25 Self Care Ideas to Practice + Free Printable

It’s the month of love and traditionally we show our significant other how much we love them. But when was the last time you showed yourself a little bit of self-love? If you’re not sure where to start I’ve got you covered with this colorful 25 Self Care Ideas to Practice free printable!

Just last week I started a new blog series on simple living; in that post I talked about how I used to paint my nails and just don’t anymore. It’s that kind of self-care that this post is about.

This then got me thinking about ways I could carve out some time to show myself some self-love. But even if I did carve out time, what would I do? Practicing self-care doesn’t have to take hours or be overly involved and even something as simple as painting our nails counts.

As women, we tend to put our own needs on the back burner, the “I will get to me when I can” mentality. That simply doesn’t work. At some point, we burn out. We need a rest; some peace and quiet; tranquility. But then we set ourselves up by thinking we need this big full-blown spa weekend to achieve self-care.

To get you started I’ve included below some of my favorite supplies I love to use when I practice self care.

Supplies

• Color Me Calm, Zen Coloring Book, Lacy Mucklow, Angela Porter
• Secret Garden: An Inky Treasure Hunt and Coloring Book, Johanna Basford
• Joyous Blooms to Color Coloring Book, Eleri Fowler
• Planner Perfect Travelers Notebook Journals

25 Self Care Ideas to Practice

Let me shout from the top of my lungs, “No! You don’t need a full-blown spa weekend to achieve self-care.” Check out below for 25 easy ways to practice self-care. Don’t forget to sign up at the end of the post to get your free planner printable.

01. Do something creative

My motto has always been “do something creative everyday“. It doesn’t have to be a days long craft, it can be something as easy as creating a journal page, starting or finishing a memory keeping book or spread. The ideas for creativity are endless. What are you passionate about? Start there.

02. Bake cupcakes

One of my favorite things to do is bake. I especially love cupcakes! Come on, admit it, cupcakes are just fun to make and eat. The best part of having one is like eating a mini cake made just for you!

Technically, baking a cake also counts because it’s just a bigger version of a cupcake -right?! Sometimes I just bake a cake for no reason. The cake shown to the right was one I made for my late brothers’ birthday. I just felt like baking a cake that year so I did. I always used to bake his birthday cakes; he really loved homemade cakes.

This one was a triple layer vanilla and chocolate cake with homemade buttercream frosting, some nonpareils in the middle and blue sprinkles to finish it off. Let me say, not only was it therapeutic to bake the cake -it was delicious too!

03. Drink a smoothie

Just hearing the word “smoothie” makes my mouth water. There aren’t a whole lot of smoothie recipes that taste terrible unless, I suppose you make one of all vegetables. This is one drink you can get really creative with. Added bonus: they are healthy for you too!

Smoothies are pretty hard to mess up. In fact, when I blend one up I typically don’t even follow any recipe. I simply drop into the blender any fruit or vegetable I like and that we have on hand. Go ahead -try one today!

04. Cook a meal you love

Continuing on with the food trend -cook a meal you love or that you have always wanted to try. Cooking, like baking, is a process; that process is what you get lost in. That mental break can do wonders for you. Depending on my mood, I will either defer to something with pasta (which I also love!) or try a completely new recipe.

Another benefit of the cooking process -the delicious smells will fill your home. This is especially true when fall cooking and baking starts. Why not try one of the yummy recipes I’ve cooked?! Go ahead, try one and let me know what you think!

What’s your favorite meal to cook? Share in the comments below.

05. Unplug for a few hours

Okay I admit this can be hard to do sometimes. Just while typing this post I stopped and picked up my phone to check social media. I get it -it can be hard to put that phone down! But for the preservation of our eyes, our mood and both mental and physical health, unplugging is necessary.

The best part of unplugging? Being able to do any one of the other 24 ideas for your self-care! We live in a digital age, that is true, but even our kids eyes are suffering because school wants them working via computers. Unplug for just one hour and do something else -anything else.

