21 Absolutely Necessary Self-Care Practices

You ever find yourself in a bad mood, and then you remember you didn’t sleep well, you haven’t had any water all day, and the only food you’ve eaten so far has been…coffee?

Despite how basic the things on this list sound, sometimes we need to be reminded of the basics. It’s the basics that can turn our day around, improve our health, and make us happier humans. The next time you’re feeling down or out of sorts, come back to this list and cross off at least 3 items for a little mood lift. (My favorites are #8, #9, and #21.)

1. Drink Water

I said these were basic! Water is an underrated tool for healthy eating. Whenever you feel out of control sugar cravings or just ate a large meal but still feel hungry, drink a glass of water. You might just be thirsty.

To remind yourself to drink more water on the regular, get a reusable water bottle and keep it on your bedside table and work desk. Drink 8 oz. first think in the morning and sip throughout your day.

2. Get Enough Sleep

Getting enough sleep means 7 to 9 hours a night, with optional power naps during the day if that’s your jam. Most times when we don’t sleep enough, it’s because we’re staying up too late.

To fall asleep earlier, get into bed earlier. Brush your teeth, put on your PJs, and put the phone away. You don’t have to actually close your eyes and sleep if you’re not tired, but just being in bed will prime your body for rest. Read a book or listen to an audiobook or podcast to wind down rather than watch television. Closing a book is way easier than avoiding the temptation to click “Next Episode.”

3. Interact with Nature

Nature has been scientifically proven to calm people’s nerves and help them feel more relaxed. Vitamin D and fresh air are great for us too. If you live in a city, try to find water or a big tree to sit by. Even just looking up at a patch of sky for fifteen minutes will help you relieve stress.

4. Walk

Don’t knock walking until you’ve tried it. Squeeze in short walk breaks outside, pace the kitchen while you cook dinner, whatever works. Most of us sit more than is healthy. Walking counteracts some of that, promoting blood flow. For even better results, combine walks with social time and walk with friends (furry friends count).

5. Eat Fruit and Vegetables

Increase your fiber and nutrient intake by eating fruits and vegetables. You’ll feel clearer in the head and less sluggish.

Eat them raw and eat them cooked.

Eat the green ones and the reds.

Orange and yellow too.

Eat your fruit and veg!

6. Give Yourself Time to Eat Your Meals

As Oprah says, the greatest gift you can give yourself is the gift of time. Mealtime is a double great gift because you are giving yourself food too. So enjoy it! Don’t do extreme multi-tasking while eating your lunch or zone out in front of the TV with every dinner.

Even if you only have time for sit-down meals a few times a week, do that. Sitting down for a meal helps you eat more slowly, which can aid digestion, and eat more mindfully.

7. Talk to Other People

This could be longer conversations with family and friends, but it doesn’t have to be. Make chit-chat with your barista. Indulge in small-talk with your co-workers while you wait for the meeting to start, rather than sit in awkward silence (or are those just my meetings?)

Even smiling at a passerby on a run or walk goes a little way in making you feel more connected to the world and, by consequence, your place in it.

8. Laugh

Laughing decreases stress and anxiety, but also, it’s just plain fun. Curate a social media board of funny things from the Internet to turn to when you’re feeling stressed or blue. My go-to mood boosters are this and this and this (among like a million others with the same theme…:)).

9. Exercise

Exercise is good for your health, good for your mood, and good for your body, as long as you’re not overdoing it. Exercise could mean a long walk or a 30-minute Tabata HIIT. Whatever you choose to do, do it to take care of your body, not to punish it.

10. Use Your Brain Power

Most of us use our brains for lots of thinking and analysis during our day, but we might not work our brain in new ways every day. When’s the last time you did a crossword puzzle or complex algebra problem? Here are some fun ways I like to get a brain boost hit:

The New York Times Mini Crossword

SAT Questions of the Day

Read a Poem

11. Stretch

If you don’t have time to exercise, you have time to stretch. Stretch when you get out of bed and before you go to sleep. Stretch while you watch TV. Stretch while making your pot of coffee, while heating up things in the microwave or on the stove, stretch while you brush your teeth.

For stretching ideas, check out these posts:

12. Relax

Your body needs down-time. It’s up to you how much it needs. If you’re the type of person who avoids doing nothing, try to do more nothing. Sit outside and stare into space. Meditate. Or veg out with Netflix.

You don’t need to be productive all the time.

13. Think Positive

It’s pretty easy to see the negative viewpoint. It’s easier to worry than not worry. But once you get in the habit of staying hopeful and thinking positive, you’ll realize life gets better.

