Self-care activity ideas - my favourite ways to look after myself
I remember one day I literally sat down to ponder about my life purpose.
“What is the one thing I have always loved and could talk about everyday without getting sick of it?”
“What am I passionate about?”
“What is one interest I’ve had over the years that has not changed?”
Then the answer came to me clear as crystal - wellbeing and self care, and somewhere around that time was when Well by Jade was born.
Growing up my mum always said to me,
“Jade, if you don’t look after yourself and your wellbeing, no one suffers as much as you do.”
My mum always taught me to never be afraid of putting my own needs first and making sure that I’m taken care of before I take care of others.
One of the best lessons she’s taught me is that self-care is not selfish.
Setting aside time to properly engage in self-care can be life-changing and have a profound positive long-term impact.
Although I am quite a social person, I’ve always enjoyed time on my own to pause, reflect, and treat myself to the little luxuries that life has to offer.
So here are some of my favourite self-care activities to indulge in. I hope this inspires you to take time out of your day, even for a few short minutes to care for yourself.
Physical
Focusing on moving my body everyday, even if it only means a short walk around the block with my dog Leo.
Planning groceries and meal prepping every weekend - I prep around 4 days of lunches for work and have ingredients ready for our weeknight dinners so we stick to healthy options as much as we can.
Indulging in shopping at a nice local market once every so often - I love market vibes and getting tasty produce! Usually I’ll go on a Saturday arvo with Richard and prep for that night’s dinner with some nice ingredients.
Mental
Light a candle and journal about my thoughts - I write about everything from what happened during my day, my worries, what I’m grateful for, life lessons I’ve learned, and what I want for my future.
Blogging and sharing my thoughts in this Journal!
Reading lots of books - lately I’ve been trying to diversify my reading list between non-fiction and fiction books! I love to highlight great quotes on my Kindle and save these to reference later too.
Taking breaks from my phone - this one’s not easy, but even a solid hour away from my phone to focus on other activities does wonders for my mind.
Emotional
Making time to catch up with family and close friends - I love our deep and meaningful conversations about all things to do with life.
Taking a trip down memory lane and watching movies and TV shows that I used to love as a kid - it’s super comforting and makes me feel very safe and nostalgic 🥰
Going on dates with Richard and spending quality time together.
Cuddling with my dog Leo.
Spiritual
Going for long walks in nature on Sunday afternoons with Leo - I don’t listen to music or podcasts on these walks and focus on being present and enjoying the moment.
Going for lunch time walks alone - on these walks I do bring my earphones and will listen to some of my favourite meditation teachers. The one I find most inspiring is Sarah Blondin’s meditation tracks on Insight Timer.
Exploring my own city and being creatively inspired by what’s around me - my favourites are museums, galleries, local cafes and wine bars, book stores, stationery stores, and homeware stores!
Financial
Always setting aside savings every month - even on months where we need to save for big things, I will still always deposit even a very small amount into my savings because small steps really add up!
Having open and honest conversations with my hubby, Richard. We voice things we’re concerned about but also reflect on things we are grateful for when it comes to money and our finances.
Investing time to develop my financial literacy - this might be through reading books, listening to podcasts or watching YouTube videos that teach me more about saving, budgeting, investing, and general money management.
Self-care and self-love enable you to bring more peace and happiness into your life.
Remember that by taking care of your own needs first, you have more energy, patience, and resilience to give the best of yourself to those around you.
So cheers to putting yourself first!
Read my other journal entries
Share your thoughts in the comments
When you’ve had a rough day, what are some of your go-to activities to best take care of yourself?
Today is a short and simple entry where I reflect on the things that are going well in my life and what I am grateful for.