Simple Self-Care Practices to Start Today

Self-care isn’t dead, it’s just different.

Self-care was a huge buzz word a few years ago, but many so-called self-care articles focused on solo vacations to Bali, quitting your soul-sucking day job, and spending an exorbitant amount of money. Even the more reasonable articles tried to force self-care practices on readers that may not be the best for them.

Now don’t get me wrong, there were a lot of good articles going around at that time, and I read more than a few of them. But the mainstream self-care narrative was “you’re not doing self-care if you aren’t doing XYZ,” with XYZ being expensive, time consuming, or just not your jam.

I’m here to argue that self-care is still super important and the self-care movement isn’t dead, it’s just changed a bit. Now when we talk about self-care, we talk about the small things you do for yourself throughout the week, like drinking tea before bed or subscribing to that trashy magazine you love. Self-care doesn’t have to be time consuming or expensive for it to be worthwhile.

When is the last time you made time for yourself? How long has it been since you read a book because you wanted to or took an afternoon off for a nap? 

If you asked me this a few years ago, I would have laughed. I didn’t think I needed “me” time and I certainly wasn’t going to take time out of my busy schedule for it. Now that I’ve grown a bit, I understand the importance of making time for myself and have learned that no busy schedule is too busy for self-care.

In other words, you are not too busy for self-care.

And if you are looking for a sign or for someone to give you permission to spend some time on yourself…

THIS IS YOUR SIGN and THIS IS YOUR PERMISSION.

Practicing self-care is pretty straight forward. You just need take time each day (or week) to do something nice for you.

That might seem like a huge commitment for you, but somewhere in your schedule there is a tiny chunk of time you can dedicate to yourself. You don’t need to do yoga, wake up at 5 am, or meditate unless you want to.

Self-care can be as simple as drinking coffee in your favorite mug instead of taking it to go.

Below are some simple self-care ideas, but remember, it’s only self-care if it makes you feel good.

• Journal.
• Think of one thing you’re grateful for while you drive to work or school.
• Do something enjoyable first thing in the morning (e.g., drink tea and read a book).
• Drink tea (or coffee or anything you love) in a quiet space. When it’s nice out, I drink tea on the deck.
• Put your phone on Do Not Disturb in the evening and early morning. Trust me, this is excellent self-care.
• Only check your email at one or two scheduled times each day (and keep those scheduled times away from bedtime and first thing in the morning).
• Take a day off (or an afternoon off) when you feel mentally drained and exhausted.
• Take a sick day when you need it.
• Spend time in nature. Take the time to enjoy the beauty of it. Smell the air, feel the breeze on your skin. Maybe take your kids, dog, cat, or friend on a walk.
• Get enough sleep.
• Get enough sleep, again. Yes, I know I already said that, but it’s worth mentioning again.
• Write down all of the cool things you’ve done in your life. Revisit this list when you feel like you “haven’t really lived.”
• Buy the damn latte.

I have tried a lot of different self-care techniques and these are the ones that really resonated with me. I do some of these everyday (e.g., journaling and spending time outside), but I only practice some when I’m feeling really worn out and just need to recharge (e.g., taking the day off).

Just taking a minute to focus on yourself can make the world of a difference. Since actively practicing self-care, it’s easier for me to get work done, focus in class, and fall asleep at night. Even just drinking a cup of tea on the deck makes me feel more relaxed and ready to take on the day.

A note from future Laramie: This post was originally written in 2018 when I was in grad school. While I no longer religiously practice yoga and drink tea on the porch, I’m still a huge advocate of doing small things – like turning your phone on Do Not Disturb – to take care of yourself. Oh, and don’t forget to get enough sleep.