100 Self Care Ideas (When You Are Stumped for What to Do Next)

So you finally found some time to yourself and you want to do something to take care of yourself. However, now that you have the time, you forget what you wanted to do out of the thousands of self-care activities.

No worries! You can use the list below for some ideas and inspiration from a wide variety of different self-care areas. And, you can feel free to pick and choose whatever makes your heart sing while doing so too.

The Big List of 100 Self Care Ideas

So that this list doesn’t become overwhelming, I’ve split it up into 10 sets of 10 ideas. The last one (number 100 of 100 self care ideas) in the list has a link to another article with LOTS more ideas, check it out!

Be Kind to Your Body

1. Do some yoga, Gaia Yoga is one of my online favorites
2. Go for a walk in nature, see the article “Being in Nature” for more inspiration
3. Get a massage
4. Sit in the sunlight and just be (no really – that is it)
5. Practice some meditation (Have you tried the Chopra app?)
6. Grab a big glass of water, add lemon or lime if you feel like it
7. Plan a week of healthy meals using an app like emeals.com or if that feels like too much – just plan one for today
8. Pamper yourself with the perfect bath indulging all of your senses
9. Purchase something to get a better nights sleep tonight – sleep mask, new sheets, lavender sleep spray, melatonin – you pick what sounds best
10. Take a deep breath – take several actually

Whatever you are doing right now, take a break and pat yourself on the back or give yourself a hug for reading this and doing something nice for yourself!

Self Care Inspiration for Your Mind

Sometimes you just need a little inspiration and ideas for ways to entertain your mind and explore what you feel like doing today.

11. Do something creative – paint a flower pot for your garden, color in a coloring book, knit, whatever you feel like
12. Try a new face mask
13. Pull out your favorite CD, playlist on your phone, or favorite song and just listen to the music
14. Take a break from social media
15. Journal in a notebook your current thoughts, worries, or hopes
16. Pick up a book you have been meaning to read
17. Think of ways you can make your home feel more like a retreat to you – then actually make a plan to get what is needed to make it a reality
18. Grab your favorite essential oils and use them – I like “Think Straight” by wayofwill.com (peppermint scented)
19. Create your own spa day at home – get everything you can think of to make it feel special in your own home
20. Begin a new creative project and completely release any expectation of it being done well – do it for practice or for the love of just doing, see “The Magic Lies in Being a Beginner – #Notperfect”

Get a Fresh Start with your Self-Care and these Ideas

When you only have 24 hours in a day, you need to make the most of any breaks you have. Jump start your self-care practice by trying one of these ideas. Not sure which one to pick? Try picking a number at random and then doing what corresponds with that number.

21. Make music with an instrument you haven’t used in a while – play piano, the drums, sing, etc.
22. Find one new way to be more efficient with your daily to-do list so you can have more time to do things on this list
23. Do a social media detox (learn more by clicking the link)
24. Open a window to get some fresh air and change your sheets on your bed too
25. Dream big – create a vision board of the places you want to go to someday
26. Join a book club or create your own so you can enjoy being social and reading the latest new books too
27. Set aside time in your daily routine to add self-care on a regular basis – even if only in 15 minute increments (Feel like you have no time? Check out “How to Find Time for Self-Care”)
28. Create a ritual in your morning routine – what would make your mornings feel special every day? Your favorite tea or coffee laid out and ready to be made?
29. Set a boundary with someone who needs one
30. Practice having a positive mindset, learn more with “How to Begin Your Day with a Positive Mindset, for Not Morning People too)“

Easy and Inexpensive Self Care Ideas for You

Spending time on self-care doesn’t have to be expensive either. You can find ways to make it inexpensive or even free, you just might have to get a little creative.

31. Go for a bike ride in your neighborhood
32. Watch your new favorite TV show
33. Spend quality time with a family member
34. Do something positive for your physical health – whether that is cutting back on calories, drinking more water, exercising more, getting better sleep, etc.
35. Go to the grocery store and challenge yourself to buy things for a healthy meal that you can enjoy today
36. Visit your local library and find out if they have any classes you can join to learn a new skill (usually free or very low cost)
37. Make a small garden in your backyard to have fresh herbs available for cooking
38. Read a good book in a hammock, lawn chair, or on a blanket
39. Take any of the online classes in a subject that interests you today
40. Take a friend to lunch and catch up on what is going on in their life

What would your favorite self-care day look like?

