Self Care Ideas 101: Top 15 Ways You Can Hit Reset After a Long Day!

You may be a high school student, an adult in college, or a working professional; No matter what, you need a break. We get it more than you think we do! Self-love is vital for taking care of yourself, and it can include doing activities that make you feel good. Yes, it’s as simple as that.

This article could go on and on, but due to the word limit and the consideration of our readers’ valuable time, we will look at 15 ideas that can help you practice self love easily.

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What Is Self Love and Self Care, Are They Same?

Well, they are the same. But they are two sides of the same coin; they go hand in hand, and one cannot exist without the other. The practice of self-care is an integral part of taking care of yourself as well as your overall health. It is the highest form of self care if you ask me.

Be it going for a walk, cooking for yourself or your loved ones, or dancing without a care. They all qualify as self love and hence, self care. From keeping one day to practice it to taking time out every day for it – there’s no set time. The concept of self love and self care ‘shot up to fame’ after the pandemic. This is when people were reporting the highest percentages of burnout and other mental health issues.

Self care ideas for mental health are one of the most searched topics for anyone interested in the data. The idea that self care does not help must be shunned as people who have practiced it can tell you first-hand that it works wonders!

This might come as a shocking revelation, but even sleeping and eating on time, drinking water to keep yourself hydrated are all self care ideas! So, if we think about it, we’ve been taking care of ourselves as a form of self-love since we were kids! Getting an appropriate amount of sleep is essential to taking care of yourself.

Moreover, with all the recent trends of cottage core and whatnot, self care has been a part of top trending ideas all over the internet. Popular social media platforms are filled with ideas for the users to practice self care. However, taking care of your mental health is an essential part of the trend. It would be best if you practiced self care activities to improve your mental health.

Self Care Ideas: Why They Are Important for Your Mental Hygiene!

Mental health is an essential aspect of overall wellbeing as it has been shown to relate to physical complications directly. For instance, stress is one of the primary factors for the development of several issues, such as high blood pressure.

This is appalling when you look at the data that’s out there. You need to understand that prioritizing mental health is just as important, if not more, as looking after your physical health. Self care for anxiety is another aspect of these routines where you are

A simple theory that works for me is – if you aren’t taking care of your mental health, all the hard work that you put into taking care of your physical health can nullify.

As per psychologists and top experts, there is an increasing need for mental health hygiene, now more than ever! There exist significant disparities between the way we handle our mental health versus our physical health. The primary reason for this drastic difference is the lack of normalizing taking care of our mental health. The stereotypes and taboos around the topic fuel this.

Society frowns upon and even ignores mental health and its restoration. However, due to the awareness through social media and active advocacy, things are looking up. It is discussed more online, reaching news channels and talk shows. Where influential people talk about taking care of themselves to look after their responsibilities.

This helps take the conversation forward and ensures that more people focus on their mental health. When influential people such as celebrities or social media stars talk about mental health, they help those who are struggling to talk about their mental health seek professional help.

What Is Mental Health Hygiene?

Mental health hygiene refers to any activity that helps maintain mental health wellness, increasing resilience and preventing severe burnout. It can comprise any “tool” (basically activity) that enables you to improve your mental health. It can be quiet time to yourself, practicing an activity that keeps you calm, such as meditation. There’s no limit!

The only criterion for an activity to qualify as a self-care activity is that it should bring you mental peace. It may be painting, walking, listening to music, or anything else that allows for relaxing.

Living a healthy life is essential for many reasons, the most important being living a long life with your loved ones. A healthy life is living without any issues related to your physical, mental, or emotional wellbeing. Doing things that make you happy and feel good, for which you may need to do helpful things.

The idea of holistic wellbeing was introduced recently in everyone’s lives after the pandemic hit all of us out of the blue. Everyone was stuck at home, coping with the situation outside and the uncertainty that hit us. Amidst all of this, mental health issues saw a rise as people were confined to their homes. So much so that there was also a rise in alcohol sales, among other things people were stocking up on. People were forced to ask questions such as “Does alcohol cause depression?”