06. Work in the garden

Another one of my favorite things to do -work in the garden. It feels so good to clean up garden beds, get my hands dirty and soak up that vitamin D! Did you know the sun is your best source for vitamin D. It’s true.

Check out my gardening archives to see what I’ve been up to in the garden (weather permitting).

Exposing your skin to sunlight allows a process to take place that makes vitamin D from cholesterol. Long story short, vitamin D is important for strong and healthy bones. Another benefit of being in the sun -it improves your mood and just makes you happy.

07. Read a book

You might be wondering how reading a book is self-care. But think about it, it’s your time to enjoy. Also curling up with a good book is allowing your mind to be absorbed into the story of a book; thereby relieving stress and worry. Reading transports you to another time, if only temporarily. Sometimes we just need that.

My favorite place to sit back, relax and read a book is in our side porch gazebo -I love this spot on our wrap-around porch!

08. Organize your closet

When you organize your closet or drawers, you filter out what is no longer useful to you. An organized closet also helps save time in the morning getting ready because you can now see everything more easily and you know what is where.

So tell me -are you a clothes color coder or do you organize by style (shirts with shirts, etc.)?

09. Write in your planner or journal

Taking time to journal is taking time for self-care. Regardless of where you write (planner, journal, bound book), practicing daily writing has a lot of benefits. When you write you are putting down on paper whatever is bothering you or worrying you and it gets it out of your head and leaves space for more pleasant memories.

Check out some of my planner pages and journal pages for inspiration!

Try keeping a journal on your bedside table and take a few minutes each night to journal out your day -both good and bad. As I like to think about it, when I journal I’m giving my thoughts to the universe to handle. Writing will sometimes also help you work out a problem and the solution becomes much clearer.

10. Color in a coloring book

Why not give coloring books a try? I’m not talking about a kids coloring book -unless you like those. There are an endless number of adult coloring books available these days.

Coloring causes our mind to focus on “staying in the lines” or choosing colors we want to use. It’s a low cost way to give ourselves a little self-care time.

If you didn’t want to get a full book you can also find a number of free coloring pages available for download on the internet. I’ve also included some links below to coloring books you’re sure to love!

As a child, I loved coloring! Some six years ago or so, I was needing to destress and I turned to coloring books. I now have 3 different coloring books. I especially love the intricate mandala style designs because they take a lot of focus to really stay between the lines.

11. Take a walk

This is pretty self explanatory. So, go ahead and get out in nature! Go take a walk -it’s free and the number of benefits to your health is a good thing. Just remember to leave your phone at home. {wink}

From Spring to late Fall, I love taking a 1/2 or more walk around the neighborhood. The sun is shining, my mood improves, my senses are alert and soaking in all the beauty around me. There just isn’t much about taking a walk that is bad. Want to really get into your walk, take a hike in a park and really build up that heart muscle!

12. Cozy up in a blanket

There are at least 6 or more of these self-care ideas that can be done at the same time as cozying up in a blanket. Who doesn’t love a big, soft fluffy blanket to wrap themselves in -am I right?! Get double the enjoyment if you have a pet (or pets) that also love snuggling.

13. Lay in the sunshine

Another great way to get a dose of that much needed vitamin D your body needs -lay in the sunshine. Remember to slather on some sunscreen before running out the door. I’ve found laying in the sunshine is amazing while relaxing on the beach.

14. Give yourself a manicure

Seems so simple, right?! Our lives are busy and sometimes we just have to make cuts. But take back your self-care time and either go get a manicure or give yourself one. Even changing out your nail polish color offers you the same self-care benefit as if you did a full manicure.

15. Finish one house project

This doesn’t technically have to be a house project. It can be any project that is half-done or has been ignored for more days/weeks/months than you care to count. Don’t burden yourself with how many steps are left to complete the project -just start it or start back working on it. Take the completion of the project one step at a time.

For me, this would be our DIY kitchen remodel. We started out strong and as we got to the end of the bigger parts of this project, all the little things have taken us so much longer to complete. But, it doesn’t matter. What matters is staying focused on getting it done.

