
3. Listen to a favorite podcast or Ted Talk.
4. Wake up an hour before the entire household.
5. Turn on calming music and meditate (520 hz)
6. Meditate quietly
7. Take a long shower.
8. Do makeup.
9. Read a book.
10. Listen to a book on audible.
11. Scroll through funny videos on TikTok
12. Call a friend/family member who is not a Debbie downer but someone to lift spirits
13. Sit outside and listen to nature.
14. Go to the gym.
15. Complete a cycle class at the gym.
16. Go for a drive without a destination in mind.
17. Dress up and get cute without having a reason.
18. Bake a desert on my list and eat it!
19. Edit social media following. If they don’t bring me joy, DELETE.
20. Go for a walk.
21. Get a massage.
22. When grocery shopping, throw something in (a chocolate treat) for myself.
23. Cook a fancy steak dinner because I deserve a fancy meal.
24. Take a bath.
25. Watch a tv show that I am behind on.

Share this post:

• WordPress

If you like what you are reading, please share, like and comment. Looking for other great topics? See recent blogs below.

• Choose Love Over Violence
  People are so angry whether you are on the receiving end of gun violence, conducting […]
• 25 Self Care Ideas to Kickstart Your New Self Care Routine
  Have you been neglecting yourself? It’s mental health awareness month and it is important for you to tap into yourself and what brings you joy in order to be your best self. Here are 25 Self Care ideas to kickstart you new self care routine.
• Five Things You Should Be Doing to Cope with COVID
  COVID has not been kind in many ways. Mental health is just as important as physical health during this time.
• Three Quick Self Esteem Boosters You Can Do In Your Car
  It all starts with believing that you can. We all have moments or days where we feel down about ourselves. Here are some quick self esteem boosters you can do in your car or anywhere to switch your mood and mindset.
• Car Pool Karaoke
  Sometimes you just need a concert in your car to lift your spirits from COVID.

Advertisement

10 Affirmations To Improve Your Mindset

Now that we have the 7 steps to discovering your true self, let’s dig deeper into the final nugget.

The seventh nugget: Affirm Yourself

Affirmations. Affirmations. Affirmations. These are huge. Even if you don’t believe them to be true right now, you can practice saying things that you want to be true. Take a minute and think about the things and people in your life. What is going well? Encourage yourself to speak more positively about your life and the impact that things and people have in your life.

Not yet is better than never.

Our thoughts, in many ways, determine how successful we can be in any given moment. The powerful impact that affirmations have over our daily confidence and self worth when we are feeling down or negative is backed by research.

I believe in myself and my ability to succeed.

Many times we do not realize how much we affirm others over ourselves. It is sometimes easier to give someone else a compliment before we give one to ourselves. Instead of constantly criticizing yourself, try affirming yourself. Get started with one of these ten affirmations below:

1. I will turn negative thoughts into positive ones and create a safe space for myself
2. I am a positive and focused person filled with faith, confidence, and enthusiasm
3. I trust that everything in my life will be fine and give myself permission to be emotional so that I can learn and grow
4. My words matter and I can add value to any conversation
5. I see so many positives in my life and I am transforming my life day by day
6. I am trusting the journey and accept myself as I am
7. I am more than enough, my life is valuable, I am worthy of love, peace, and happiness
8. I trust myself to make the right decision, I believe in myself and in my abilities
9. I will not let my anxious thoughts have power over me. I will use that energy to help me understand my thoughts and feelings
10. I am relaxed, refreshed, and healthy

Write down one or two of your favorites on a sticky note, in your phone, in a notebook, or even on your bathroom mirror and speak life over yourself, every morning. There’s a powerful app called “ThinkUp” that you can download on your phone and you can record yourself speaking your affirmations and replay it at any time. Hearing our own voice has so much impact on our brain and so does repetition. It is encouraging to ourselves when we start our day affirming and reminding ourselves that the process of eliminating negativity starts within. This helps to set the tone for your day. Give yourself permission to fail, you are not perfect and we all make mistakes. Turn the failures you experience into lessons so that you can be and feel confident enough to move forward and try again. YOU got this!

