Embracing self-care is not the indulgence many say it is.
Instead, self-care and self-love are ongoing practices, or as Tami Foreman of Path Forward says, “self-care is not an indulgence. It’s a discipline.” Embracing self-love can be a delicious addition to your daily, weekly, or monthly regimes, valuing your body for the care and abilities it gives you every single day.
Here is our (growing) list of self-care ideas for fellow women looking for holistic, nourish-loving, and yummy ways to sweeten their days.f
1. Go to a yin yoga class.
This beautiful practice incorporates stretching and mindfulness all in one, with a slower approach that has you hold poses for an elongated period of time to get the maximum stretch (and find a sense of peace in it). Bonus points if it’s warm or hot yoga, which helps the body release toxins and increase circulation through the organs.
2. Get acupuncture.
Touching on specific energy meridians in the body, acupuncture points can connect to other points in the body helping combat a wide range of ailments in the body. I step out of each session with a longer-feeling spine, and sometimes even feel ignited points in other areas of my body after sessions.
3. Get a reflexology massage.
Focus on the part of your body that carries all your weight— literally. This foot massage targets specific reflexology points that connect with different parts of the body, not to mention the amount of energy that your feet release when they’re taken care of inside or outside of the massage studio.
4. Step into a sauna.
Sweating isn’t just limited to working out or hot yoga classes. Spending time in saunas brings the same detoxification as when you’re sweating anywhere else— plus, you can eventually have your own personal sauna that you can use at home to detox whenever you’d like.
5. Purchase a self-care box.
Give yourself monthly gifts with the same excitement as getting a handwritten letter. Here are a few to look into:
- Cratejoy: peruse hundreds of boxes from Apothecary Monthly, The Adults & Crafts Crate, or the Vegancuts Monthly Snack Box.
- Merkaela: natural, small-batch self-care products like candles, teas, and burning rituals.
- The Detox Market Detox Box: one or more green products from The Detox Market.
6. Do gua sha.
Each tender stroke of a gua sha stone or roller stimulates blood flow, reduces inflammation, initiates lymphatic drainage, and eases tension in the skin for visible results.
7. Take an essential oil bath.
Mix a well-loved, bath-safe essential oil dispersed in Epsom salt, mixed with plant-based milk, or in a carrier oil like olive. Or, get a bath salt mixture for a ritualistic, relaxing soak.
8. Create a bouquet of flowers and decorate with them.
Choose a medley of delightful flowers, harmonizing different shapes, hues, and fragrances together, arranging them to balance large and small, filler flowers. After letting them grace your home for a bit, turn them upside down, spray them with a natural hairspray, and use them as decoration around your home.
9. Take a shower with eucalyptus clippings.
Gather a handful of fresh eucalyptus clippings, preferably organic, and tie them together with string or twine. Hang the bundle from your shower head and allow the steam and water to ignite the refreshing fragrance around your shower.
10. Bake your favorite dessert with a plant-based touch.
Find a recipe for your favorite dessert, typing in “dairy-free,” or “vegan” with it (for example, “vegan brownie recipe,” or replace the dairy and eggs with a vegan alternative, using ingredients like almond milk, coconut cream, flax eggs, or applesauce to create a plant-based version of your favorite dessert.
11. Go on a walk at a nearby trail.
Snap on your more comfortable shoes, take some deep breaths, and notice the welcome plants and trees calling your name. Use this as a time to call a friend, listen to a podcast, or be one with your thoughts and listen to the chirping birds.
12. Go on an artist date.
Coined by Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way going on an artist date is a one-on-one date with you to an artistic venture— a play, an art show, or a museum. Give yourself permission to explore and experiment without pressure or expectations, nurturing your inner artist.
13. Go to the library without any plan.
Wander the aisles and let your intuition guide you through this unstructured exploration as you browse through different sections and genres and allow yourself to be drawn to books that catch your eye or pique your interest.
14. Go to an herb store and create your own tea.
Visit a local herb store or specialty grocery store and have fun exploring the different scents, textures, tastes, medicinal qualities, and healing powers that a singular or collection of herbs can bring you. Gathering them yourself can make it feel even more like your own beautiful creation.
15. Color in an adult coloring book.
There’s nothing quite like reverting back to old times and taking control over that colored pencil or marker. You don’t need to even color inside the lines if that’s where your soul is taking you.
16. Start Marie Kondo-ing your house.
The life-changing magic of tidying up may feel like a chore at first, but its benefits physically, energetically, and spiritually will help you bring more mindfulness and intentionality into your home and space.
17. Clean mindfully with vinegar and essential oils.
A simple half-and-half mixture of vinegar and water, along with a few droplets of essential oils like tea tree can be the start of infusing a more natural essence into your spatial cleansing.
18. Massage your feet using a massage gun.
The energy that your feet can exude when you’re taking them into account almost makes you know that they’re taking you for taking care of them. Plus, using a massage gun on your feet is probably one of the easiest places to massage yourself!
19. Get a lymphatic drainage massage.
Have a specialist focus on draining your lymphatic system to remove waste and toxins from the body.
20. Get a facial with all-natural products.
Take your face into account with full intentionality into all your features that are constantly moving around and stretching all day.
21. Make a mood board on Spoak.
Pictures are worth a thousand words, and many pictures can mean even more. Create a mood board, whether it’s for a dream design for your future music studio or simply a collection of some of your favorite outfits curated together in a cohesive, fascinating arrangement.
22. Do a coffee enema.
Cleansing your body may either feel super relaxing, or a little nerve-wracking if it’s your first time. Lay out a beautiful and cozy arrangement, turn on your favorite show or read a book, and spend some time detoxing a part of you that you probably don’t spend too much time thinking about.
