100 Ways to Practice Self-Care That Will Brighten Your Day

Unsplash | Jude Beck

So you've decided to start taking better care of yourself — we're so excited for you! Self-care is extremely important no matter what else you've got going on in your life. And before you think self-care is only necessary for people with anxiety or for those who experience emotional struggles that you don't identify with, back that thought up right now. Everyone needs self-care, and self-care is different for everyone.

We've come up with 100 different things you can do for yourself, whether it's going out to do something, staying in to do nothing, or shifting your focus to your loved ones. Pick and choose what works for you, and expand on it to place all the focus on you. You deserve it.

01
Buy a New Pair of Shoes
Unsplash | Andrew Tanglao

Buy a New Pair of Shoes

02
Light Your Favourite Candle
Unsplash | Arnold Leung

Light Your Favourite Candle

03
Go For a Walk Around the Block
Unsplash | Ian Froome

Go For a Walk Around the Block

05
06
Meal Prep For the Week
Unsplash | Ella Olsson

Meal Prep For the Week

08
Snuggle Your Pet
Unsplash | Jonas Vincent

Snuggle Your Pet

09
Text Your Best Friend
Unsplash | Paul Hanaoka

Text Your Best Friend

10
Do a Calming Yoga Sequence
Unsplash | Yayan Sopian

Do a Calming Yoga Sequence

11
Start a Piggy Bank
Unsplash | Rawpixel

Start a Piggy Bank

12
Take a Bunch of Silly Selfies
Unsplash | Rawpixel

Take a Bunch of Silly Selfies

13
Get a Solid 8 Hours of Sleep
Unsplash | Bruce Mars

Get a Solid 8 Hours of Sleep

16
Stay in Bed an Extra 20 Minutes in the Morning
Unsplash | Timothy Meinberg

Stay in Bed an Extra 20 Minutes in the Morning

17
Take Deep Breaths
Unsplash | Fabian Moller

Take Deep Breaths

18
Spend 10 Minutes in the Sunshine
Unsplash | A. L.

Spend 10 Minutes in the Sunshine

19
Take a Bubble Bath
Unsplash | Artem Bali

Take a Bubble Bath

22
Cook Dinner For Yourself
Unsplash | Rawpixel

Cook Dinner For Yourself

24
Smile When You Don't Want To
Unsplash | Guilherme Stecanella

Smile When You Don't Want To

25
Clean Out Your Closet
Unsplash | Priscilla Du Preez

Clean Out Your Closet

26
Put on a Cosy Pair of Socks
Unsplash | Rosie Kerr

Put on a Cosy Pair of Socks

27
Make a New Playlist
Unsplash | Spencer Imbrock

Make a New Playlist

29
Splurge on Dessert
Unsplash | Jennifer Schmidt

Splurge on Dessert

30
Colour a Picture
Unsplash | Mint Owl

Colour a Picture

31
Take Up a New Hobby
Unsplash | Rebecca Grant

Take Up a New Hobby

32
34
Make Popcorn, and Watch Netflix
Unsplash | JESHOOTS.COM

Make Popcorn, and Watch Netflix

36
Clean Out the Fridge
Unsplash | Squared.one

Clean Out the Fridge

37
Find a New Book to Read
Unsplash | Stink Pickle

Find a New Book to Read

38
Go Out to Dinner by Yourself
Unsplash | Jay Wennington

Go Out to Dinner by Yourself

39
Change Your Hair Colour
Unsplash | Kareya Saleh

Change Your Hair Colour

40
Stay on the Couch All Day
Unsplash | Paolo Nicolello

Stay on the Couch All Day

41
Buy a Magazine to Read
Unsplash | Cleo Vermij

Buy a Magazine to Read

43
Play With the Animals at a Shelter
Unsplash | Aiman Zenn

Play With the Animals at a Shelter

44
Donate to Charity
Unsplash | Kat Yukawa

Donate to Charity

45
Do Nothing For an Evening
Unsplash | Roberto Nickson

Do Nothing For an Evening

46
Print Out Your Favourite Photos
Unsplash | sarandy westfall

Print Out Your Favourite Photos

47
Learn a New Language
Unsplash | VanveenJF

