Self care comes in all shapes and sizes. Self care doesn’t have to mean something lavish and expensive – although sometimes that can be nice. But truth is, we can’t all afford lavish and expensive self care every single day. So it’s important that we try and find those pockets of self care wherever we can.

When it comes down to it, almost everything could be considered self care. Depending on your likes, dislikes, hobbies, interests and more, anything we do on any given day could be considered a form of self care.

It’s much more about the mindset behind what you’re doing, rather than the activity itself.

But back to that point about lavish and expensive self care. We all like a spa weekend, a massage, a holiday abroad, a bit of retail therapy or a fancy 3 course meal.

But it’s just not realistic – or sustainable – to expect those things weekly or even monthly. Especially with the cost of living crisis right now and the fact almost everyone need to save money.

When we’re not in a position to give ourselves expensive and fancy acts of self care regularly, we need to turn to the regular.

The every day.

The normal.

Because we can find pockets of joy and self care in those every day moments, if we know where to look for them and if we do a little bit of inner work to program our brains to see them as opportunities for self care.

Rather than just boring every day tasks.

So for today, we’re going to look at 9 very normal, regular and every day activities that you can turn into sweet moments of self care throughout your day.

Here are 9 every day activities you can turn into moments of self care:

Making yourself a cup of tea

Making yourself a cup of tea (or coffee) especially first thing in the morning can be a wonderful time for calm, reflection and self care. We so often rush this part of the day, desperate to get that caffeine fix. But what if we slowed down?

Take time to make your drink, choose a mug you like, listen to the sounds of the kettle and the milk being poured and strive to make yourself the perfect cup of tea – because you deserve it!

Walking to the bus stop / post office / corner shop

Anywhere that requires you to get outside a walk can be a great moment of self care throughout your day, even if you are just walking to the corner shop to get a pint of milk.

Getting outside, whatever the conditions, is so beneficial to our health and well-being. Being under the sky, in the elements, experiencing the seasons, it’s beautiful. And should be considered as such.

A daily shower

Your ordinary shower doesn’t have to be that – ordinary. This can be turned into a wonderful moment of self care. We often associate baths with self care but shows can have just the same effect (plus not everyone has a bath).

You can use essential oils in your shower, put your favourite music on whilst you wash your hair and gosh, take this time for you. Having a shower is one of the only times of day where you can be truly on your own.

Your lunch break

Whether you work from home or in an office, it’s likely that you’re going to have a lunch break. And you can absolutely use this time for some self care. Of course, don’t forget to eat – that’s what a lunch break is for.

But you might want to spend this time reading, catching up with a friend, listening to a podcast or going for a walk, all great acts of self care that you can fit effortlessly into your day.

Skincare routine

Ah your skincare routine. One of the most wonderful daily acts of self care that absolutely shouldn’t be scrimped on. I won’t lie, there’s been plenty of days where I couldn’t be bothered doing my skincare routine and I always felt awful for it afterwards.

Get yourself your favourite products and actually take the time to go through your routine, step by step, giving your skin the love and attention it deserves.

Making your bed / cleaning your space

Putting some love, care and attention into your space, especially if you work from home or spend a lot of time at home is a great act of self care that you definitely shouldn’t overlook.

Cleaning your space, making your bed, washing up or tidying away clothes gives you space that respect is deserves. It’s YOUR space. So you should treat it with some respect.

Your commute (if you have one)

Your commute might seem like an absolute hellish place to even consider self care in but if that’s how you see your commute, then that’s exactly why you need to try and introduce a bit of self care into it in the first place.

If you take public transport, this can be a great time to switch off, read a book, listen to a podcast or your favourite music. And yes, all of those things can be considered self care if we want them to be.

Choosing what to wear

When we’re busy and rushing out the door, this isn’t often a time we put much thought into. Perhaps we’re late and throwing on whatever we can find or our wardrobe isn’t sparking much joy, so we’re not too bothered about what we wear.

But our clothing can be a wonderful reflection of who we are and how we feel. So taking a little extra time to really consider what you want to wear that day, what’s going to make you feel good or what’s going to support you with what your plans are can be a teeny-tiny pocket of self care that’s likely to get overlooked.

