When it comes to staying healthy and balanced, self-care activities are an important part of the equation.
Whether you meditate and use an app like Headspace (which is my go-to) or do yoga after work, everyone has different self-care practices that work for them. Below, several women reveal what self-care ritual they do regularly, so if you don’t do some of them already, now’s the time to try them out.
1. Visualize The Day Ahead
“Every day, I take the first 15 minutes of the day for quiet — this is so important for self-care. I drink water and coffee, and visualize how I want my day to look. This way, I start the day calmer than if I had rushed around from the minute the alarm goes off! Being in the present for those few minutes every day helps me to be more focused and creative in my life.” –Diana Fletcher, 60, writer, life coach, speaker, activist
2. Meditate — Sometimes Along With Yoga Or Journaling
“My self-care remedy is a mindfulness meditation practice in the early morning. I have a small meditation space at home decorated with items that inspire me. After my meditation practice, I mindfully enjoy a cup of coffee using my senses to smell and taste my drink rather than rushing through a morning routine. I make an effort to wake up two hours before my 2.5-year-old and 11-month-old daughters are up for the day. In the evening, I have a skincare regimen I follow that involves four steps, which helps relax me before bed. I also keep a gratitude journal to reflect on what I’m thankful for each day.” – Jennifer Mazzon, 33, mom, part-time rehab speech pathologist, and founder of HelpMamaMeditate.com
“The self-care that I do regularly is my daily meditation and yoga practice. Each morning, the first thing I do is meditate for 10-20 minutes, followed by 20-30 minutes of yoga. This helps me get centered for my day, as well as relieves my stress. It’s also helped to eliminate migraine headaches that I was getting.” – Wendy Miller, 39, blogger at Bare Feet, Free Spirit
“After recovering from a diagnosed work addiction, it was evident that I needed to implement more self-care into my life in order to be healthy, both physically and emotionally. Since learning more about myself and what feels rejuvenating and a source of peace, I now have a regular morning routine that has changed my life. I meditate for 20 minutes, followed by journaling about what I’m grateful for, what will make today great, and then finish off with an affirmation. Right now, I’m using, ‘I am who I’m supposed to be.’ and ‘I am enough as I am right now.’ It’s really helped me to kick off the day with intention and move more gracefully throughout the day.” –MaryBeth Hyland, 33, founder & chief visionary, SparkVision
3. Journal
“I’m a coach and collaborative copywriter who practices some form of self-care every single day. Every morning, I spend at least 10 minutes writing by hand in a spiral-bound journal. Even though I’m a professional writer, this type of writing is an act of self-care. Rather than write for a specific purpose, I just skim the swirl of chaotic thoughts off my brain the way some people skim detritus off the surface of a swimming pool. This practice makes a world of difference for my focus, motivation, and ability to connect with my intuition and higher self. By clearing away the flotsam and jetsam, I’m able to access deeper waters, and honoring myself with unstructured time and space is deeply nourishing. Journaling has been an on-and-off practice for the last 20 years of my life, and I can honestly say that if you journal consistently, with trust, curiosity, and an open mind, you will one day discover your very own wellspring of untapped brilliance — a cascade of exciting ideas and insights you didn’t know you had. In that moment, you’ll reconnect with your own unique and precious creativity, and this self-care practice will rejuvenate your heart.”– Elizabeth Derby, 33, coach and collaborative copywriter
4. Go For A Walk
“I have a hard time meditating because I am such a naturally hyper person with a mind that doesn’t stop spinning. So instead, I make sure to take an hour out of every day to go walking: Walking is my meditation. I get an awesome work out that feels great, I get a moment to myself to relax my mind and body, and get time outside in the sun. Even it if means walking during my lunch break or after work, I really try to not let anything get in the way of me taking this one hour for myself. When I see life trying to get in the way, I stop and tell myself, ‘It’s just an hour. Stop what you are doing and go.’” – Sophia Rosario-Lopez, 36 years old, life coach practicing Laws of Attraction and self-love
5. Take A Bath
“Self-care is not just a ‘thing’ for me, it is a ‘must’ — it is my survival tool. I am a survivor of childhood sexual and domestic abuse and now work as a victim advocate and self-publisher. Self-care, as you can imagine, is a huge factor in my emotional healing journey. Particularly since I have a damaged nerve that, when inflamed, causes excruciating pain, self-care has been my saving grace many days. One of my favorite things to do is to run a hot bubble bath with pure coconut oil and a lavender bath bomb (the smell induces relaxation), soft music, dimmed lights, and (when I’m really feeling frisky) a cold glass of wine. I close my eyes and practice mindfulness techniques to release the pain, release the disappointment, and let it all go. Twenty minutes later, my anxiety attack has subsided (pain causes anxiety), the pain has lightened its grip on my nerves, my body is calm and relaxed, and my mind is at ease — mind, body, and soul are back in alignment, all from applying self-care.” – Jamie (Jai) Hopkins, 41, founder, Jai the Author Publishing
“I take an Epsom salt bath with a face mask on, while reading or journaling. Then, I spend five minutes dry brushing my whole body, followed by lathering myself in natural oils/lotion, all while listening to some positive vibe music.” – Celeste Rains-Turk, 21, online fitness coach, self-love, confidence and mindset mentor, and #1 bestselling author of Believe your way to Badass
6. Read Before Bed
“Each night before I go to sleep, I curl up in my reading nook. I read a few pages from whatever novel I’m reading at the moment and read the page for the day from my daily devotional. I write down my ‘worries’ and ‘wishes’ and put them in my God Box — worries include anything that’s giving me anxiety or fear and wishes are things I observed from the day that I’m grateful for and wish to have more of in my life. Once I’ve made my list, I say a prayer of surrender and place them in my God Box before I head to bed. The practice of reflecting on my day and then surrendering helps me sleep peacefully.” – Magan Newton, 32, operations manager at Way Solutions
7. Take A Solo Trip, Even In Your Own City
“My self-care remedy is a solo trip once a year. It gives me time to recalibrate, assess my goals, explore new countries, and learn about a different culture. It also stimulates my curiosity and my creativity — being around foreign people and environments. I used to have a fear of traveling solo and being alone, but then I did it, and realized that even if you are alone, you won’t be lonely if you open yourself to connect with others around you. My next big trip will be spending a month in Japan, which I think will be my ultimate self-care experience of a lifetime!” – Joanna Lin, 29, travel blogger Ready. Set. Jo!, and social media manager
“Truthfully? I run away as often as I can. I keep a bag packed in my closet and will leave at the drop of a hat at any offer to go anywhere for any reason with just about anyone.” – Lisa Orban, 48, author of It’ll Feel Better when it Quits Hurting
“For self-care, I go out of the country at least six weeks out of the year. It’s a time where I can reevaluate and reset, and also fill myself back up again. When I am at home, I have a ‘nothing day’ at least once a month where I do not put anything on my schedule and I do whatever I feel like doing: getting a pedicure, going to the movies, floating in a sensory deprivation tank, and getting my hair styled are examples of things I’ve done on my ‘nothing day.’” – Alisha Powell, 28, PhD, LCSW