Popular culture is just now increasingly coming around to understanding the importance of practicing Self Care. For so many decades self-care mainly referred to your workout routine, or wellness through the lens of strictly diet and exercise. But these days with the help of emerging psychological and neuroscience research, we’re all learning just how important self care is to our overall health and well-being. If you’re stuck on where to start, here are 22 Self Care ideas for you to consider.
In this post, you’ll learn inspiring self care ideas to craft your perfect reset routine any time of the year.
This post is about 22 Self Care ideas for your perfect reset day routine.
What’s a Reset Day?
We often come across self-care trends around the Holidays or Valentine’s Day as an alternative to the deluge of couple-based romantic marketing.
You might have sporadically decided to take a ‘personal day’ or treat yourself to a spa treatment or round of golf with some friends. But these usually come about as a result of either external pressures or as a way to cope from day to day overwhelm bordering on the edge of burnout.
But why not build a routine out of taking care of yourself? Why not make it a Reset Day?
A reset day is themed just as it’s titled, it’s an intentional day to reset your mind, body, and mood.
Rather than waiting on a reason to pause or engage in activities that recharge your energy levels, why not make a habit out of it?
Your reset day routine can be a grouping of activities that are centered around self-care.
Self Care beyond diet and exercise. Some other areas to consider.
Emotional, Mental, Spiritual, Social, and Financial.
Most often we think of self-care as having to do with eating better and exercising, which are both necessary forms of self-care. But in addition to these areas, we should look to other ways where we can care for ourselves in all the other aspects of our lives.
Taking care of ourselves emotionally and mentally, allows us to show up for all the people we care for in our lives with better clarity.
At work, we contribute better ideas, are more creative in our solutions to problems, and engage better with teams and projects.
Another often overlooked area in which to practice Self-care is with our Money!
Money is often a major source of stress and anxiety for many.
Building a positive relationship with your money (spending, saving, expenses, or future planning) can be a great way to gain control of your finances and find more clarity on the goals you want to create for yourself, so you can reach the financial stability you desire.
Learn more about these and other areas of self-care, in this article from Planned Parenthood [read here.]
Need some treats for your next reset day?
22 Self Care Ideas to help you craft your Perfect Reset Day
1. Start by getting some good sleep!
Build this into the prep for your reset day.
A Sleep routine is a great way to gain better sleep.
Start by setting a time when you can physically disconnect from all devices, put your phone on do not disturb, and turn off all electronic devices.
Practice some analog routines like a PM skincare routine, reading from a book, or enjoying some caffeine-free herbal tea.
Get into bed with this visualization toolkit for dreamers from Désirée Ecerkt, Hypnotist and Hypnosis Instructor. In it, you will find ways to support more deep, restful sleep and enjoy an audio visualization to help ease you into your slumber.
2. Build a slow morning
Coffee drinker? Try brewing your coffee in a french press or via the pour-over method.
Never tried it? Check this video out from Blue Bottle here [ youtube video]
The time it takes to brew your own coffee or steep some tea if you prefer is a great meditative way to start your day while remaining present in the activity at hand.
Another self care idea for your reset day routine, make your breakfast and plate it up as you would in a restaurant. Set the table with some nice decor, silverware, and linens. Then sit down, distraction-free, and enjoy a meal you made with intention and care, just for you.
3. Go outside
A Walk in Fresh Air can do wonders for your relaxation, matched with intentional breathing this simple activity helps to destress and relax your nervous system.
4. Get dressed
Working from home?
Ditch the sweats and put together an outfit that sparks your imagination. There is energy and magic in suiting up in your outfit for the day. Each wardrobe piece is imbued with the intention you set for the day when wearing these items.
I have an artist friend who swears her creativity flows better when she puts together an outfit to wear for the day.
5. Practice Focusing on your Breath
Our breath is a powerful force we often overlook and take for granted.
Many facilitators and researchers have shared supporting evidence demonstrating how paying more attention to our breathing can shift our mood, reduce stress, ease ruminating thoughts, and brings us into more of a relaxed state.
Try this easy-to-remember 4-breaths technique.
Inhale for 4 counts slowly so your breath expands down through your chest into your stomach area, hold for 4 counts, release for 4 counts, pause for 4 counts, and then begin again.
Complete the sequence at least 4 times and then see how you feel.
6. Drink Water!
A lot of times our poor bodies are simply dehydrated and this leads to headaches, depressed mood, and agitation that can cause us to lose our cool on even the most ordinary of days.
Drinking water regularly helps avoid dehydration and stave off the negative effects from a body under the effects of dehydration.
In search of a new water bottle? Look no further!
check out these popular water bottles
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7. If you can, prepare yourself a bath!
Most city dwellers may not have the luxury of a bathtub in their tiny apartments, but if you have access to one. Drawing a bath can be one of the most relaxing self care ideas out there.
Adding calming essential oils like lavender or chamomile can support a calming mood. Arnica Oil or Magnesium salts can help ease sore muscles, aches, and pains, and the warm water encourages healthy circulation and blood flow within your body.
8. Consider a cold Plunge
Bathhouses have been around for centuries and their concept of using hot and cold environments to shock the body temporarily has been shown to boost your immune systems, support muscle recovery, and detoxing of the body.
Consider booking a cold plunge at a local wellness center or spa to make it a day of self-care that resets your body’s immune system.
9. Audio Immersion
Another modality to try is sound immersion.
