Taking care of yourself is important, not just because you cannot pour from an empty cup, but because you are human and you deserve to be taken care of by you. Capitalism has co-opted the word self-care so that they can sell us face masks and bath bombs. And they call that self-care, as if an hour soaking in hot water could restore our physical, emotional, and spiritual health.
Below are 10 self-care habits I swear by that keep me sane in an insane world. They are not aesthetically pleasing, but they are mine. And most importantly, they work.
Journaling
Journaling is one of the most important self-care habits in the world. There are numerous benefits to journaling, including gaining clarity, relieving stress, improving memory, enhancing problem-solving and personal growth, and better mood regulation.
Journaling is the first step to changing your life. It is the vehicle to getting to know yourself, unconditionally accepting yourself, forgiving yourself, and falling in love with yourself.
If you want to copy any habit from my list of self-care habits, let it be journaling.
Exercising
I am afraid those people who claim that exercising will change your life are right. Exercising consistently will make you stronger, more confident, increase your life span, reduce stress, and make you more resilient. It boosts energy, clears your mind, and helps you manage stress.
I remember hearing a scientist refer to exercise as a pill that cures everything. And I couldn’t agree more.
Reading
Reading is the best experience in the universe. I wake up with gratitude every day that I am human, and I can read. Reading is a spiritual experience. It transports you to a completely different place, and… it’s just magical!
I don’t read to get information, I read to feed my soul.
If you only read self-help books (first of all, why? Second of all, whew), then reading for you is a way of learning. So, I suggest that you find something else to feed your soul.
Find something that feels like play to you, something that makes time stand still. This could be painting, drawing, writing, crocheting, or filming videos.
Laughing
I love laughing. It instantly boosts my mood and makes everything feel lighter.
I don’t schedule it or force it, because that’d be super weird. Can you imagine? 12:00 – laugh for 10 minutes.
Instead, I’ve set up my life so that laughter is unavoidable, from my favorite sitcoms and funny books to spending time with people who make me smile without trying. Laughing isn’t just fun; it’s a small, practical habit that keeps me sane.
Learning
I am not myself when I am not learning. I feel out of place in my own life. I don’t mean formal education because Lord knows learning Cauchy’s theorem did not make me feel more connected to myself.
I mean learning for me, at my own pace, about things that spark my curiosity or help me understand myself and the world. For me, that’s learning more about psychology, philosophy, finance, economics, history, and science.
Walking
Walking is my reset button. I get my big headphones, put on either my female rage playlist or breakup songs, depending on my mood. I then scream those songs at the top of my lungs while I stomp around. It is very therapeutic.
Working on My Goals
I do at least one thing to work on my goals every day. Sometimes I have more time and energy, and I do a lot, but every day I aim for just one. This keeps me consistent because I always have my goal at the forefront of my brain every day. And every day I move towards them in any small way.
Every small action towards our goals counts. In fact, that is how we get our dream lives: by taking small, consistent action every day.
Sleeping
I have not mastered this one because I still struggle with falling asleep, and I carry guilt around sleeping eight hours, but I am working on it.
I’m learning to let go of that guilt and just let my body rest when it needs to.
Not Using My Phone in the Morning
Not using my phone for the first few hours of the day sets the tone for the rest of my day and keeps me from starting reactive instead of intentional. And it has helped me conquer my time poverty.
Human Connection
I make it a habit to make some sort of connection with another human consistently. I don’t mean in a shallow way, I mean in a real way. In an awkward, brave, vulnerable, and I want to be close to you way.
This is not only good for my mental and spiritual health, but for my physical health as well. Because meaningful relationships are the number 1 predictor of a long, healthy, and happy life.
So, yeah, these are the very real ways that I take care of my body and mind. They are not glamorous; in fact, they are quite boring.
Self-care isn’t about checking boxes or looking perfect. It’s about showing up for yourself, even in the smallest ways, every single day. Start small, start messy, start however you can. Just start.
Thank you so much for reading.
If you want to elevate your relationship with yourself, get my book: No Bullsh*t Guide to Self-love, here.
If you are feeling generous, please support me as a writer by buying me coffee here. I would highly appreciate that.