16. Take pictures outside

The key with this self-care idea is to get outside and spend some time in nature. Doesn’t matter what the weather is just get outside. Taking in the fresh air and seeing the beauty around us helps ground us. Sometimes we are privilege to see something truly amazing in nature -what you ask? Who knows. But if you don’t get outside you’ll never know what (if anything) you are missing. {wink}

17. Spend quality time with a loved one

Is there someone who you haven’t seen or talked to in a while? Take some time to do just that. You can go visit them, call them or even write to them. Connecting with family and friends is the cornerstone of our social nature as human beings.

Don’t wait until tomorrow because you think you have time. We don’t know what tomorrow will bring us, take the time now. Your friend or loved one will be grateful to hear from you.

18. Make an easy craft

This can go hand-in-hand with #1, “do something creative everyday”. There is no shortage of easy craft ideas at our fingertips. Want to know the secret to what makes an easy craft -something as simple as spray paint. You can easily and quickly transform anything with spray paint.

When I want to practice self-care with an easy craft it usually involves creating a new wreath for our front door. Need ideas? Check out some of the door wreaths I’ve created.

19. Carve out a small space for yourself

You’ve no doubt heard of the “man cave”?! Well how about creating a similar space just for you; call it whatever you’d like. It doesn’t have to be a full room, every home has a small nook that is perfect for the taking. Even apartments have a space you can call your own.

Take some time to decorate the space to your liking. You might want to add a small desk, cute table lamp or string lights around the ceiling. It doesn’t matter what you add to the space as long as you make it your own.

20. Take a warm bubble bath

You ever see those amazing bathroom pictures with all the candles lit, the bath is full of bubbles and the light are low? That’s what I’m talking about! Taking a warm bubble bath (with the door locked so no one can disturb you) is one of the most relaxing, enjoyable, self-care ideas that you just can’t go wrong with.

Even better -set aside time weekly to take a nice long bubble bath. So do you like bubble baths or are you a bath bomb kinda person?!

21. Have a hot cup of herbal tea

If you are trying to relax it’s probably best if you didn’t have a coffee. But if your idea of taking some self-care time means sipping a hot coffee then by all means do that. Since coffee has become part of a morning ritual to get you started and off to work, I don’t find coffee that relaxing anymore.

But, at the end of the day when my body is exhausted but my mind just won’t stop -herbal tea is my jam. My favorite is chamomile tea with a teaspoon of honey. I’ve found if I have a cup an hour before bed, it really relaxes me (and my mind!).

22. Plan a weekend getaway

Even a mini weekend getaway counts as a vacation. It’s just shorter in length but it offers the same benefit -getting away! Putting a halt to the crazy of daily life is so rejuvenating. Looking for a quicker solution? Try just getting in your car and taking a long, exploratory drive. Take in the fresh air, the open fields -maybe you’ll even catch a sunflower field or two! You’d be surprised by how much you can discover in your own town just by taking a long drive around.

23. Buy yourself flowers

I’m not gonna lie here -I do this for myself. I can’t go into a flower shop or look at flowers without instantly feeling happy. Remember that space you carved out for yourself in #19 above? Buy that beautiful, colorful bunch of sweet smelling flowers and put them in a vase on your desk!

24. Get a massage

If you love going to the spa, this is an easy one. But, have you ever had a massage? If you haven’t you don’t know what you are missing! Take a tour of the spa before scheduling anything. If the vibe feels good, be sure to schedule an appointment before you leave. Trust me.

25. Practice gratitude

By writing down what we are grateful for, we are acknowledge the goodness in our lives. It can be hard to look back a week ago and remember what we are grateful for; by practicing daily gratitude it helps us to feel more positive, appreciate the good experiences we had and ultimately can help to improve our health.

Acknowledging gratitude isn’t just about experiences, it can be tangible and/or intangible.

Shown to the right is my travelers notebook gratitude journal from Planner Perfect. I love Jenny’s paper quality and artwork covers! In her journals I can use a multitude of mediums and really put a personal touch on each page that I record gratitude on. Check out the link below to get your own journal to write in.

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