Why Is That A Problem? 

The definition of mental health abuse isn’t just depression or PTSD. It also includes trauma that may be inflicted by people around us or a situation that someone witnessed. Thus, when people are stuck at home, there is also a possibility that they were forced to face their trauma or sit with the issues that have been plaguing them for a long time.

This is when people discovered self-care routines and sought online professional help. Seeking professional help is always the first option that anyone facing issues with their mental health should seek. However, it is only sometimes available to a person. This is why maintaining a routine helps in avoiding an overwhelming situation.

If you’ve had professional mental health counseling before, you would know this: The one piece of advice that they give is to maintain a healthy routine where we take time out of our busy schedules to relax and prioritize our mental well-being.

This is not an age-specific or gender-specific issue; essentially, anyone can experience mental health issues. The only difference is that one’s experience may differ from the other’s in the duration of its expertise. This requires the self care ideas to be specific to one’s needs. For example, a person who likes painting might appreciate something other than adding reading books to their list of self-care ideas.

Self care ideas are an essential topic to discuss owing to the rising number of mental health issues reported in the past couple of years. For instance, there has been an upward trend of depression since the 2010s, which saw a particular rise in the recent past. In 2022, at least one in every five adolescents was suffering from a major depressive episode.

This raises a concern as the number goes upward each year, and there have been significant repercussions on the overall health of such individuals. There is a significant trend that remains, a prominent percentage of adolescent individuals reporting mental health issues. How do we solve this?

Top 15 Self Care Ideas You Must Add To Your Routine (No. 10 Is A Must-Try!)

Solving mental health issues does not just include having a routine where you are taking care of yourself. It also involves seeking professional help when the symptoms are prominent, and the stress you may face is too much to handle. The primary agenda of taking care of your mental health daily is to ensure there isn’t an overload of stress. Breathing exercises for anxiety are another one of the popular ideas that can help you take care of your mental health.

This helps prevent burnout and keeps your overall mental health in check. The following list shares all the top ideas you can add to your daily routine. Have a look:

1. Sit with your thoughts

This habit allows you to take care of your thoughts and check if they are going in the negative direction. It’s hampering your mental health more than doing it good. This finds its way into the list of self care ideas because it is a crucial step in maintaining your well-being.

This time will help you to self-reflect and check what needs your attention. It is also essential that you are actively doing this. Sometimes, when we are engaged in other activities, we are expected to lose touch with our thoughts, pushing them away. So, adding this idea to your self care routine will help you contemplate your thoughts and process the emotions trying to get your attention.

2. Read a book for an hour every day.

Reading a book for an hour helps cultivate your thoughts, especially if you are reading a self-help book on mental health. This will help you get a better understanding of your wellbeing while also ensuring that there is a break from your monotonous routine.

Be it a professional environment or an academic one, a significant amount of pressure is evident. Some people enjoy taking the stress or pressure, while others have a different perspective. Neither is wrong. The former group tends to run into burnout sooner and more frequently.

Hard work is always appreciated. However, recent times have reflected that brilliant work gets rewarded more. Thus, you can crack the code without wrecking a nerve and still be good at what you do. No number of accolades will help solve your mental health issue that comes from being overworked.

This is where you need to pick the correct time to take your breaks so that you are an efficient worker with an efficiently working body that is holistically healed.

Reading is a great way to relax when there’s been a surge of information your brain constantly processes. If you are a student, reading as a form of self care will not just help your mental health, but it will also give you a fantastic vocabulary.

3. Go flower picking

This is a quirky thing to do as a form of self care. Not many people see flower picking as a great activity that can help theory mental health. However, this activity is a great one when you are an aesthete. An aesthete is a person who loves nature, art, and other things that are calming on their own.

But don’t think that you do not qualify to be a flower-picker if you aren’t an aesthete. It was an example that can help you understand the appeal of this idea. So, if you have never tried being in nature to escape the noise in your head, I suggest you try! This idea is a personal favorite, and you will thoroughly enjoy it. Moreover, who does not like a bouquet of flowers sitting atop one’s shelf?