• WordPress

Self Discovery Nugget 6: Forgive – 3 Steps

Now that we have the 7 steps to discovering your true self, let’s continue to dig deeper because I filled you up with so many valuable nuggets.

The sixth nugget: Forgive Yourself in 3 Steps

Sometimes what is holding us back at being the best version of ourselves is the person we see when we look in the mirror. When was the last time you looked in the mirror and had a conversation with yourself?

First, you must accept responsibility for what has happened to you and for the things you have done. Being open and honest with yourself for what you have faced or are facing can be very challenging. You want to avoid feeling guilty, and regret. However, expect those negative feelings to creep in and use this as an opportunity to identify what positive behavior changes you can make.

Forgive yourself for not knowing what you didn’t know before you learned it. — Maya Angelou

Second, when it comes to forgiveness, most of the time you are trying to make amends with someone so you can move forward. The same applies to self forgiveness. Making amends with yourself will help you learn to trust yourself again if you stopped. A great exercise I find helpful is to go in your bathroom, close the door, look in the mirror, and do something like this:

“[insert your name] and say: I’m sorry for allowing these things to happen to you. I’m sorry for how I’ve been treating you. You deserve better. You deserve happiness. You deserve to find out what your purpose is on earth and live a happy life. I will create happiness for you starting now. I forgive you.. Moving forward, I will try my best everyday to give you what you deserve. I forgive myself. I am proud of myself for trying. I am who I need to be in this moment”.

I am who I need to be in this moment.

Third, allow yourself to feel all the feelings that come out of this moment. Sit with yourself, observe and acknowledge what comes up. Give yourself permission to cry, to yell, or sigh. Come out of that moment on top and with your head held high and a plan to move forward. You can also use the four R’s of forgiveness outlined in this article. They remind us of the importance of self forgiveness — Responsibility, Remorse, Restoration, and Renewal.

You can stay stuck, but where will that get you? Remember, everyone makes mistakes. Everyone has ups and downs. Everyone goes through heart break. Everyone has moments when they doubt their abilities. Learn from those good and bad experiences, acknowledge the events that took place, forgive YOU, and move on.

Self Discovery Nugget 3: Identify Your Strengths

Now that we have the 7 steps to discovering your true self, let’s continue to dig deeper because I filled you up with so many valuable nuggets.

The third nugget: Identify Your Strengths

The key word in this nugget is YOUR. We live in a world today where more likely than not we are comparing ourselves to what and who we see on social media. Your personal strengths help move you forward in a way that works for you. What works or worked for someone else might not work for you. So if you are trying to do something the same way someone else did and your strengths are not aligned with the task at hand, you will end up right back where you started…scratching your head, and wondering why this thing that worked for someone else is not working for you. Check out this awesome Ted Talk hosted by Eva Herber. She dives into why it is important to focus on your strengths. Your strengths come natural to you and compliment what it is you are trying to accomplish. It is important to understand the difference between strengths and weaknesses, or what I like to call my “needs improvement characteristics”. This article goes into more detail about the importance of why you should be aware of both.

Today I will do something my future self will be proud of.

What motivates you? What are you good at? What energizes you? What gives you purpose? How can you use your strengths to help you rediscover who you are? A great tool to use for this is called “High 5 Test“. You will need about twenty minutes to sit quietly with this test. The key with deciding on whether or not you should take this test is if you are unsure of what your strengths are and/or you want clarity for yourself. What I liked about doing this myself was that I had a good idea of what my strengths were. I just did not have the label and description with it. This test will allow you to connect the dots of different parts of your personality and learn how they can all work together personally and professionally. Focus on building up the best parts of you while you continue to work on the areas that need improvement.