9 Expert Self Care Idea’s – that you can do today!

This article shares 9 expert self care idea’s to try today.

The other day I met up with a friend who I hadn’t seen since the first lock down. We talked about this past year and the things we learned from 2020. I noticed we both had taken the time to focus on our own wellbeing, mentally and physically. It made me wonder if others dealt with uncertainty the same way.

In early November was when I started to feel the effects of this past year. It was right around our busy season for the blog, and I was spending more time working and caring for everyone but myself. I slowly started having more frequent panic attacks and anxious feelings, that led to burn out which lasted months. It wasn’t until I made a phone call to my doctor that I realized I needed to take some time out for myself, and start focusing on my own self care.

“When we think about self care we often think of long baths or getting enough sleep. But we don’t realize that self care is often hidden within our daily habits and rituals.”

– stephanie vainer

We knew this was a topic we wanted to explore more, and we reached out to some friends who are also experts in health and wellness field—to get their best self care idea’s.

11 self care ideas from health experts

1. Being outside in nature

It’s no surprise that our health and wellness experts all had similar self care idea’s, especially when it was about spending time outdoors. In fact doctors have been prescribing being in nature for a variety of issues, from chronic stress, to generalized anxiety. As a Native American and growing up on a reserve, our biggest advantage to life’s struggles was always to go out doors. In fact I don’t remember a time in my life where nature hasn’t healed me in some form.

2. Make a list of things that bring you joy

Our experts shared one of their favourite ways to promote self care. “Make a list of all the things that bring you joy, and not just focusing on the necessities like hygiene and health.” It’s important to connect with the positives, letting go of all the negatives in the process. Sometimes that can look like creating a daily journal to share simple joys of each day. It helps you connect with your purpose and focus on the important things in life.

3. Start each day with either silence or meditation

While this might not be the easiest of all our self care idea’s, especially as a parent. But it’s one I’m working on by simply going to bed earlier and waking up before anyone else. It’s the few minutes during the day that I get to myself, and my own thoughts. It’s important for me to begin a day on the right foot, and to set the tone for the rest of the day.

4. Practicing gratitude every single day

The art of practicing gratitude is a journey, and one I’ve been working hard on understanding more of. A few ways I’ve been practicing gratitude is by working on mindfulness, daily exercise, and appreciating life even it’s challenges. One of my favourite tips is from Janet Miller, “Once you are feeling the endorphins flow, showing gratitude will become even easier and you’ll start to be able to make list after list of all the things in your life you’re thankful for”.

5. Set boundaries

Setting boundaries and learning to say no has made a massive difference in my personal life, and also in my career. It meant creating a healthy boundary with social media, and toxic relationships. It’s a balancing act that requires you to establish healthy boundaries for yourself and sometimes your children too. But setting boundaries is one of the first steps to self care. It means you value yourself, your wellness and your goals.

6. Find something you love doing.

I feel lucky that my career is something I actually love doing, and that it also feeds my soul. It’s not every day we get to experience that. During my journey of self care and gratitude, I’ve learned to lean into things that give me a sense of purpose and joy. You could even say that a benefit of doing something you love is also an act of self care.

7. Do something good for your body

Me and my husband have had many conversations over the past few months about what we can do for our health at home. Now that the world seems to be shutting down so often, we knew investing in ourselves would be a good idea. So last month we bought a elliptical and let me tell you, it has not only changed our physical health but also our mental health. My husband struggled with his mood in the past and since he started regularly working out it’s changed so much for him and it’s become his favourite form of self care.

8. Check in with yourself daily

These self care idea’s are all equally as important, but my favourite is to have an honest conversation with yourself every single day. Our health and wellness expert wrote, “There are so many different ways to practice self care that it’s overwhelming to think about doing it all”. It’s important to check in with yourself about what you need, “to ask yourself if this self care activity is aligned with your goals and how you want to feel”.

9. Get enough sleep

The most universal of all the self care idea’s is the topic of sleep. We’ve all heard a million people tell us how important sleep is to our over all health. But I’m here to tell you they’re right, because sleep can literally save lives. It’s never been more important in our daily lives that we focus on things we can control, like sleep. Especially if you’re like me, then you’ve probably experienced a few sleepless nights or even had insomniac tendencies in the past. Which is why I’ve been taking self care so seriously. It’s become more of a ritual for me, and every one of these self care idea’s have prepped my body and mind in some way to have a good sleep.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned when it comes to these tried and true self care idea’s, is that we have to do what works for us. We need to be honest with our selves, our needs and the create our own rituals from there. Not everything will work for everyone, but our health and wellness experts shared tips that have personally helped them over the past year. Hopefully, you can take one or all of our self care idea’s and use them in your own self care routines.

For more self care idea’s check out these posts:

Finding time for self-care in a busy world

My Story of Prenatal Anxiety and Depression

How to use a jade roller + all the benefits