4. Try fruit-picking

Like flower picking, fruit picking is another way to be in nature while healing your mental health. Fruits and flowers are all parts of nature that help in soothing your senses while improving your mental health. This is why fruit picking has become a significant part of self care ideas.

5. Put on a face mask.

An essential step in your skincare routine can be a form of self care as well! You were already aware of the soothing effects of this product, but here’s why it is an excellent idea for you. Putting on a face mask as a form of self care does not just elevate your skincare routine, but it also gives you the time to unwind and relax. This is one of the reasons why relaxing and skincare routines go hand-in-hand.

6. Try cooking a new recipe or an old one!

Have you noticed why so many people enjoy cooking? Well, one of the reasons it is a great idea to add to your self care routine is because of the way it helps you unwind. Cooking is an excellent form of self care; some may even call it therapeutic, and there’s no denying that. You do not have to take our word for it. Try it yourself and see.

7. Taking a bubble bath

This one’s a fancy self care idea that always works to be a great pick-me-up! A bubble bath does not have to be fancy, akin to the movies. Just make it the fancier version you like. Add your favorite essential oil and bath salts, or relax in a bathtub full of warm water to take away the week’s burden.

8. Knit, sew, or crochet!

All three activities are great ways to declutter your mind. How? Well, when you are knitting or crocheting, you are focused on the task at hand, rather than letting your mind wander everywhere. Through this activity, you are less distracted and pay attention to the present moment. There are studies that back this up saying that working the same pattern helps in calming the heartbeat and breathing.

9. Get a DIY kit

A DIY kit is helpful when you do not have the proper creative skills, but you want to engage in a creative activity. DIY kits are great tools for people who want to start a hobby to untangle their thoughts.

10. Journalling

The best way to unwind and take care of your mental health is journaling. One of the most popular activities that has been keeping people of all age groups sane, putting your thoughts into a journal can be a lucrative way to take care of yourself.

Journaling can be done anytime, anywhere, and can be done to keep track of your professional progress, personal progress, or any other aspect of your life that you are currently working on. So, you must give this idea a try if you want to test its efficacy.

11. Creating a list of things that are taking your attention

A list of things that annoy you? Now, this idea’s something that will give you a space to release the pent-up emotions. The way you process your feelings is an important part of taking care of yourself. So, this one makes it to the list of self care ideas, and you can modify it to suit your needs. For example, make a list of things that are causing you distress. Negative attention anywhere is bad and will cost you your mental peace.

12. Dance to your favorite music

Dancing is a form of therapy, that’s something well-established a long time ago. When you dance to your favorite song, you can actually help you let loose and take away your stress. Dancing as a self care idea helps you express your emotions or any thoughts that you may have been keeping inside you for too long.

So, put on your favorite music and get groovin’!

13. Connect with your loved ones

Connecting with your loved ones is a form of self care as it reminds you of your roots and who ‘your people’ are. Catch up with your friends and family every week or month and see how your mental health gets a boost.

This will give you (and them) a channel to unload thoughts, through which you may even find a solution. Sometimes, finding a solution is not what we want, it’s also being able to share your thoughts without judgement. Speaking with your loved ones will give you that avenue, and then when you want to listen to their opinion on it, you can just ask!

14. Declutter your space

Decluttering your space isn’t just good for your mental health, it also makes your surrounding look clean. There is a great theory that when you declutter your space, you are also decluttering your mind. So, if there’s an area in your home or office space that particularly draws your attention, clear it up. You’ll find a way through your thoughts as well.

15. Schedule a me-time for yourself in your calendar

Ending the list with one of the best self care ideas – me-time. Dedicating a specific time for your own use will help you prioritize yourself. When you take time out for yourself, you love yourself. This sends a positive signal to your brain, saying you are listening to its needs.

Conclusion

This was all on the self care ideas that can help you take a day off from your stress. The article also discusses all the ways you can improve your daily routine through those ideas.

Self care ideas are an important topic to discuss owing to the rising number of mental health issues reported in the past couple of years. Be sure to consult a professional if you are experiencing mental health symptoms.