The future is always uncertain. It hasn’t happened yet. Therefore, even if the negative, bleaker outcome feels easier or more “logical,” why hold onto it if the positive, sunnier outlook is also an option? The choice is yours.

Positive thinking is harder when you’re not used to it, but it’s always available to you. Ask yourself, which viewpoint serves you better and makes you a happier, more cheerful person?

14. Wear Sunscreen

Protect your skin. Wear sunscreen on your face every day. Wear sunscreen on your body when exercising or hanging out outside.

Sun burn sucks and can cause skin mutations that could lead to melanoma.

15. Exfoliate Your Skin

Exfoliating our skin helps get rid of dead skin cells and clear our pores. Dermatologists recommend exfoliating your skin twice a week, though it depends on your skin type. This extra little step in your skincare routine will lessen the dullness to your skin and help you feel clean and good.

If you have more time, take your exfoliation to the shower too, using a loofah to rub your skin in circular motions. Do this on dry skin! Then, once you’re wet, use an exfoliation body scrub and rub this into your skin in circular motions.

Exfoliating makes regular days feel a little more pampered, which can do wonders for your mood.

16. Moisturize

Step 15 and 16 kind of go hand-in-hand because after sloughing off those dead skin cells, your body craves moisture! Even on the days you don’t exfoliate, moisturizing morning and night or post-shower can help promote soft skin you love.

Take an extra 2 minutes to use body lotion after a shower and notice how much better you feel. (In winter, this is a must!)

For a quick mid-day pick-me-up, apply your favorite lip moisturizer or balm. Like I said, it’s the little things that can make a big difference!

17. Wake Up and Go to Bed at Consistent Hours

I’ve always been weirdly jealous of people who wake up at the same time every day without an alarm, even if they’re running off little sleep. They often complain to me how annoying it is to not be able to sleep in, but, as someone who can sleep-in whenever I want, I can find it very hard to get out of bed some mornings.

Consistent wake-up and bedtime hours helped me with this. Not only do I (usually) get enough sleep, but it helped me establish a good evening and morning routine.

During weekdays, most of us have set times we have to wake up for work anyway. The struggle is real though with bedtime. Check back to tip #3 with some nighttime sleep tips.

18. Practice Self-Awareness

Self-awareness and mindfulness are kind of buzz words, but what do they actually mean? I think of it as watching yourself like you’re two people. One part of yourself is doing what you’re doing. The other part is observing yourself doing what you’re doing or thinking what you’re thinking.

Just because you’re self-aware about certain activities that aren’t great for you doesn’t mean you’ll automatically stop doing them, though. That’s the second, harder part of self-awareness that takes practice. When you realize you’re wasting time on social media or eating more chips than are hungry for, you have to decide to stop the activity.

An area that mindfulness or self-awareness can really change your life is realizing how you think about yourself, your circumstances, and other people. Once you start actually listening to your thoughts, you can decide whether or not they’re useful, positive, or even true.

For tips on mindfulness and meditation, read this post.

19. Take Care of Your Teeth

I debated whether I really needed to remind you of this one…but you know what? I love brushing my teeth, and maybe some people don’t yet have that pleasure.

So…Brush your teeth twice a day! Floss! Drink less soda and more water. Days start and end better when they start and end with minty freshness of a freshly brushed mouth.

20. Take Care of Your Feet

As a runner, I’m kind of a princess about my feet. I splurge on pedicures, I use a massage ball on my arches, and I’m very very picky about my footwear and its level of comfort and arch support.

Taking care of your feet doesn’t just mean cutting your toenails and making sure they don’t smell too funky (or funky at all, really…). It’s about replacing your socks, about finding the right pair of exercise or running shoes for you, even stretching your toes and arches.

21. Be Nice to Yourself

Honestly, if you had to pick one tip on here to follow, this one might be it. (Or #19. Seriously, brush and floss. It’s not that hard.)

Being nice to yourself doesn’t mean you don’t work hard, focus on goals, or become a couch potato. In fact, it’s kind of the opposite. You can work harder, push yourself but, when things don’t go your way, you don’t beat yourself up.

Self-kindness and #13 Think Positive really go hand-in-hand. The more you can embrace these two ideas, the further you can go in your fitness lifestyle, in your career, in relationships, and in general just enjoy life more.

If you’re struggling with being nice to yourself in your fitness journey, check out these posts:

Last Thing!

Remember, this list is less a to-do list than it is a reminder of all the wonderful ways we can care for our mental and physical health. Refer to it when you’re having a rocky day and see how just doing or two of these things can help improve your mood.

For more ideas for self-care, check out these posts:

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