31 Self Care Tips for a Healthy Mind and Body

Why is Self-Care Important?

Too many of us don’t think twice about pushing ourselves beyond the brink of sanity and physical health in order to please others and ensure their happiness, but the reality is if you do not take care of yourself, you cannot sufficiently care for others.

Self care is often a missing talent, but beginners can cultivate it with these 31 tips and ideas. We need them now more than ever...

31 Self-Care Tips to You Can Start Using Immediately for a Healthy Mind & Health Body

1. DAILY BODY EXERCISE: Get at least 30 minutes of cardio exercise in, even if it’s just walking 10 minutes, 3 times a day.
   
   
2. DAILY BRAIN EXERCISE: The brain can deteriorate, so keep it active by doing things like word puzzles, memory games, or learning a new language.
   
   
3. BE CREATIVE: Create something from nothing through writing, drawing, painting, pottery, knitting, arts & crafts, baking, cooking—whatever it is, it is an accomplishment.
   
   
4. CLEAN UP YOUR SOCIAL CIRCLE: Quality over quantity, weed out toxic and negative people.
   
   
5. EXPAND YOUR SOCIAL ACTIVITIES: By going to new places and meeting new people you learn new things, which works the brain and builds confidence.
   
   
6. RECONNECT WITH NATURA: Embrace your insignificance by looking at the big picture, then understand the significant impact you have on a daily basis.
   
   
7. SIMPLE IS PEACEFUL: Your life may be chaotic because you have created a crazy materialistic world you are desperately trying to maintain. The more things you have, the harder you have to work to keep them.
   
   
8. WHAT ARE YOU GRATEFUL FOR?: Embrace the simple things in life like a fragrant flower or a child’s smile, and reflect on how lucky you are to experience them.
   
   
9. UNPLUG: Stay away from computers and turn off your devices for as long as you can each day. You may be missing life and beauty while you stare at a screen.
   
   
10. SAVE THE KINDNESS: Save emails and texts that made you feel good, or even print them out and put them up in your workspace or at home as reminders of the power of compliments, or start a kindness journal in which you can record them, as well as other verbal compliments you receive.
    
    
11. REORGANIZE YOUR HOME: Your home should be your safe and calming place. Purge clutter, rearrange furniture, change wall colors, add plants, alter lighting, whatever it takes for you to have a relaxing happy place in your home.
    
    
12. TRY EARTHING: Also called “grounding,” it is very simply time to take off your socks and shoes and connect your body to the earth through your bare feet. Mental health can be improved through meditation and reflection, physical health is improved through the release of free radicals into the ground.
    
    
13. TAKE THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED: Discover treasures and new experiences by trying different routes when you travel to work, school, the store, or to visit friends and family.
    
    
14. BE SILLY!: Take some time each day to goof off, play a silly game, tell some jokes, sing at the top of your lungs, and dance with your hands in the air like you just don’t care. Laughter is superb for a healthy mind, for a healthy body.
    
    
15. MEDITATE & REFLECT: Take time each day to practice deep breathing and clear your mind. If you are struggling with something, think about that one thing so you can clear it off your plate.
    
    
16. BREATH DEEPLY: Just three deep breaths can help you through a stressful moment, or just give you a much-needed calming effect.
    
    
17. STRETCH: See that look of contentment on your cat or dog’s face when they do that early-morning stretch? Start your day the same way and refresh yourself throughout with a couple minutes of stretching.
    
    
18. EAT HEALTHY LOCAL FOODS: To keep machines running smoothly, you use the highest quality fuel and maintenance, so do the same for your body. Buy produce, meats, and grains at your local farmer’s market or community-supported agriculture (CSA) to know where your food comes from and how it is grown and harvested. To ensure you are getting the most nutrients, eat fresh fruits and vegetables seasonally.
    
    
19. SOAK OR FLOAT: Water is a powerful rejuvenating force. A long soak in a warm tub or a meditative float in the ocean, lake, or pool can change your brainwaves and help you relax.
    
    
20. CHANGE YOUR DIET: Changing to a healthier way of eating is always a good idea, but you can even try it on a weekly basis. Try a new fresh fruit or vegetable each day, increase your water intake, go meatless for a day or a week, or add nuts and seeds. Observe how your body and brain react.
    
    
21. BE QUITE: Our days are filled with noise, and this can lead to a scattered mindset and difficulty concentrating. Take 15 minutes, or more, for yourself in absolute silence.
    
    
22. BE DARK: Light pollution can be just as damaging to our mental and physical health as environmental and noise pollution. Eliminate light sources from your sleeping area, like blue lights from charging devices or illuminated clocks.
    
    
23. TAKE A NAP: If you feel like you just want to crawl into bed, even though it is 11:30 in the morning, your body is telling you that it needs rest.
    
    
24. USE AROMATHERAPY: Use natural plants and flowers or essential oils and find fragrances that meet your needs at the moment. Citrus and peppermint can invigorate, scents like lavender and chamomile have a calming effect.
    
    
25. SLOW YOUR EATING: We often let our hectic schedules make us eat on the run, at our desks, or in our cars. Whenever possible, take time to just eat; do nothing else or do something relaxing like reading. Chew your food slowly and carefully. You will digest the food better, get more of the nutritional benefits, and feel full sooner and longer.
    
    
26. LOOK FOR THE BEAUTY: It is all around you. Every day, look for 3 stunning visions that are right in front of you. Works of art, an old tree, morning dew on a spiderweb, snowfall on branches, the brilliance of a rainbow, the curve of a woman’s lips. There are so so many examples of beauty surrounding you.
    
    
27. PERFORM RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS: Carry someone’s groceries up to their apartment, send pizza to someone working a late shift, share baked goods with a neighbor. The littlest things can make the biggest difference.
    
    
28. GET PET SNUGGLES: There is nothing like the warmth and softness of some cuddles with your pet. The physical contact is comforting, the emotional contact makes you feel good about yourself.
    
    
29. HAVE A ME DAY: Take a day when you answer to no one else and do what you want to do. Buy some new shoes, get a pedicure, pick up a new book, and start it while you eat Chinese. Go kayaking and spend the entire day with nature. Listen to your favorite music and color. Whatever it is, make sure it is all about you.
    
    
30. REACH OUT: When you need help, do not be afraid to ask for it. Whether you need a running buddy to keep you motivated or just need a loved one to keep you company, requesting care is self care.
    
    
31. ADD WHOLEFOOD SUPPLEMENTS: Sometimes our way of eating alone does not provide the nutrients we need for a healthy mind and healthy body. Supplements, like those available through SIBU, can meet your daily needs and add nutrients not available in everyday food sources.