Every day I take some time for myself. For me, that means having a cup of cappuccino and watching a tv show I like. It also means taking my medicine and going to psychiatrist appointments.
Self-care looks different for everyone. What makes me more peaceful and mindful may not work for you. That is perfectly normal as we all have different needs.
This is precisely why I want to present today to you, different ideas on how you can pamper yourself. How to take such good care of yourself and your heart that your life will change for the better.
I tried to include as many free ideas as possible because self-care should not be about spending money. Instead, it must be about self-love and being a friend with ourselves.
It’s about being kind to yourself. Always.
Here are A to Z self-care ideas that you will absolutely love:
A is for AIR.
Go outside for a walk, a run or a hike. When things go to shit, what better way to cope than to breathe some fresh air and clear your head? It’s free and available to almost everyone.
B is for BEAUTY.
Beauty rituals can calm us down and bring us peace. I wrote about free self-care ideas in this post here and they include things that are good for your outer appearance as well. When you look good, you feel good.
C is for CREATIVITY.
Every day take 30 minutes to work on something creative. Whether that is taking photographs, writing, painting or anything else that gets your creative juices flowing, do that. As I said, half an hour is enough to make your heart happy.
D is for DELEGATE.
If you cannot handle all the work on your shoulders, delegate. Hire people, automate or simply batch content in advance. I schedule my Pinterest posts and blog posts for months ahead. This helps me have more time for myself and to be able to spend it with my family and friends.
E is for ENERGY.
To live a good life you need energy. And to get that, you must live a healthy lifestyle. Get vaccinated, work out, meditate… do whatever you can to get energized. You already know what works for you, so make sure you implement that into your life.
F is for FAMILY.
How much time do you spend with your loved ones? Do you even have time for them with your busy schedule? Make sure you make a list of people who mean a lot to you and put them on your calendar. If they are on it, maybe you will finally spend time with them that way.
G is for GIVING.
Giving is living or something like that. So give as much as you can. Give your time, your shoulder, your things and your energy. When you give, your heart opens and you realize you don’t need positions as much as you need to know you’ve done something great.
H is for HOME.
Is your home your safe haven? Do you feel comfortable there? If not, upgrade it. Plant flowers, buy new curtains, repaint your kitchen etc. Do something to brighten up the place and make it cosier. Make it a home.
I is for INTUITION.
Listen to that quiet voice inside your heart that is telling you what you need. You already know what will make you feel good. Get silent, close your eyes and just listen. What do you hear? What does the voice say?
J is for JOY.
Make a list of things that bring you joy and put it on the fridge. Swimming. Driving. Hiking. Making dolls. Gardening. Playing with your nieces. Talking to friends. Reading. Whatever it is, do more of it every single damn day.
K is for KINDNESS.
Be kind to yourself by starting every day with a little meditation. Take time to focus on your breath or on counting, and just be in the moment. If meditation really doesn’t sound like something you want to do, try ASMR. I have a list of my favourite channels here.
L is for LIFE.
Be wild. Go crazy. Have fun in this strange thing we call life because it will end way too soon. What do you really want to do? What does your soul crave and yearn for? We may not all achieve all our goals, but we can still reach for the moon.
M is for MOVEMENT.
Get in tune with your body and hear its voice. Do yoga. Run. Walk. Hike. Practice pilates. Do something. Anything. But refuse to stand still because that’s how you die. Move your body in a way that it likes it and you will feel 20 years younger.
N is for NO.
Someone said: No is a complete sentence. They were right. So ask yourself, what do you have to reject and say no to? Are there people whom you will remove from your life? Projects? Things?
O is for OPENNESS.
Stay open to new opportunities to treat yourself better. Perhaps someone will offer to babysit your children or make you dinner. Maybe you will get a free coupon for a grocery store. Whatever it is, be open to it and take the offer when it presents itself.
P is for PATIENCE.
One of the things you can do for self-care is to have patience. Things take time and those goals you want to achieve will come eventually, not immediately. Being obsessed is only harming you. Patience brings peace but it is also a practice that you must work on every day.
Q is for QUALITY.
Everyone can read a good book, get a massage or find a therapist. But what matters more is that you take good to great, and give yourself only the best. Read only the best books. Get the best massage. Find the best therapist for you. Quality pays off.
R is for READING.
Speaking of reading, what’s on your bookshelf? I love self-help books and workbooks but I am critical of what I invest time and money into. Here are my best recommendations for what you could indulge in next.
S is for SAFETY.
Do you feel safe? If not, you must prioritize that as soon as possible. When you live in an unsafe, perhaps even violent, environment, you are not the best version of yourself. Put safety at the top of your to-do list and do whatever you need to feel like nothing and nobody can hurt you.
T is for TIME.
Take time to just exist, breathe and observe. I’m not talking about meditation, but about life. Time is something we never have enough of and we never know when our lives will end. Enjoy life on your terms and live the way you want to live.
U is for UNIQUE.
Because you are a unique person, you will have unique needs. As I mentioned a million times already in this post, you already know what you need. What is it? What do your heart, body and mind need to feel good again?
V is for VULNERABILITY.
Vulnerability is a superpower. It shows you are brave and courageous enough to open up and be your authentic self. This is self-care. This is self-love. Me opening up about having BPD was the first step to loving myself fully. What is that step for you?
W is for WORLD.
You have the whole world to yourself. Thousands of opportunities. Millions of resources. They are yours for the taking. Think global when it comes to self-care because you can do and be anything you want. Stay realistic, of course, but don’t limit yourself.
Y is for YOU.
You’re not taking care of someone. You are taking care of yourself. As I said before, you must be your own priority. No one else deserves as much attention, love and care from you as you do. Be your own best friend, parent, and partner. Not in a narcissistic way, but in a way that fulfils you.
Z is for ZEST.
Do you have a zest for life? Are you eager to live this one life so beautifully that you will die in peace? Never stop going and continue striving for what makes you feel good.
Now you have a plethora of self-care ideas you can use every day to connect to yourself.
Make sure you take at least 20 minutes for the active self-love rituals you came up with while reading this post. What resonated with you most? What does your self-love menu look like now?
All of this is for your well-being and mental health. You must treat yourself as a priority in life. A number one priority. Because no one else will take care of you as well as you can.
You got this.
Tanja