14 self-care ideas

Simple ideas to make you feel good

Self-care is a trend I’ve seen explode recently in the blogosphere. A lot of posts have been focusing on how to care for yourself and take time for yourself, which I think is incredible. It’s amazing to see the blogging community support one another.

Self-care means looking after yourself and doing things that make you feel good. This could be anything, ranging from small steps like putting a face mask and painting your nails, to having a pamper night with the girls or doing some online shopping. The point is to take time for yourself and invest in you.

To help get you started, in this blog post, I share 14 simple self-care ideas to make you feel great.

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1. Run a bubble bath

Having a long, relaxing bubble bath just makes you feel good, right?

I love to have long soaks in the tub, especially in the winter when it’s cold or if I’ve done a heavy workout and need to relax my muscles. Try running a bubble bath as part of your self-care Sunday routine or after a stressful day at work, it’ll make all the difference!

To try: You could check out these luscious bath bombs from Amazon.

2. Put a face mask on

This is pamper 101. Who doesn’t love a good face mask?

Face masks are a big part of my skincare routine and I love how they make my skin feel. Especially if my skin needs a little TLC.

You could try one of the Lush Fresh Face Masks, which are all brilliant. Anything that will give your skin a boost will help you feel good about yourself.

3. Do some yoga

I adore yoga. I would honestly go as far as to say it’s changed my life. That might sound cringey and when people used to say that about yoga before I’d tried it out, I’d always roll my eyes.

But it really did change my sceptical self’s life. I’ve even made yogi tea for Christ’s sake; it’s like I’m a new woman.

Yoga has helped me feel calmer, happier, more at peace with myself and much more positive. It’s definitely helped me with my body image and appreciate who I am too.

I can’t recommend yoga enough and in terms of self-care, yoga is time for yourself. A time to unwind, a time to relax and a time to let go of any negative energy.

So, if you’ve not tried out yoga, now would be a great time to check it out.

4. Get a takeaway

From a health perspective, obviously, this isn’t something you should do often. But, from time to time, it’s nice to just have a bit of a blowout and eat whatever the hell you want without worrying about the repercussions.

I get that some people do just love being healthy, which I admire because I don’t know if I could ever be really strict with myself. But for the rest of us, a takeaway every now and again does feel good.

Get your friends round, watch some awesome films, and eat bad food. Enjoy yourself.

5. Burn a candle

Particularly scented ones because then your room will smell great too.

I always have candles in my room because I love that cosy feeling. It also helps me feel relaxed and weirdly positive?

To try: Obviously Yankee Candles are the MVPs, but I also love these vanilla Bolsius tea light candles as they look nice in my tea light holders.

6. Write down 10 things you’re grateful for

This is a simple self-care idea that helps you reflect on all the great things in your life. All too often, we focus on the negatives and let them control our lives. And we disregard all of the good things around us.

10 things might seem like a lot, but I’ve often found with these exercises that once I’ve written down a few ideas, they then start flooding in. It makes me realise that there is a lot to celebrate in life.

You have something to be proud of and something to be grateful for, so remind yourself of them!

7. Go on a spa day

Treat yourself and get a massage or a facial or maybe even both.

Your body and skin are going to feel a lot better from it and it’s nice to have someone pamper you. I know I love it when people do even simple things like curl my hair; it just feels good to be taken care of.

Spa days are a fun way to spend a relaxing day with valued people in your life who also enjoy being pampered. They also make excellent presents!

8. Retail therapy

Get that product you’ve had your eye on for a while. Retail therapy is something you shouldn’t indulge in all of the time because your bank is going to hate you. Plus, it’s not good to use retail therapy as a coping mechanism. But from time to time, it’s nice to just say “fuck it” and get whatever you want.

This is probably something I do too often and justify to myself that I’ve worked really hard and deserve the product. But, if you do it in moderation, getting something new does feel awesome.

My Beauty Bay and Cult Beauty wishlists are massive, so from time to time I just pick some things off there and buy them.

9. Edit your social media feeds and delete any toxic people

This is such an important thing to do. In today’s society, we are primed to see people on Instagram or Pinterest that aren’t realistic. Yeah, they’re real people, but they’re paid to look pretty and it’s often their job to stay fit because they’re a social media influencer. It’s important to remember that A LOT of influencers also edit their pictures, making for a very distorted and unrealistic image.

We’ve all been there, where we obsess over someone’s feed because we don’t feel good enough. I’ve often gone to certain people’s feeds because “they’re prettier than me” or “OMG why don’t I look like that” or “wow her body is so much better than mine.”

But the truth is, it doesn’t matter.

If you work full-time, it’s hard to look your best all the time. It takes time and effort. And maybe these girls look at your feeds like “wow, she works so hard that’s awesome” or “she’s really good at managing her time and fitting everything into her busy life.”

What I’m saying is, everyone has their strengths and weaknesses and we spend way too much time comparing ourselves and focusing on other people. I still do and on some days I’m extremely self-critical, but I’ve got a lot better.

Remember: You’re beautiful and that beauty is not defined by somebody else’s standards or society’s unattainable idea of beauty.

But, if you do find yourself getting upset and insecure over someone’s social feed, delete them. I’ve deleted people from my feed and I find those self-doubts going away.

10. Write down your thoughts in a journal

If you’re feeling really good one day, write it down. Get it all out on that piece of paper and allow yourself to bask in positive energy. If you’re feeling upset, I find it helpful to just get it out and vent. It’s like you’re lifting a weight from your shoulders.

I’m biased because I love writing, but I think writing down how you feel is great for the mind. It’s almost like a detox. It allows you to go through your own thought process and offload any feelings you have.

11. Have a pamper night

Similar to the spa day and putting on a face mask, sometimes just dedicating a whole night to look after yourself feels great. You can do this fun self-care idea alone or have a girls’ night, either are totally fun.

Maybe even have a glass of wine or make some cocktails. Just take some time for you.

To try: I have this beautiful gin cocktail recipe book and I’m in love with it. It has fancy cocktails, sweet cocktails, sharp cocktails, simple cocktails, elaborate cocktails… You name it, it’s in there!

12. Clean out your email inbox

Seriously, this feels so good.

Tidying up your inbox is like tidying up your life. Decluttering and organising things makes you feel good and makes you feel like you’re on top of everything.

You can also tidy up your desk space or your room. It feels great to get your shit together.

13. Paint your nails

I love when my nails are freshly painted because it makes me feel pretty. There are so many lovely nail colours out there, so choosing what you want is really fun.

I often get my nails done at a salon and I always come out feeling fab. It’s just another act of self-care that brings positive attention to ourselves.

14. Write a ‘to do’ list

Staying on top of things and being focused makes us feel like bosses. I always write down daily ‘to do’ lists and when I complete the tasks, I feel motivated and in control.

‘To do’ lists help you prioritise things and remember what you set out to do for the day. I wouldn’t be without my daily ‘to do’ lists and I know a lot of other people feel the same way.

These are my 14 self-care ideas. I really liked writing this post and it’s inspired me to do an act of self-love this evening.

What do you do for self-care? I’d love to hear your different ideas.

Sarah Sarsby is the owner of A Woman's Confidence. With over 6 years' experience of writing in the fields of beauty and lifestyle, Sarah is passionate about all things content, makeup, skincare, wellness, and lifestyle. She has oily skin, is obsessed with lip gloss, and loves cookie dough.