This post is written by Saint Belford Co-founder Alex Phillips.
OUR DEFINITION OF SELF-CARE
Self-care is about consciously enhancing your wellbeing and overall quality of life. It’s about listening intently to what your body needs and adopting mindful habits, routines and rituals that nourish, nurture and energise you inside and out.
THE BUSY BADGE OF HONOUR
The concept of self-care gets thrown around alot, but it’s so much more than a trending buzzword.
It’s a prescription for cultivating stamina and boosting self-awareness, two fundamental pieces that contribute to our quality of life.
The unfortunate thing is, many of us are quick to neglect ourselves in favour of wearing the busy badge of honour.
We find ourselves completing yet another task on our to-do list and saying yes to more commitments than our tired minds can manage, instead of taking the timeout we promised ourselves last week.
Then, we proceed to complain about our severe lack of time.
And the vicious cycle continues until our bodies begin screaming at us and surrendering is no longer a choice we get to make.
We didn’t hear the whispers so now we must pay the painful price of neglect.
The brakes have been slammed against our will as our bodies slowly attempt to repair the damage.
I’m not just painting a picture of burnout.
I’m speaking from personal experience. It’s ugly and debilitating and I’m sure many of you can relate.
If you’ve had to learn this lesson more than once, you are not alone.
I’ve been there more times than I’m proud of.
As Aubrey Marcus says, it’s like being back in the same prison cell with all the keys. Accurate.
You already know that feeling at the top of your physical and mental game and living a life that truly fulfills you begins with a pledge to put yourself first.
I know, it’s easier said than done.
THE PLEDGE TO STAY WELL
It’s a journey and a constant work in progress, but we need to begin somewhere. We can begin by recognising that it’s a priority, not a luxury, to proactively look after our minds and bodies.
What works for you may not work for me and vice versa.
Ultimately, it’s about listening intently to what your body needs, being open to change and adapting your routines, rituals and habits accordingly.
You can use the following 150+ practical self-care ideas as inspiration to curate a personalised menu of self-care rituals which you can put into practise inside and outside your natural habitat.
There are three sections: Mind, Body and Soul. Each section has been subdivided into three categories: 10 minutes or less, 30 minutes or less and 60 minutes or more.
If you’re after resources (articles, blogs, videos, podcast episodes, free apps) for the ideas mentioned below, download our Pledge To Stay Well Ebook and put yourself at the very top of your to-do list.
Happy self-caring!
- Practise mindful meditation
- Practise controlled breathing
- Practise yoga
- Practise gratitude
- Listen to uplifting music
- Power pose
- Do a mindful body scan
- Take a cold shower
- Make your bed
- Chant Om
- Write morning pages
- Leave yourself a loving post it note
- Feel your emotions
- Practise positive self-talk
- Practise saying no to things that don’t serve you
- Let go of negative thoughts
- Sing along to your favourite songs
- Practise mindful colouring
- Try aromatherapy
- Get some sunshine
- Play on a swing
- Watch the clouds
- Go for a mindful walk
- Listen to nature sounds
- Watch the waves crash
- Take a walk along the beach
- Create a folder or album of photos, videos and screenshots that make you happy
- Keep a minimum number of tabs open on your laptop
- Remove apps you don’t use
- Celebrate your milestones
- Reflect on your day
- Plan your day the night before
- Try a guided sleep meditation
- Watch an inspiring TED talk
- Create a bucket list
- Set a goal that aligns with your values
- Set smaller process goals
- Practise self-reflection
- Create a personal mission statement
- Write a letter to your future self
- Perform an 80/20 analysis
- Clean out your email inbox
- Clean up your desktop
- Tidy up your workspace
- Practise emotional freedom techniques
- Play an instrument
- Watch your favourite movie
- Create a self-care kit
- Commit to building a new healthy habit
- Drop a habit that doesn’t serve you
- Read a self-development book
- Learn a language
- Watch a documentary
- Learn about a topic that interests you
- Learn a new skill
- Listen to a soothing podcast
- Turn off notifications for the day
- Do a social media detox
- Do a digital detox
- Practise fear-setting (Tim Ferriss)
- Face one of your fears
- Take a pottery class
- Paint
- Draw
- Bake a healthy treat
- Plan a holiday or something to look forward to
- Ask for help
- Join a support group
- See a therapist
- Try flotation therapy
- Play board games
- Go camping
- Stretch your body
- Dance
- Do a kettlebell workout
- Do a 10 minute full body workout
- Skip to music
- Get your heart rate up
- Self-massage
- Make a clean smoothie
- Sip on a cup of tea
- Drink more water
- Try oil pulling
- Practise dry brushing
- Moisturise
- Enjoy a sauna session
- Practise earthing
- Try cryotherapy
- Take an epsom salt bath
- Plan your meals in advance
- Cook a nourishing meal
- Practise mindful eating
- Go for a nature walk
- Practise tai chi
- Swim laps
- Go for a run
- Sleep
- Make kombucha
- Bake healthy treats
- Go for a hike
- Go for a scenic bike ride
- Get a massage
- Practise pilates
- Get a health check
- Practise martial arts
- Take a boxing class
- Play team sports
- Start crossfit
- Play tennis
- Go rock climbing
- Visit the Hot Springs
- Watch the sunrise or sunset
- Hug someone you love
- Recite a mantra or affirmation
- Read real life uplifting stories and life lessons
- Start a jar of awesome
- Make a list of all the things you love about yourself
- Reflect on your accomplishments
- Call a friend or loved one
- Gaze at the stars
- Pray
- Read poetry
- Pay it forward
- Perform a random act of kindness
- Donate to a charity
- Step out of your comfort zone
- Laugh out loud
- Have an honest conversation with a friend
- Plant something
- Play with animals
- Define or revisit your core values
- Reconnect with old friends
- Read fiction
- Read an inspiring book
- Start or resume your passion project
- Start a DIY project
- Create a vision board
- Perform a life audit
- Create a Dreamline (The 4 Hour Work Week)
- Start the conversation about mental health
- Exit toxic relationships
- Attend social events
- Volunteer at a soup kitchen
- Go to a comedy show
- Go to a gig
- Visit a museum or art gallery
- Practise forgiveness
- Forgive yourself
- Practise self-acceptance and letting go
- Try crystal healing
- Learn about the 7 chakras
- Spend some quality time with friends and family
We know that sifting through the sheer volume of content to find a decent article in the self-care department can be a tad overwhelming, not to mention time-consuming. As a result, those grand intentions to put yourself first can very easily wither away.
This year, we made it our mission to conduct the preliminary research for you, so that you can spend less time in rabbit holes and more time self-caring.
For specific articles, videos, podcasts, blogs and free apps related to the ideas listed above, download our free ebook here.
