Ready to hit the snooze button on work for a day and need ideas on what to do?
Are you looking for ways to enjoy the impact of a self-care day that can be enjoyed in minutes?
Completely unsure of what a self-care day even is?
In this post, we will explore 63 not-so-basic self care day ideas that both men and women can enjoy. And to top it off, I’ll show you how you can create your own self-care day special just for you.
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For those of you who are new to the idea of self-care and taking care of yourself because you’re used to shining a light on everyone else’s needs and making it your life’s achievement to take care of others. [Too soon?]
Let me fill you in on the beauty and vitality of self-care and what self-care days are all about.
In it’s simplest explanation, self-care is about taking all that focus you give to…
making sure Johnny has his lunchbox for school so as not to miss a meal, and that Sarah has enough air in her tires to avoid being late to work, and providing yourself with the same attention to care and detail.
When you give all of your energy and focus to others you are subconsciously telling yourself that you don’t matter as much or deserve the same kind of attention. Or worst yet, you expect someone else to give it to you. I’ve spent most of my life filling this bag of lies and the last several years setting that bag on fire.
And I know self-care may be a new practice to adopt, but dear ones, you deserve it. You deserve to give yourself full attention, love, and care. And the perfect way to start is by taking a self-care day or as I say, a “me moment.”
Sometimes our minds and bodies require us to take a moment to gather ourselves. That may require an entire day, a bunch of days, or mere moments.
The following list is based on activities you can accomplish in minutes for a quick reboot whether you need self-care day ideas at work or self-care day ideas at home.
If you want a deeper dive into self-care and how to effectively apply it in your life with ease then check out this article >> What Really is Self-care and How to Set Effective Self-care Goals.
25 Self care Day Ideas to Enjoy at Work
1| Organize your desk/workspace
2| Plan workspace redecoration
3| Re-decorate workspace
4| Find a quiet space inside
And I have found just sitting on the toilet to work wonders especially if you share space with someone else.
5| Take a walk outside
6| Wander around the office
7| Sit in your car
8| Enjoy your fifth cup of joe
…pouring myself another cup right now. Cheers!
9| Send a kind email to a co-worker
10| Send yourself a kind email from your work email
11| Enjoy a solo lunch date
12| Audio record or write out what’s bothering you
I have so many audio recordings that I’ve lost count. I swear you’re not talking to yourself, but your future self, so it’s less creepy and uber-effective.
13| Search for a new podcast with quick episodes to enjoy during a quick break
Please share your favorite quick episode podcasts in the comments. In search of some suggestions myself…or maybe I’ll create one? 💡
14| Replace your afternoon break of mindless social media scrolling with tuning into a fave podcast episode
15| Go outside and smell the literal roses
Unless you’re a marine biologist then you might have to bring a rose-scented spray to work.
16| Splash some water on your face and tell yourself something nice in the mirror
17|Take a moment to look at the photo of your kids
Furry kids absolutely count!
18| Give your kids a quick call
Furry kids may not count here. 😕
19| Go somewhere and catch your breath
20| Make plans to meet a friend after work
21| Send your friend a silly gif
22| Listen to your self-care playlist
23| Leave work early and go get a massage
24| Go find someone to hug
Preferably someone you know or are into hugging strangers.
25| Set a timer and enjoy a good daydream session
25 Self care Day Ideas to Enjoy at Home
1| Snooze your alarm
Actually, just turn it off and sleep in for once.
2| Enjoy your coffee outdoors
3| Enjoy a little spiked coffee recipe
4| Go for an early morning walk and catch the sunrise
5| Take a hot morning bath (bring your spiked coffee along)
6| While washing your face tell yourself something amazing
You HAVE to watch this clip from Jenifer Lewis of Black-ish. What she tells herself every morning really inspired me.
7| Make up your bed
This is a love language for me.
8| Re-read some of your favorite books
9| Do some journaling in a different area of the home
10| Have a massage therapist come to your home
11| Watch a comedy sketch
12| Cook your favorite meal
I say do this even if you live with other people. Sometimes you just want to eat what you want for a change.
13| Phone up a favorite loved one
“Favorite” does not mean your lovely yet complaining cousin…ick 😯
14| Unplug and just enjoy the quiet space
15| Disrupt the quiet, by cranking up the tunes
16| Dress up in your favorite outfit (costume) and wear it around the house
My favorite outfit happens to be sequins and fuzzy slippers! What will yours be? I’d love to know!
17| Refresh your morning routine
18| Plan an indoor picnic
19| Plan a private sip and paint evening
20|Write surprise cards to your favorite people
21| Bake the yummiest treat to replace the smell of a candle
22| Plan your self-care trip
23| Explore your self-care box
24| Work on your adult coloring book
25| Get prepared for your solo date night
Extra Ideas for Self care Day Out
1| Take yourself on a solo date
Preferably somewhere fabulous! Whatever fabulous is to you? Maybe that’s where meals are in courses or where you can choose the temperature of your steak. Hell, maybe simply where your kids are not for an evening is fab. Go with it!
2| Setup a photoshoot for yourself
3| Pack a charcuterie board (wine is obviously included) and hike to a place with a view
4| Take a day trip to the beach or lake
5| Take your book or journal and go to a nice cafe and order a bottle of wine 😆
This is my Self-care day out go-to.
6| Spend the day in your (or a) garden
7| Go museum hopping
8| Go park hopping searching for the best bench to sit and breath
2 Ways to Create Your Own Self care Day Ideas
Now you have these great and (might I add) original lists of self-care day ideas that you can use when you’re at work, at home, or just need to take a day somewhere else. But maybe you have a specific interest or way to enjoy your own company that I missed.
One way that you can create your own ideas is to base them on your love language.
Dr. Gary Chapman, the author of The 5 Love Languages observed that people give and receive love in 1 to 5 ways: 1) Physical Touch, 2) Acts of Service, 3) Gifting, 4) Quality Time, and 5) Words of Affirmation. I believe the same level of love we hope to experience with others should and can be enjoyed with ourselves.
Some examples of self-care ideas based on different love languages could be:
Physical Touch: Cuddle in a cozy blanket on the sofa with a warm drink
Acts of Service: Bake your absolute favorite dessert that you never get to enjoy
Gifting: Schedule flowers or a gift to be sent to your office
Quality Time: Work on an intense puzzle solo (you’ll learn a lot about yourself!)
Words of Affirmation: Write a song with lyrics about yourself
Want to find out what your love language is? Take a free quiz here!
The second way, you can create your own self-care ideas is to look around your home.
Do you have a basement filled with nostalgic interests you’ve buried away? (Super Nintendo, anyone?)
Do you have baskets of unfinished sewing and crochet projects (like me) you’d love to finish?
Is an organized kitchen the key to an easy self-care morning routine? Get to organizing then!
The beauty of self-care is as long as you are doing something that brings you closer to yourself, makes taking care of yourself easier, and makes you the star of the moment … it is time well spent because you deserve time with, you.
You my friend are wonderful and amazing and enchanting and beautifully imperfect!
If you don’t believe me, I challenge you to a self-care duel. If you don’t feel like all the things I’ve mentioned after completing at least 30 out of the 63 self-care day ideas I’ve laid out for you, I’ll owe you a big fat … well we’ll just have to wait and see what it is! 😛
Cheers, dear ones!
Until next time…
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I hope you’ve enjoyed the post: 63 Not-so-basic Self care Day Ideas Worth Trying Right Now For Women & Men and found it helpful. If you are interested in taking me up on my SELF-CARE DUEL aka 30-Day Challenge, please send me a message on ➡ Instagram.