Your favorite things to do for self-care will be as unique as you are. Over time you will find the times that bring you pleasure and fill you up so you are ready to take on the world again. The key is to continually plan time for yourself to just do it!

41. Pull up some Ted talks on your phone that you have been meaning to listen to
42. Ask for recommendations from your friends or co-workers for a good movie you can see
43. Check out the latest new restaurant you have been meaning to go to
44. Learn about the difference between self-love and self-care and make sure you are doing both
45. Plan your next vacation – armchair travel can be almost as much fun as the actual kind
46. Go through some old photos and allow yourself to enjoy the memories
47. Take care of your immune system and make sure you are getting the right amount of vitamins (ask your doctor – if you aren’t sure)
48. Have a self-care day where you devote the entire day or part of a day to doing those things that make you feel cared for – use this list or create your own
49. Create a Pinterest board filled with self-care ideas so you have more inspiration the next time you need it – check out Loveselfcare’s board here
50. Think of new healthy habits you would like to have in your life and create a plan to implement one of them

Self-Care Ideas by the Seasons

One great way to switch up a self-care routine that has become dull is to tailor it to the seasons. You can find inspiration to try different things that are perfectly paired for the season you are in below.

51. Incorporate stretching into your daily life – it can feel so good after a long day (try the genius magic neck stretch)
52. Take a free online class – there are seriously thousands out there – check Google or YouTube for what you are interested in learning
53. Practice saying some positive affirmations in the morning. You might think it is goofy, but there are some real positive things to be had when you start your day off right.
54. Seasonal self-care is one way to make the most of Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall. Check out Fall Self-Care Ideas and Winter Self-Care Ideas here.
55. Find some new tools to make life easier for you – meal planning, grocery shopping, etc. – use the conveniences of today to make tomorrow a little easier on you
56. Create a Happy List – see “Things that Make me Happy List” for your own copy
57. Decide to choose happy today and see if that makes a difference in your outlook
58. How do you talk to yourself? Listen in to your positive or negative thoughts and decide which you want to pay the most attention to on a daily basis.
59. Subscribe to a self-care box through one of these services – now your mail will be designed to remind you to take care of yourself (even if it is just monthly)
60. Use a self-care planner to create your own self-care routine. Check out the “My Self-Care Planner” to get your own copy.

Be Prepared with Your Own Self-Care Kit

You can create your own self-care kit to have at the ready for when you have some down time. Whether you decide to keep it in your home or in the car for school pick-up, you can fill it with things that give you a momentary reprieve from what is bothering you.

61. Design your own self-care box or kit to have at the ready for when you have free time
62. Spend time with your pet just being in the moment with them. Get on their level and relax in the sun and just breathe for a moment or two.
63. Think about what household systems you can implement to buy your more time in your day. Time is the ultimate luxury we all want more of, so invest in one or two systems to give you more of your time back!
64. Practice stress relief on a regular basis so it doesn’t build up for you, see “Stress Relief for Moms” for more inspiration
65. Use a self-care app like Calm or Headspace to have self-care at the ready with meditation and music to calm you as needed.
66. Make a list of your favorite self-care products or ones you want to try. Not sure what to include? Check out the list above for inspiration.
67. Feeling burned out? Plan a Momcation to help with the burnout and plan ways to take better care of yourself so it doesn’t happen as often in the future.
68. Take care of your physical health and make sure you have your yearly appointments set up (see “Take Care of You- Physically”
69. Have a plan for getting dressed every day and looking your best. You can put it on auto-pilot with a “Capsule Wardrobe”
70. Learn how to express yourself in various ways so you can find a good outlet for all of the thoughts in your head – journaling is just one of the possible ways. Learn more in “Expressing yourself as a form of self-care”

Design your own self-care retreat

Did you know you can create your very own self-care retreat? You can do it from the comfort of your own home and on your time. You just need to do a little planning, pick some items from this large list and make a day of it!

