100 Magical Self-Care Ideas To Start Immediately

In a recent episode of The GenTwenty Podcast, Marina and I discussed what self-care really is as well as how we differentiate self-care from self-soothers. You can listen to the episode here (it’s worth it, I promise!) but to give you a short preview, what it boils down to is that self-care and self-soothers are both important in the way we take care of ourselves.

Self-care and self-soothers can be similar, but they can also be different. It depends a lot on what the meaning behind the action is for you. What you want to do and what you need to do might be in conflict, and sometimes they might be aligned. Self-care is about balance and checking in with ourselves on a regular basis.

With that said, here are 100 magical self-care ideas to start incorporating into your self-care routine on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. 

100 Magical Self-Care Ideas To Start Immediately

1. Say “no” when you really want to.
2. Eat a healthy meal with at least three vegetables.
3. Call a loved one.
4. Turn off your phone for the night.
5. Unfollow accounts on Instagram that make you feel bad about yourself.
6. Read a book you relate to.
7. Start journaling.
8. Light a candle with your favorite scent.
9. Take a long, hot bubble bath.
10. Exfoliate your entire body.
11. Treat yourself to a new outfit you feel great in.
12. Wash your sheets with a few drops of essential oils.
13. Evaluate your schedule – are you happy with everything you do?
14. Ask yourself where you want to be in five years.
15. Have an honest conversation with your significant other or close friend.
16. Watch a favorite TV show.
17. Bake a dozen of your favorite cookies.
18. Clean out your closet.
19. Wash your makeup brushes.
20. Listen to a podcast on a self-help topic.
21. Watch a few TED Talks.
22. Snuggle with a baby or a puppy.
23. Cut ties with a toxic person.
24. Paint your nails.
25. Do some exercise you enjoy.
26. Try meditation. 
27. Stand up for something you believe in.
28. Go to therapy.
29. Identify your negative self-talk.
30. Set a reading goal on Goodreads.
31. Change your routine and do something you wouldn’t normally do.
32. Order your favorite coffee and savor every sip.
33. Unsubscribe from emails you never open.
34. Put lotion on your feet.
35. Wear perfume.
36. Clean out areas of your house that stress you out. 
37. Buy a new planner to organize your schedule. 
38. Clean out your old and expired makeup.
39. Do some yoga for fun.
40. Try growing a plant.
41. Send some snail mail.
42. Order yourself a present and send it like a gift.
43. Buy yourself flowers.
44. Take a day off of work just because.
45. Allow yourself to have a 20 minute break once a day where you only do what you want to do.
46. Make a homemade dessert.
47. Pick a healthy recipe and make it for your family.
48. Clean your bathroom from top to bottom.
49. Rewatch a favorite show that you love.
50. Take your vitamins.
51. Try a new type of fitness activity.
52. Start a vision board on Pinterest.
53. Pick your signature lipstick color and rock it.
54. Let yourself have a lazy morning.
55. Wake up earlier and have an hour to yourself.
56. Confront a fear you’ve always had.
57. Take a class to learn a skill you’ve always been interested in.
58. Move some money into your savings account.
59. Listen to some new music you haven’t heard before.
60. Take a shower in the middle of the day.
61. Make yourself breakfast and read the newspaper.
62. Print some favorite pictures and hang them up on your wall.
63. Use crayons or colored pencils and color.
64. Get a massage.
65. Do a stretching routine in the middle of the afternoon.
66. Clear out your phone contacts.
67. Read a new non-fiction book.
68. Plan a dream trip to a place you’d love to travel to.
69. Don’t put off doing your laundry.
70. Sit out in the sun and do nothing.
71. Go on a long walk with no route in mind.
72. Take a drive and play your favorite music with the windows down.
73. Watch the sunset.
74. Rearrange your furniture.
75. Do a hair mask.
76. Make plans with a friend.
77. Drink a gallon of water a day.
78. Pick some affirmations and leave them around your home.
79. Write a letter to someone you love.
80. Clean out your photos.
81. Get rid of anything in your life that makes you feel bad about yourself.
82. Write yourself a love note.
83. Smile at yourself in the mirror.
84. Work on skincare routine that works for you.
85. Dust your bedroom.
86. Deep clean your kitchen.
87. Make a meal plan for the week ahead.
88. Let yourself cry if you want to.
89. Set goals for the next year.
90. Give yourself a hug.
91. Delete apps from your phone that make you feel like you’re wasting your time.
92. Let someone else do something nice for you.
93. Repair something special to you.
94. Allow yourself to rest.
95. Sleep in on a week day.
96. Hold hands with someone you love.
97. Write a gratitude list.
98. Do something nice for someone else.
99. Confront a bad habit you have.
100. Promise to yourself to make self-care part of your everyday routine.

Self-care doesn’t always have to be grand gesture. Sometimes it is the hard work. Sometimes it’ making time for yourself. Self-care is making sure your cup is full. 

And as a fun bonus, be sure to check out this 30 Day Self-Care Challenge! 

About the Author

Nicole Booz is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of GenTwenty, GenThirty, and The Capsule Collab. She has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and is the author of The Kidult Handbook (Simon & Schuster May 2018). She currently lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two sons. When she’s not reading or writing, she’s probably hiking, eating brunch, or planning her next great adventure.

Website: genthirty.com