This post was 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.
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 looking for resources (articles, blogs, videos, podcast episodes, free apps) for the ideas mentioned below, download our FREE Pledge To Stay Well eBook and put yourself at the very top of your to-do list.
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.
