Are you looking for some inspiration when it comes to showing yourself some love? We’ve put together a self-care routine list for every occasion from long, busy days to rainy Sundays and special moments like birthdays.
While the importance of self-care is clear, it can often be hard to know exactly how to take care of ourselves in ways that are deeply nourishing and healing.
When life is overwhelming, it can be particularly easy to get caught up in neverending to-do lists and appointments and forget the importance of taking some “me-time” each day.
That’s why we’ve created a self-care routine list for every occasion from ending a hard, busy day on a high note to celebrating a milestone, and even the perfect Self-Care Sunday.
So no matter your mood, energy level, or occasion, we have a self-care routine list for you!
We’ve even included a daily self-care checklist PDF that you can download, customize, and print out in the hopes of making it just that little bit easier for you to meet your own needs and grow in your self-care journey.
Table of Contents
- What Is a Self-Care Routine and Why Does It Matter?
- The Different Types of Self-Care
- Why Self-Care Routines Make a Difference in Your Health and Happiness
- 4 Tips for Building a Self-Care Routine That Sticks
- Creating Your Personal Self-Care Plan
- 9 Self-Care Routine List Ideas for Every Occasion
- Your Free Printable Daily Self-Care Checklist
What Is a Self-Care Routine and Why Does It Matter?
When you think of self-care, you might first think of things like 11-step skincare routines and bubble baths, but self-care is so much more than that. It’s all about taking time to nourish yourself in ways that feel relaxing, healing, and inspiring.
Imagine your best friend was going through a hard time. What types of things would you do to support her? Send her encouraging text messages, maybe give her a call to check in at the end of the day, or even drop off a small thoughtful gift.
These are all ways that we can also show ourselves some TLC. It’s about the small daily practices that fill out cups and help us recharge so we can thrive in our daily lives.
If you’re not sure what makes you feel taken care of, it might be helpful to spend a moment reflecting on how you like to show love.
I love to think about it in the context of the 5 Love Languages. Originally developed to describe how we show and receive love in romantic relationships, the love languages have broader applicability for how we love our family, friends, and ourselves.
While you don’t need to fit into just one category, many of us rely on one or two love languages more than others when we endeavor to show those around us our love.
- Words of Affirmation – Verbal acknowledgements are a classic way to communicate your affection.
- Quality Time – You show and receive love through spending quality time with those in your inner circle.
- Act of Service – Acts of service include all kinds of ways that you endeavor to make someone’s life easier, whether that means bringing them soup when they’re sick or offering to help them move.
- Gifts – This is an easy one. If you’re someone who likes to give and receive gifts you likely communicate love through this gesture.
- Physical Touch – This includes all kinds of physical affection from small caring gestures to heartfelt hugs.
And the funny part? Normally, we like to receive love in similar ways to how we show it – even to ourselves.
So if you’re someone who loves to give and receive gifts, you might also enjoy a little token of love from you to you.
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The Different Types of Self-Care
Did you know that there are 5 different types of self-care? Reflecting on each of the core areas of your life, self-care applies to your physical health, emotional health, social health, intellectual health, and spiritual health.
- Intellectual Self-Care – Your inner world is where you spend a lot of your time and it’s important to nurture intellectual stimulus to keep your brain sharp.
- Physical Self-Care – Things like eating healthy, getting regular exercise, and high-quality sleep are physical needs that require intentional physical self-care.
- Emotional Self-Care – Taking time to feel and process your emotional needs in a healthy way is a super important aspect of mental self-care.
- Spiritual Self-Care – For many cultivating your spiritual side is an important aspect of meeting your mental health needs. This can look totally different for different people.
- Social Self-Care – Whether you’re an extrovert or introvert, we all need social connections. Building healthy interpersonal relationships is an essential pillar of health and wellbeing.
Why Self-Care Routines Make a Difference in Your Health and Happiness
Just like all aspects of life, it can be hard to make time for something when we haven’t made it a part of our routines. Establishing a consistent self-care routine means creating healthy habits and carving out “me-time” on a consistent basis.
These self-care routine lists are designed to provide a foundation for stability, making it easier to show yourself some self-love.
4 Tips for Building a Self-Care Routine That Sticks
Creating new habits and routines can be hard, but there are some tried and tested strategies that make it a little easier. Here are some tips to get you started:
- Start Small – Starting really small will help you build momentum without feeling overwhelmed.
- Customize to You – There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to self-care, so customize your routines to fit what works for you.
- Keep Track – Habit trackers, journaling, and reminders can all help you keep track of your consistency
- Remove Guilt – Self-criticism and guilt will lead you to develop a negative association with the habit or self-care routine. Instead, be flexible and give yourself some grace.
Creating Your Personal Self-Care Plan
The best way to prioritize your overall health and wellness is to create a personalized self-care plan that lines up with your individual needs and daily life. Setting aside time for your self-care routines can have tons of benefits for your physical and emotional health, increasing your resilience in the face of challenging situations.