Find a quiet place to lie down and pop in some earbuds as you immerse yourself in sound.
If you’re a person that struggles to focus long enough to try formal meditation. Sound immersion could be a great alternative to getting you to relax and calm your mind.
10. Book a sound therapy session
If you want to take your sound healing further, book a sound therapy session. Sound therapists use a variety of musical instruments and tools which generate sound at particular frequencies which resonates at tones learned to have beneficial effects on our own energetic bodies.
It’s a relaxing and non-invasive healing modality that is a as well as a transformative experience
11. Move your body to sound
Dancing, even if it’s by yourself and to music only you can hear (headphones not apparitions putting on a concert for you lol). Moving your body to rhythms can help to change your energy and mood.
It causes you to become more present in what you are experiencing through sound and focus less on what is causing you stress.
12. Listen to a Podcast or Audiobook
Challenge your mind towards learning something new. Doing this allows for a mindset shift towards reimagining what’s possible.
When we begin to imagine again, we open ourselves up to the opportunity for new possibilities and growth.
Listening to a podcast or audiobook is a great way to build a new skill while shifting your mindset from fixed to growth.
13. Journaling
Writing in a journal or just writing, in general, is a great way to begin to process your feelings or increase the likelihood of you achieving a new goal.
Try this exercise where you write for 10-15 mins completely without a prompt.
It’s what’s known as free-associative writing and you might be surprised what spills out on the page without you even realizing it.
Finding the blank page too daunting? Then start with writing out 3 things you are grateful for and why. This is a great practice to help shift your mental state and reset your perspective to the positives in your life.
14. Turn off your electronic devices
Screen time, and the constant contact that electronics provide, hinder our ability to disconnect from always being connected. Excessive screen time has been linked to lack of concentration, disruption in sleep quality and patterns as well as excessive eye fatigue.
Try to set a time in the evening when you turn your devices off and trade them for a good book or a relaxing tea while you journal or listen to music.
Leave your device out of reach, some like to place it in a box until the next morning, and build an evening routine around self-care practices like a PM skincare routine. Drawing that bath mentioned earlier and enjoying a slow evening much like you would a slow morning.
15. Physical Practice
We talked about going outdoors, dancing; but a physical practice that combines your mind and body in concentration promotes oxygenation in your blood, bringing healthy nutrients to all parts of your body.
Promotes blood circulation which is healthy for your body’s organs and skin, and also releases endorphins which boosts your mood. It’s a great way to practice self care on a reset day.
16. Body Work
Body Massage does wonders for more than just sore muscles.
It moves stagnant lymph fluids in your body. It promotes healthy circulation in addition to relieving stress and improving mood.
17. Make a vision board or some type of art.
Get creative, break out the old magazines, scissors and craft glue sticks. Think about some things you’d love to get on your bucket list and put them into your work of art. Places, wish list items, words that inspire are all great ways to get your creative juices flowing while also shifting your mindset to more of what’s possible.
18. Take yourself on a date
So often we leave the romance and showering of affection to our partners or for special holidays. But why can’t today be a day that you just reset by getting back in touch with yourself?
Make a self-care day out of reconnecting to the one person you will always be with. YOU!
Build a day of events and places to go that you have always wanted to go or haven’t gone because you always wanted to go with someone else. Why not show you, how much you love you?
19. Get in love with your money
We often dread anything that has to do with money management. That’s mainly because there has been such a social stigma around money having to be about budgeting. And budgeting as we all have come to know feel like sacrificing.
But what if we could flip the idea of money management to one of luxury? Even if things are tight and believe me I know that’s hard to do when you’re not sure how you’re gonna pay rent.
But instead of avoiding our money why don’t we work to love it and to love ourselves for managing it.
Often just being aware of exactly what you do or don’t have can provide you with a better sense of control and an outlook that fosters your creativity in how to generate more where you need or do something beneficial to you in the long term instead of immediate gratification today.
20. Work with Affirmation Cards
Who doesn’t like a pep talk when you’re feeling less than your best? Imagine starting your morning being reminded of how awesome you are? Imagine starting your night routine with an inspirational note? Affirmation cards are an amazing way to bring some positivity to the small moments of your day. And small moments lead to big changes. Start you reset day with a good affirmation card.
Ready to bring some motivation to your morning? Try these most popular cards
21. Do a life check-in – try the yearly edit
Often the best way to reset is to check in.
Check in on how your year is going so far based on where you want your life to ultimately be.
It’s a good way to edit out what is no longer serving you. See where priorities have shifted and add goals where previous ones fell away. We are allowed to change and adapt our plans based on how we evolved as people.
Check-ins can talk place anytime throughout the year, so don’t just think you set your yearly goals at the beginning of the year and then leave it on autopilot. Returning to your life goals and plans regularly can keep you motivated and inspired, keeping you in touch with the why behind the work and commitment you show up for each day.
22. Build your seasonal self-care routine
Now that you have some amazing ideas, make some a part of your seasonal self-care habits. Take a few of these shared ideas as inspiration and build a reset day into your week, or month at the very least so you have something to look forward to. Then change or refresh them seasonally to keep them inspiring and exciting.
My favorite seasonal reset planner insert is this one from EO Edits. Keep it in your physical planner, print it out and tape it to your wall.
Great tips. I enjoy a good walk in the mornings to get my blood pumping and my body moving.
I never thought of breathing as self care, but that totally makes sense. Thank you for all of the practical, actionable self care ideas. I think relaxing baths are my favorite.