Self-Care- Ideas into Action

Strategies for Self-Care

Identify people who comfort you, listen to you and make you feel safe

Reach out to the people who support you most

Stay in contact with important people in your life

Engage in practices that connect you with your faith, spirituality, higher power, or God

Help another person and do something for others

Find humor in your day and laugh

Move your body

Practice joy and take time out to have fun and be spontaneous

Take time in nature

Listen to music

Eat healthy snacks and meals

Spend time with a pet

Combine strategies for a big impact- take a walk with a friend in nature

Take a nap and get sleep

Engage in activities that evoke comfort

Adjust your lighting - burn a candle, building a fire in the fireplace, stringing up twinkle lights)

Take a warm shower or hot bubble bath

Express your emotions through art, writing, singing, talking with a friend or family member

Read a passage from a book, an article, or poem

Create a new 2-minute daily habit and keep track of your progress

Know what to avoid (particular people in your life, certain foods or substances, or unhelpful coping strategies)

Say ‘no’ when necessary and set appropriate limits

Create moments of stillness and reflection

Learn something new

Try doing things non-habitually

Engage your intelligence in a new area

Write in a journal

Speak with a therapist or coach

Learn more about your strengths, through speaking with others and self-assessments

Give yourself permission to feel the full range of human emotions

Express views through social action, letters, donations, protests, marches

Take time to savor a cup of tea or coffee

Identify what is most meaningful for you and find ways to connect with it

Learn about your ancestry

Make a dream board

Listen to a podcast in an area of interest

Surprise someone with a letter or card

Ask for help when needed

Schedule a technology break and no screen time

Call, check on or see relatives

Set a goal and work towards it

Pay attention to all your senses as you do a daily activity or chore (such as washing dishes, walking, being with your child or loved one)

Pray

Meditate

Cultivate wonder or curious

Seek out sources of inspiration (people, quotes, speeches, music, literature, etc.)

Practice self-compassion, acceptance, forgiveness

Recognize moments of connection with others, savor them

Savor positive  experiences and beauty

Conjure up an image of someone who cares for you and invite feelings of being cared about and hold your attention on these feelings

Practice gratitude

Plant seeds and nurture their growth

Place a bouquet of flowers in your living space

Spend time with a child

Spend time with an elder

Approach people and situations from the perspective of what they are teaching you and what there is to learn

Identify your emotional triggers and determine healthy ways you want to respond

Take deep breaths and stretch

Engage in yoga practices and yoga Nidra

Listen to a guided meditation

Make positive changes to your home environment

Hang pictures, or place affirmations in visible places

Dress up in a way that makes you feel good

Engage in a “lost arts” activity- (knitting, sewing, cross-stitch, woodworking, making, etc.)

Engage in a deep conversation on a topic that is meaningful to you

Become part of a community

Welcome someone new to your community

Devise strategies of professional self-care

Cultivate ideas for conscious distraction

Have simple goodwill toward yourself and others, and when you forget, start again