One way you can achieve this is to set aside time for a bit of self-care on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. Just put it in your calendar and honor the commitment to yourself. When the time comes, you can always reference one of these self-care routine list ideas for inspiration.
9 Self-Care Routine List Ideas for Every Occasion
Self-Care Morning Routine
- Drink a large glass of water to rehydrate your body
- Enjoy a short meditation or mindfulness session (5-10 minutes)
- Prepare a delicious and healthy breakfast
- Write in a gratitude journal for 5 minutes
- Repeat your morning affirmations
Self-Care Night Routine
- Turn off electronics at least 30 minutes before bedtime
- Take 5 minutes to enjoy your nighttime skincare routine
- Make a soothing cup of herbal tea
- Read a relaxing book or listen to calming music
- Get into bed at or before your set “bedtime”
Self-Care after a Long, Hard Day
- Take a soothing bath or hot shower
- Do 15 minutes of gentle yoga or light stretching
- Make a calming herbal tea and enjoy it without distractions
- Follow a 10-minute relaxing meditation
- Read a cozy or comforting book
- Rewatch an episode of one of your favorite shows
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Self-Care for When You’re Feeling Low
- Spend 15 minutes journaling your thoughts and feelings
- Put on your favorite uplifting playlist (bonus points for dancing along!)
- Take a walk in nature and try to focus on your 5 senses
- Call a friend or family member
- Write an uplifting affirmation on a Post-it and carry it with you
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Self-Care for Energized, Motivated Days
- Wake up a bit earlier and enjoy a long, nourishing morning routine
- Take 15 to 30 minutes to curate inspiring images and create a mini vision board
- Try out a new hobby or creative project
- Clean or organize one area of your home
- Go for a run or do a high-energy workout
- Lock in your social calendar for the month ahead
Self-Care for Rainy Sundays or Cozy Evenings
- Create a home spa and give yourself a facial, pedicure, or hair treatment
- Light a candle and curl up with your favorite book
- Bake a healthy treat!
- Break out a new puzzle or board game
- Relax with a soothing playlist
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Self-Care After a Stressful Week
- Write a list of everything you accomplished in the past week and take a moment to feel proud of yourself
- Do a digital detox whether for 15 minutes or a whole day
- Take a leisurely walk in nature
- Go to a yin yoga class
- Plan quality time with loved ones
- Ensure you are getting enough sleep to wake up feeling energized
Self-Care for Special Moments
- Buy yourself some flowers (or something else meaningful)
- Write yourself a congratulations or thank you letter
- Plan a celebration with friends or family (or by yourself)
- Enjoy your favorite meal or dessert
- Pick up a couple of face masks and give yourself an at-home facial
Self-Care for Breakups
- Create time in your calendar to be alone and process grief
- Journal about your experience and feelings
- Engage in gentle physical activities like walks, stretching, and yoga
- Start a new creative project
- Ensure you’re spending time with those that make you feel loved
- Take a break from social media whether that be for one day or one month
Download Your Free Printable Daily Self-Care Checklist!
Looking for tips and tricks to stay on track with your self-care routine?
Download our free printable self-care checklist PDF and put it somewhere you’ll see it as a daily reminder to take a little time for you.
Plus, it’s super easy to customize your self-care plan, so no matter what’s on your daily self-care checklist, you can make it totally your own.
FAQ
What are some easy 5-minute self-care ideas I can get started with?
Some quick and easy self-care ideas include stretching, guided meditations, journaling, and breathing exercises.
What is a Self-Care Routine?
A self-care routine is a small self care checklist you incorporate into your daily routine in order to show yourself some love and nurture your mind and body.
How Do I Make Self-Care a Habit?
Start small, choose enjoyable activities, set reminders, track progress, and remain flexible to build sustainable habits. A little effort can go a really long way!
Final Thoughts
When it comes to showing yourself some love so that you can show up as your best self each and every day, self-care is a powerful tool.
It’s about filling your own cup so that you can thrive and live out your full potential.
When life gets busy, it’s easy to neglect self-care but when we do so, we cannot show up as the best and most productive versions of ourselves for those around us. After all, you can’t pour from an empty cup.
But even small acts of self-love can go a really long way.
That’s why we’ve created these self-care routine list ideas for every occasion.
Our goal is just to take some of the thinking out of it and give you easy ways to show up for yourself.
Self-care matters and you deserve it!
Sending love,
P.S. Don’t forget to download the free daily self-care checklist.
A small note to my readers– Over here at VLHhealth, we occasionally include affiliate links in our posts. This means that if you purchase using our links, we will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
You Might Also Like:
- The Ultimate Daily Self-Care Checklist (+ Free Printable PDF!)
- 31 Healing Emotional Self-Care Practices Every Woman Should Know
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Posted By: Victoria · In: personal growth, self-care, self-care ideas, stress relief
