3 Self-Care Activities You Can Do Now

Self-care is defined as “actions and attitudes which contribute to the maintenance of well-being and personal health, which in turn promote human development.”  Engaging in self-care is personal. It must be tailored to your life and needs. As long as you are choosing healthy activities for yourself to enhance your well-being, it counts! How you choose to practice self-care is completely up to you. Still, it may be difficult to know where to start.

Here are three self care ideas you can include in your routine today:

1. A Mindful Moment

Short on time? Can’t go to a regular meditation or yoga class, but you’re looking to recharge? You’d be surprised how one minute can make all the difference. Here is a simple mindfulness exercise to get calm, focused, and centered, that you can try right now: 

• Get into a comfortable position by placing your feet flat on the floor and sitting up straight. Make sure to relax your jaw and drop your shoulders. This will be how you can tell you’ve relaxed your body.

• Set a timer for 1 minute.

• Breathe slowly in through your nose. Make slow deep breaths. Notice how your breath moves through your body. Exhale the breath out of your mouth. Make a sighing sound with each exhale.

• Continue this breathing and place your focus on counting your breaths. Inhale 1, exhale 2, inhale 3. When you get to 10, start over.

• You’ll notice your mind start to wander. As soon as you notice, focus it back to your breath.

• Continue this exercise until the timer goes off.

2. Down to Earth

You’ll find that spending time in nature can ease symptoms of stress and anxiety, which will help you create a healthier life. Go outside and enjoy the view, breathe in some fresh air, and try to quiet your mind. You can try:

• Walking, biking, or hiking.

• Engage in wanderlust by stargazing or cloud watching.

• Absorb some much needed negative ions by walking barefoot in the grass.

• On a nice day, sit under a tree and read or journal.

3. Unplug

Checking notifications or emails, and scrolling through social media feeds can be addictive and monotonous. It can also be disheartening if you get a case of the FOMOs. Spending time offline can really help you reconnect with yourself. Surprisingly, it can also help you reconnect with others. So instead of posting, try one of these tech-free self-care activities:

• Get creative: doodle, dance, or write a song or poem.

• Learn a new recipe, experiment with new spices, or ask your grandmother to teach you how to make a favorite dish.

• Take a friend or family member out with the rule that neither of you check your phone for 3 hours. Resist the urge to see a movie as a way to kill the tech-free time. Instead, pick an activity that encourages conversation and engagement.

• Look around you and see what needs attending. Declutter your workstation, clean out your bag, or organize your junk drawer.

Practicing self-care is like working a muscle. It will take time and effort, but cannot be tackled full force. For true gains, you have to try the full workout. Find small moments throughout your day to incorporate self-care. Those small moments will quickly grow into large, impactful ones.

What do you do to engage in self-care? Did you try any of these tips out? Tell me in the comments section below!

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