58 Self-Care Ideas for Every Need You Might Have

Self-checks are an important part of self-care and good mental health. Make sure you check up on yourself and do things that help you when you don’t feel so good. Use this list to help yourself out when your mental health isn’t too good.

If you need…

Rest and recuperation:

1. Take a nap.
2. Sit in the warm sunshine.
3. Cuddle a pet.
4. Take a bath.
5. Go to bed early.
6. Meditate.
7. Forget all the yoga and just lie in corpse pose for however long you need.
8. Cuddle a stuffed animal and cozy up with a soft blanket.

Self-love:

1. Put on body lotion.
2. Change your clothes into something more comfortable.
3. Wash your hair.
4. Light some candles.
5. Write a love letter to yourself.
6. List 10 good things about yourself.
7. Take yourself on a date.

To reminiscence and feel nostalgia:

1. Watch a childhood classic on TV.
2. Clean your room: make it cozy and safe.
3. Care for yourself the way your guardians would when you were a sick child.
4. Do a small task or hobby you used to love.
5. Listen to old music.
6. Play a game from your past.

Energy:

1. Eat a healthy meal.
2. Put on some upbeat music.
3. Drink ice cold water.
4. Change into clothes that make you feel good but aren’t pajamas.
5. Go for a walk.
6. Challenge yourself to do the things you want to do and reward yourself after.

Companionship:

1. Get in touch with a friend.
2. Go to a public place, like a coffee shop.
3. Say hello to a stranger.
4. Call a family member.
5. Message a long-lost friend.
6. Arrange to meet someone you love.
7. Join online groups of people with similar interests.

Health:

1. Do some light exercise.
2. Drink a glass of water.
3. Do some yoga or stretches.
4. Go to bed early.
5. Take a short walk or jog.
6. Eat something healthy and tasty.
7. Clean your home.

To express yourself:

1. Write about how your feeling.
2. Dance to your favorite music.
3. Sing.
4. Put on makeup.
5. Paint or draw.
6. Bullet journal.
7. Write a story, some poetry or a diary entry.
8. Change your hairstyle.

Comfort:

1. Go somewhere you feel safe.
2. Spend time with safe, loving people.
3. Watch a lovely TV show or movie.
4. Get under some blankets.
5. If it’s cold, sit by a fire.
6. Cuddle someone or something.
7. Drink something warm.
8. Give yourself a little hug.
9. Challenge yourself to make your bed as comfy as possible.

I hope these ideas help you. Try writing a few of your own or taking a few of these and keeping them written down somewhere easy to get to when you need them.

Follow this journey on the author’s Instagram. 

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