Going to bed

Instead of rolling into bed without a second thought at the end of the day, bedtime can be a wonderful time for routine and self care. Especially a night-time routine that works for you can be a really effective way to add some well needed self care into the end of your day.

You might want to practice restorative Yoga before bed or a short meditation, journal about your day, have a chamomile tea, read a book or a combination of all of them to create your perfect bedtime routine.

When life is a bit dreary, the government is making our lives hell and we just don’t have the means to give ourselves those big acts of self care we really want, this is when moments like this come in exceptionally handy.

I think focusing on those small things every day will bring much more joy into our lives and also benefit us mentally, emotionally and physically.

What every day activities from the list above do you consider a moment of self care for you?

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55 Comments

  1. Self care is not always the most ‘blokey’ thing to do, especially as a middle aged bloke! However, I’m right there with you in terms of things like a cup of tea and the commute. Definitely times when you can just give yourself a bit of a break and treat yourself a little bit!

  2. Primera vez aquí en el blog, hoy he leído 5 artículos y me han gustado todos. Sus contenidos son ricos en consejos e información interesante. ¡Felicidades! Tu blog es fantástico.

  3. This list is such a good one! I know whenever I’m working, I definitely take advantage of my lunch break by either listening to music or reading a book. I work from home so another thing for me that’s wonderful self care sometimes can be doing things around my apartment, such as laundry and getting some cleaning done so I don’t have to worry about doing those things during the weekend.

  4. For me it’s definitely my morning cup of coffee! I turned that small act in a sacred and intentional moment to simply enjoy 🙂

  5. I never seem to have enough time for self care these days, but do ensure every morning starts with a cup of tea. So I totally agree with your first point! There is serious healing power in a good brew and it really can fire you up when you need it! Sim x

  6. I like to use these moments to look after myself, especially my skincare routine and taking a shower. I also like to turn meals into self-care, sitting down and taking some time to myself. Thank you for sharing x

  7. My favorite self-care activity is sleeping. I don’t usually take naps and have had trouble sleeping for years. Therefore, sleeping (regardless of the hour) is my most cherished self-care activity 🙂

  8. These seem like such simple things, but they are so important. I try and get out for a walk on my lunch break. And a cup of tea and shower won’t solve every problem you have, but it will help!

  9. I love how you can take these every day activities and turn them into self care. So many great ideas! Thanks so much for sharing!

  10. I really love this as it not only helps people like me who sometimes struggle to fit self-care into their day, it also makes focusing on our well-being an integral part of our everyday life. I think seeing self-care like this is a great mindset shift that we all need. Thanks so much for sharing!

  11. I looove this! Such a good reminder to stay in the moment and use/find small pockets throughout the day for ourselves. These are great ideas. So simple, but I often forget. Cleaning my space and skincare routine don’t always get done, but when they do, I feel so much better.

  12. I like how you’ve mentioned lavish self-care activities can be unsustainable. I have taken making myself a cup of tea very seriously! I take my time with it and enjoy every sip. I now realise that it’s part of my self-care routine. Many things don’t matter when I sip on tea. It relaxes me. These a great, Jenny!

  13. Oh I love this, Jenny. Self-care isn’t all candles and bubble baths, or spas and manicures (for me anyway). Taking a proper lunch break outside in my garden is definitely top of my list for every day self-care 🙂

  14. So true. Sometimes self care is actually doing things you NEED to do – like batch cooking, sorting out your invoices or bills, cleaning, you know the mundane. But doing it clears space in your mind, allowing other wonderful things to take up that space instead! 😉😊

  15. It is amazing how many self care activities we can do in any one day. I agree that tidy your space is great for self care, it always makes me feel good when everything is sorted and I can sit back with a nice cup of tea.

  16. I find some of these so beneficial. Just having a shower and doing my skincare routine, just makes me feel more pampered instantly. I feel the same about a dog walk, as soon as I have done so exercise I feel so much better! Thank you for sharing these!

    Lauren x

    1. Love these tips! I agree that it’s all about mindset and finding joy in every day activities can make a big difference. My morning coffee and a walk during my lunch break are my favorite times for my self-care.

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