Self care comes in all shapes and sizes. Self care doesn’t have to mean something lavish and expensive – although sometimes that can be nice. But truth is, we can’t all afford lavish and expensive self care every single day. So it’s important that we try and find those pockets of self care wherever we can.
When it comes down to it, almost everything could be considered self care. Depending on your likes, dislikes, hobbies, interests and more, anything we do on any given day could be considered a form of self care.
It’s much more about the mindset behind what you’re doing, rather than the activity itself.
But back to that point about lavish and expensive self care. We all like a spa weekend, a massage, a holiday abroad, a bit of retail therapy or a fancy 3 course meal.
But it’s just not realistic – or sustainable – to expect those things weekly or even monthly. Especially with the cost of living crisis right now and the fact almost everyone need to save money.
When we’re not in a position to give ourselves expensive and fancy acts of self care regularly, we need to turn to the regular.
The every day.
The normal.
Because we can find pockets of joy and self care in those every day moments, if we know where to look for them and if we do a little bit of inner work to program our brains to see them as opportunities for self care.
Rather than just boring every day tasks.
So for today, we’re going to look at 9 very normal, regular and every day activities that you can turn into sweet moments of self care throughout your day.
Making yourself a cup of tea
Making yourself a cup of tea (or coffee) especially first thing in the morning can be a wonderful time for calm, reflection and self care. We so often rush this part of the day, desperate to get that caffeine fix. But what if we slowed down?
Take time to make your drink, choose a mug you like, listen to the sounds of the kettle and the milk being poured and strive to make yourself the perfect cup of tea – because you deserve it!
Walking to the bus stop / post office / corner shop
Anywhere that requires you to get outside a walk can be a great moment of self care throughout your day, even if you are just walking to the corner shop to get a pint of milk.
Getting outside, whatever the conditions, is so beneficial to our health and well-being. Being under the sky, in the elements, experiencing the seasons, it’s beautiful. And should be considered as such.
A daily shower
Your ordinary shower doesn’t have to be that – ordinary. This can be turned into a wonderful moment of self care. We often associate baths with self care but shows can have just the same effect (plus not everyone has a bath).
You can use essential oils in your shower, put your favourite music on whilst you wash your hair and gosh, take this time for you. Having a shower is one of the only times of day where you can be truly on your own.
Your lunch break
Whether you work from home or in an office, it’s likely that you’re going to have a lunch break. And you can absolutely use this time for some self care. Of course, don’t forget to eat – that’s what a lunch break is for.
But you might want to spend this time reading, catching up with a friend, listening to a podcast or going for a walk, all great acts of self care that you can fit effortlessly into your day.
Skincare routine
Ah your skincare routine. One of the most wonderful daily acts of self care that absolutely shouldn’t be scrimped on. I won’t lie, there’s been plenty of days where I couldn’t be bothered doing my skincare routine and I always felt awful for it afterwards.
Get yourself your favourite products and actually take the time to go through your routine, step by step, giving your skin the love and attention it deserves.
Making your bed / cleaning your space
Putting some love, care and attention into your space, especially if you work from home or spend a lot of time at home is a great act of self care that you definitely shouldn’t overlook.
Cleaning your space, making your bed, washing up or tidying away clothes gives you space that respect is deserves. It’s YOUR space. So you should treat it with some respect.
Your commute (if you have one)
Your commute might seem like an absolute hellish place to even consider self care in but if that’s how you see your commute, then that’s exactly why you need to try and introduce a bit of self care into it in the first place.
If you take public transport, this can be a great time to switch off, read a book, listen to a podcast or your favourite music. And yes, all of those things can be considered self care if we want them to be.
Choosing what to wear
When we’re busy and rushing out the door, this isn’t often a time we put much thought into. Perhaps we’re late and throwing on whatever we can find or our wardrobe isn’t sparking much joy, so we’re not too bothered about what we wear.
But our clothing can be a wonderful reflection of who we are and how we feel. So taking a little extra time to really consider what you want to wear that day, what’s going to make you feel good or what’s going to support you with what your plans are can be a teeny-tiny pocket of self care that’s likely to get overlooked.
Going to bed
Instead of rolling into bed without a second thought at the end of the day, bedtime can be a wonderful time for routine and self care. Especially a night-time routine that works for you can be a really effective way to add some well needed self care into the end of your day.
You might want to practice restorative Yoga before bed or a short meditation, journal about your day, have a chamomile tea, read a book or a combination of all of them to create your perfect bedtime routine.
When life is a bit dreary, the government is making our lives hell and we just don’t have the means to give ourselves those big acts of self care we really want, this is when moments like this come in exceptionally handy.
I think focusing on those small things every day will bring much more joy into our lives and also benefit us mentally, emotionally and physically.
What every day activities from the list above do you consider a moment of self care for you?