71. Plan a retreat for you – if you have never done one before you can create your own. See “Retreats 101”
72. Find out more about the 7 Self-Care Areas for Women You Need to Know – are you doing something in all of them?
73. Discover a new hobby – think about what you were interested in as a kid if you are stumped for ideas of things to try
74. Develop your self-growth muscle and read a new to you self-help book (ideas in “Super Powerful Self-Help Books for Women”
75. Give yourself a good laugh by either watching your favorite show or movie
76. Go on a “Feel Good Diet” and cut out the junk that makes you feel bad about yourself (doom scrolling, news, etc.)
77. Try a new recipe for a smoothie that you can have in the morning or for an afternoon snack
78. Work on your confidence in yourself and push past your limits – when it makes sense and give yourself grace when it doesn’t
79. Practice being grateful and learn how to have gratitude for both the good and bad in life, as they both teach you different things
80. Figure out what are the best colors for you and use them to look your best every day

Feeling overwhelmed with all the options?

If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed with all the possibilities, take a deep breath. Sometimes what you need is to do nothing. Just sit in the sun somewhere and follow your breathing. If you need some breathing exercises to feel even more relaxes, check out “Breathwork for Beginners”.

81. Spend some time learning how to better manage your time, so you can have more time to do what you want
82. Rid yourself of distractions that take away from what you want to focus on
83. Need to relax now? Check out “How to Find Time to Relax When You Feel Overwhelmed”
84. Be generous with yourself. Give yourself grace as needed, be as kind to yourself as you would to a small child
85. Do you let yourself play? When is the last time you did something just for the fun of it – not for the outcome? Try it again and see how it feels.
86. Learn more about yourself and your personality type so you know your strengths and weaknesses. You can design your self-care to fit with your personality too. Do you need more relaxed or active self-care?
87. How often do you catch yourself with negative emotions? Did you have negative thoughts immediately preceding this? See if you can catch any negative thought patterns before they take hold.
88. Experience some wonder in your life. Find something to be awestruck about. It is good to feel like you aren’t the center of the universe.
89. Having a bad day? Try a mood shifter – music is a great one to immediately kick start a different mood. Make a playlist just for this purpose of your own mood lifters.
90. Get on a consistent sleep schedule so you can train your body to anticipate when it is time for bed. Practice good sleep hygiene and get off all electronics at least an hour before bedtime.

There are plenty more self-care ideas below

If you didn’t find anything that worked for you on this list, feel free to either make your own or you can check out number 100 below. You will find even more self-care ideas there.

91. Give yourself permission to do what you want to do – whatever that may be – for at least 15 minutes – nap maybe?
92. Set aside some “you time” everyday (start with small increments if it seems impossible)
93. Add more fun to your life – start with just one day – like “Fun Fridays” and expand from there
94. Just breathe – take a moment and just be and breathe. You are enough – period.
95. Celebrate yourself and other women. Get in the habit of seeing women as your supporters rather than being in competition.
96. Encourage another woman to take care of themselves too. We need to all encourage and normalize taking care of ourselves. Teach your daughters too.
97. Forgot how to have fun in your daily life? You can have fun as a way of practicing self-care. If it has been too long since you had any fun, check out “How to Have Fun Again When You Forget How”
98. Rough day? You need “Extreme Self-Care for Rough Times” to get your head on straight.
99. Self-Care gifts are something you can give to other women or yourself, find some ideas here
100. Need even more ideas? Check out “Simple Self-Care Ideas and Tips You need in Your Life” for lots more ideas!

Make Self-Care One of the Easiest Things You Do

And, there you have it. 100 self care ideas to make the most of your self-care time each day. I hope you found some inspiration in this list to meet your own needs.

You deserve to have your needs met. Taking care of you means that you are better able to take care of those around you. So, enjoy this list and use it often!

If you’d like a printable list of these self-care ideas, you can find one below. Please spread the word to other women who might need to have some ideas at hand for their own self-care time.

I hope you enjoyed this article of ideas. Please leave your favorite ideas for self-care in the comments below.

100 Self-Care Ideas List – PDF Download

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