Learn a New Language

48
Thank the People You're Grateful For
Unsplash | Aaron Burden

Thank the People You're Grateful For

50
Buy a Houseplant to Take Care Of
Unsplash | Julie Johnson

Buy a Houseplant to Take Care Of

51
Take the Long Way to Work
Unsplash | NeONBRAND

Take the Long Way to Work

53
Get Up Before Your Alarm Goes Off
Unsplash | Benjamin Voros

Get Up Before Your Alarm Goes Off

54
Try a New Workout
Unsplash | Danny Kekspro

Try a New Workout

55
Do the Dishes
Unsplash | Rawpixel

Do the Dishes

57
Bake Something Yummy
Unsplash | Toa Heftiba

Bake Something Yummy

58
Sit Somewhere to Watch the People
Unsplash | Raychan

Sit Somewhere to Watch the People

59
Go For a Picnic
Unsplash | Rawpixel

Go For a Picnic

60
Listen to a Song You've Never Heard Before
Unsplash | Jamakassi

Listen to a Song You've Never Heard Before

61
Donate an Old Pair of Shoes
Unsplash | Jakob Owens

Donate an Old Pair of Shoes

62
Smile at a Stranger
Unsplash | Kim Carpenter

Smile at a Stranger

64
Get All Dressed Up, and Go Somewhere Fancy
Unsplash | Alex Sorto

Get All Dressed Up, and Go Somewhere Fancy

65
Spend an Evening Playing With Your Hair
Unsplash | Megan Lewis

Spend an Evening Playing With Your Hair

66
Pay It Forward in the Coffee Shop Line
Unsplash | Nathan Dumlao

Pay It Forward in the Coffee Shop Line

67
Change the Sheets on Your Bed
Unsplash | Kinga Cichewicz

Change the Sheets on Your Bed

68
Buy Something Expensive You've Been Wanting
Unsplash | Laura Marques

Buy Something Expensive You've Been Wanting

71
Put Your Phone Down
Unsplash | ROBIN WORRALL

Put Your Phone Down

72
Find a New Restaurant to Try
Unsplash | Pablo Merchán Montes

Find a New Restaurant to Try

73
Write Yourself a Love Letter
Unsplash | Annie Spratt

Write Yourself a Love Letter

74
Order Dinner In
Unsplash | Jacky Tan

Order Dinner In

75
Meditate For 10 Minutes
Unsplash | Max Rovensky

Meditate For 10 Minutes

76
Put on Your Favourite Outfit
Unsplash | Melody Jacob

Put on Your Favourite Outfit

80
Dance to Your Favourite Song
Unsplash | David Calderón

Dance to Your Favourite Song

81
Reread Your Favourite Book
Unsplash | Gaelle Marcel

Reread Your Favourite Book

82
Remove Toxic People From Your Social Media
Unsplash | Georgia de Lotz

Remove Toxic People From Your Social Media

83
Make a Card For Someone You Care About
Unsplash | Jessica To'oto'o

Make a Card For Someone You Care About

86
Do a Good Deed
Unsplash | Sydney Rae

Do a Good Deed

87
Compliment Someone
Unsplash | Jon Tyson

Compliment Someone

88
Exfoliate Your Skin
Unsplash | Adrian Motroc

Exfoliate Your Skin

89
Try a New Healthy Eating Plan
Unsplash | Eiliv-Sonas Aceron

Try a New Healthy Eating Plan

90
Get on a Bus, and Take It to Anywhere
Unsplash | Juan Encalada

Get on a Bus, and Take It to Anywhere

92
Do That Thing You've Been Putting Off
Unsplash | Jason Briscoe

Do That Thing You've Been Putting Off

93
Focus on the Positives Over the Negatives
Unsplash | Charis Gegelman

Focus on the Positives Over the Negatives

94
Do Something That Scares You
Unsplash | Wild & Away

Do Something That Scares You

95
Eat 3 Solid Meals in a Day
Unsplash | Lily Banse

Eat 3 Solid Meals in a Day

96
Volunteer Somewhere
Unsplash | Rawpixel

Volunteer Somewhere

97
Rearrange the Furniture
Unsplash | Michael Browning

Rearrange the Furniture

99
Forgive Someone
Unsplash | Evan Kirby

Forgive Someone

100
Make It Through the Day
Unsplash | Jude Beck

Make It Through the Day