SELF-CARE IDEAS from A to Z
One person’s self-care can be another person’s stress so you need to choose the ones that work for you. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up, show up, and never give up.
The ideas are listed alphabetically as this can be a quick and easy way to both brainstorm and plan self-care activities. You may like to add your own ideas to this list!
A - aromatherapy, art, apps, apple picking, athletics
B - bath, breathing, bike riding, baking, brain exercises, boxing to relieve your stress, buy yourself a present
C - caring for others, caring for myself, call a friend, cooking, chat, cricket, cleaning, count backwards from 100 (Bonus: in a different language), concert
D - dancing, driving, drawing, drumming, draw
F - friends, fun, focus on what’s happening around you, foster self-forgiveness, find a hobby, flirt, finger paint
G - gardening, gliding, going fishing, going to a movie, get support, go to a friend , get “me” time, go on dates, get coffee with a friend
H - humour, holding hands, hugs, hopeful
I - imagining, igloo building (someone really did put this!)
J - jokes, joyful activities, journal
K - knitting, kite flying, kisses,
L - loving, laughter, lacrosse, library visits, learning yoga or meditation, listening to quiet and relaxing music, which impacts your heart rate, learn to say “NO”, look at happy pictures
M - massage, meditation, medications, mindfulness, museum visits (free), make a vision board, music
N - novels, new experiences, nanna naps, new project
O - orienteering, opera, origami, organize your room
P - playing, practicing meditation, pets, park visits, plating your favourite sport, practice breathing techniques, pillow fight, painting, play an instrument, practice asking and receiving help, plan a dream vacation,
Q - quiet time, questions, quests
R - reading, relaxation, rogaining, relaxing games, regular medical care, read a self help book, rest
S - shopping, sleeping, swinging, singing, sweeping, swimming, set short term goals, say “YOU ARE GORGEOUS!” to yourself, safe housing, self reflection, stress ball, self-care, self-improvement, show
T - tv, talking, training, take your medications, take time out, taking a bath, tennis, think about positive things, turn off cell phone, think about your positive qualities, take a class, therapy, theater, think of happiness
U - uplifting experiences or people
V - vacuuming, volunteer for a project
W - whistling, walking, watching a DVD, word associating game, create a word from the last letter, work on a new project, watch sunsets, write some letters or cards
X - x-box, xylophone playing
titsay
stormborns
ellievsbear
andulkaphoto
gummygunk
tangentwithtanner
turnnoffyourmind
gracieabrams
