Most individuals who have been through childhood abuse struggles with self-care. If you’ve had abusive parents, you’re probably not taking care of yourself as well as you should. This post provides over 230 self-care ideas you can possibly add to your everyday life for your healing journey and well-being.
Creating Your Self-Care Plan
Self-care isn’t a one-time deal. It is a bunch of little habits that grow into a lifestyle. It isn’t easy to practice, especially when you’ve experienced trauma. But it is essential for your healing and health.
It can be difficult to start, especially if you learned throughout your life that your needs or well-being don’t matter. So to make it easier, consider creating a self-care plan.
It’s important to realize that there’s no one-size-fits-all to self-care. Something that works for someone else might not work for you and vice versa. Even something that works for you today might not work for you tomorrow. Your needs and wants change every day, so your self-care will, too.
As you go through this post, jot down self-care ideas that you can add to your plan. Try to implement at least one self-care activity a day.
Once you have your plan, try to practice it consistently. Also, it doesn’t have to be the same activity every day. You can incorporate different types of self-care to keep it fresh. But of course, it’s ultimately up to you.
To better practice self-care consistently, add it to your to-do list or schedule. If you feel like you don’t have time for it, MAKE TIME! Self-care is supposed to be intentional care that is meant to nurture your health and well-being. Remember – self-care means taking care of yourself.
230+ Self-Care Ideas
For your self-care plan, try to incorporate both energizing and nurturing activities. As you go through the lists of self-care ideas, remember to choose things YOU like. Just because something is on this list does not mean it will benefit you. Pick self-care ideas that speak to YOU. Do things that you’d find energizing or nurturing.
Self-care is supposed to be about you. If you don’t enjoy your self-care activity, then the whole thing is moot. Again, the purpose is to take care of you. So keep that in mind when deciding or implementing any of the self-care ideas in this post.
The self-care ideas listed below are categorized into the five types of self-care that are covered in this post: physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, and social. However, some ideas can fall into more than one category. As you create your self-care plan, feel free to categorize it in whichever way works best for you.
Physical Self-Care Ideas
These self-care ideas involve taking care of your body and overall physical health. These activities ensure you are exercising regularly and getting the needed nutrients to keep your physical body and health in good shape. It also includes avoiding or limiting unhealthy habits that may be detrimental to your body or health.
Do the body scan practice to check in with your body
These self-care ideas aim to help you become more in tune with your emotions as well as lift your spirits when you’re feeling down. These activities involve taking care of your emotional health as well as learning healthy coping skills for times of distress
A big part of self-care includes treating yourself, which I decided to place under emotional self-care. Treating yourself can lift your mood and remind you that you are worthy. However, it’s important not to confuse treating yourself with self-indulgence.
Treating yourself means celebrating or rewarding yourself for whatever reason you please. However, anything in excess is bad. Treat yourself in moderation but recognize when it’s getting into unhealthy territory.
Of course, you deserve good things. But it’s also up to you to make sure those good things stay in healthy, reasonable limits. Because if not, it just ends up hurting you more than it helps you.
Treat yourself to something nice
Buy a present for yourself
Splurge a little
Order in
Eat out
Travel somewhere new
Go shopping, even if it’s just window shopping
Take a break from work
Blast music
Listen to your favorite music
Dress up
Watch something you like
Read something you like
Have a picnic
Eat dessert
Eat your favorite food
Have a fun day just for you
Go on a date by yourself
Take a vacation or staycation
Get or give yourself a manicure and/or pedicure
Surround yourself with things that make you happy
Do something you enjoy
Do what makes you happy
Try to live by your values, beliefs, and passions
Mental Self-Care Ideas
These self-care ideas are meant to be mentally and intellectually stimulating. They involve keeping your mind sharp, engaging in something creative, trying something new, or organizing your life.
Listen to a podcast
Read some fiction
Read some classic literature
Work on a puzzle
Do a crossword puzzle
Do sudoku
Learn something new for fun
Learn a new language
Visit the museum
Learn to play a musical instrument
Learn a new skill
Play chess
Learn a new game
Play a board game
Try something different
Take a class
Attend a workshop or seminar
Explore a new area
Take up a new hobby
Start a garden
Watch an educational video or documentary
Learn how to sew
Take a different approach to a daily routine
Earn a license or certification
Write poetry
Write a short story
Make a vision board
Discover new recipes
Paint something
Draw something
Take on pottery or sculpting
Sew, knit, crochet, quilt, or embroider something
Experiment with different ingredients
Do something crafty
Invent a new dish
Decorate your home
Redecorate
Make homemade lotion, bath bombs, or face masks
Design a poster
Create different outfits for different occasions
Cook or bake something
Upcycle something
Start a blog to express yourself
Create a to-do list (add self-care ideas to it!)
Organize your closet, workspace, pantry, garage, or whatever else
Declutter your physical space (workspace, closet, home, garage, etc)
Declutter your digital space (email, social media, digital photos, files, etc)
Make a budget (financial self-care is crucial as well!)
Create a space for yourself to relax, work, or get creative. Make it your space.
Social Self-Care Ideas
These self-care ideas involve creating meaningful relationships and strengthening existing ones. Social support is essential! Having any sort of meaningful relationships in your life will make a difference in your healing journey.
If you don’t have any meaningful relationships now, try out the ideas that can help you make some. If you have existing connections, try out activities that can enhance your bond.
Make or purchase some gifts for others just because
Play with your pet
Play with your kids
Make a care package for someone
Mail out some gratitude letters
Send out supportive texts or emails
Plan a get-together and make it happen!
Do something kind for someone you care about
Spend some quality time with your loved ones
Conclusion
Remember, you don’t have to make any drastic changes to your life. But do take a bit of time and space each day to practice some self-care.
With just a little bit, I hope you can experience more pleasure, rest, and satisfaction in your day-to-day life.
Also, remember that self-care is different for everyone. It should be tailored to YOUR needs. The important thing is to find a balance of self-care activities that work for you.
Incorporate one thing or a combination of a few small things. Then another. Then another. It’s totally okay to take things slowly. Don’t push or pressure yourself to do things fast or do it right.
Being flexible and patient with yourself is self-care. Try to take a little time each day to focus on YOUR needs, even when you’re not up for it. Choose something you might feel like doing. Try to make it a priority.
Remember, being able to do any kind of self-care shows that you are healing.
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Hi there, I’m Estee. My own experiences with an abusive mother inspired me to create Hopeful Panda. You can learn more about me and my blog here.
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