23. Do a yoni steam.
Speaking of spending some time down there, collect herbs (that you may have found at the local herb shop) to create a yoni blend. You don’t need a fancy stool for one. You can keep it simple by using a large bowl and finding something to sit on. Set the mood, bring something that relaxes you, and let the herbs do their magic.
24. Go to a thrift or antique store with no plan.
You might have found yourself going to a store in desperate need of something fast. But what about going to a thrift store with absolutely no agenda? Spend time looking through vintage furniture pieces, gazing at the bumps and bruises of a vintage dresser, or flipping through a magazine from the 1960s. You may find something, or you may not— the point is to let yourself get lost.
25. Go to float therapy.
Discover the blissful joys of a sensory-deprived environment floating in a blissful bath, an energetically medicinal experience in a float tank of water heated to your body temperature filled with buoyant Epsom salt. The darkness and silence of the tank create, often, an other-worldly experience for many who float.
26. Dry brush.
Using a natural-bristled brush, brush your body using long, gentle, and sweeping strokes to help improve lymphatic drainage, brushing towards the heart. Do this in the morning to invigorate your energy for the rest of the day. ✨
27. Find a Groupon.
Try something new and find a local spot that’s offering a Groupon and go with a friend, partner, or by yourself.
28. Buy seedlings and start a window garden.
Stop by a local seed shop or from your local seed library and get your hands in some dirt! Start some seedlings— especially if you’re new to gardening— to start blooming in front of your eyes by a sun-soaked window.
29. Paint a room you’ve been dreaming of being a different color.
Take a few days to browse your local hardware store, find a well-loved color that will lift your room into a new style and energy, and put on your favorite painting clothes. Consider it self-love for your home.
30. Go to goat yoga.
Yoga + animals = a beautifully delightful experience! Find a local goat yoga class and explore how to stretch amongst some fuzzy, cooky friends.
31. Tour a local farm.
Spend the day strolling around a local farm, taking in the offerings of the lands like plants and animals, and learn more about what it’s like to be a self-sustaining spot.
32. Cook a meal with all local or homegrown foods.
Find some homegrown or local, farm-grown foods and cook a meal for yourself, basking in the beauty of local foods.
33. Play your favorite album on your best speakers.
While there’s always something beautiful about playing music in the background of our daily lives, when was the last time you truly heard the music you’re listening to? Absorb the lyrics, harmonic nuances, and common themes within a fully-crafted album.
34. Sage or palo santo your home to cleanse.
Just as a shower cleanses the body, sage and palo santo are natural cleanses to the home. Take care of the energy of your home, walking through each room with a burning sage bundle or palo santo cutting giving it an intentional blessing.
35. Design your dream home through an app like Spoak.
Your dreams for your space deserve their own place. Spoak’s design platform lets designers, design hobbyists, or just creative visionaries drop ideas into a “Vizi,” through a room design or a mood board.
36. Browse Facebook Marketplace.
Who knows? There might be something waiting for you to find right in your neighborhood.
37. Go to a cat cafe.
It’s like goat yoga, but instead of goats and yoga, it’s two other beautifully calming combinations.
38. Barefoot walk.
Ground yourself energetically and feel the earth beneath your feet. Imagine how many times you’re in shoes, socks, or walking inside.
39. Go to an animal sanctuary.
Bask in the invigorating energy of our wild friends and their caring human cohorts working to support them through ailments.
40. Browse Etsy and make a list of your dream purchases.
Find beautiful creations by independent artists and save them for the special day when you’re ready to add them to your home.
41. Take L Theanine.
A naturally occurring amino acid found in green tea and mushrooms has been shown to relief stress, improve mood, and help with sleep.
42. Make a vision board.
The power of visualization brings you closer to the dreams and aspirations you have for your life. The ritual of creating a vision board helps stamp the beginning of a new path to your journey.
43. Do an ionic foot detox.
Detox your feet from sneaky dirt and excess toxins that aren’t coming off in showers using low-level electrical currents, enhancing the natural detoxification of the body through the feet.
44. Purchase a water ionizer to purify and invigorate your drinking water.
If you’d like to make your water go further, then use a hydrogen water machine to take advantage of the different pH benefits of water used for drinking, cleansing, washing, and so much more.
45. Remove your calluses.
Continue your mini-foot relaxation with a callus remover, like the Cali. Bonus points for ones like this one that are mess-free, vacuuming up dead skin for you to dispose of later!
46. Find a food truck.
47. Go to an improv show.
48. Go to a poetry slam.
49. Go to a play or musical.
50. Get a past-life regression.
51. Go to a hypnotherapist.
52. Get a high-yield savings account.
53. Give yourself a facial with natural serums and coconut oil.
54. Go to a movie theatre.
55. Get a pass to pick some fruits or veggies from a local farm.
56. Go to the movie theatre.
57. Watch a local band in your favorite genre.
58. Go to a farmer’s market you haven’t been to yet.
59. Create prints to put around your home.
60. Start a creative blog on Medium.
61. Take a pottery class.
62. Get a paraffin foot and hand wax bath.
63. Go to a foot bath place.
64. Red light therapy.
65. Go to a kava bar.
66. Take a dance class.
67. Buy your favorite magazine.
68. Get your cards pulled from a specialist.
69. Go bowling with a friend.
70. Go to a roller skating rink.
71. Stay in a treehouse Airbnb.
72. Go for a picnic.
73. Sunbath in your backyard.
74. Go glamping with a friend or partner.
75. Go on a food tour in your local downtown.
76. Use a sound bowl to bless your space.
77. Go to a cultural fair in your neighborhood like a Greek fest or Diwali event.
78. Go to Lush to try out different products.
79. Make a Pinterest board of your dream home.
80. Make your oil body oil.
81. Make your own natural body spray.
82. Go to a drive-in movie theatre.
We hope you’ve loved this all-encompassing list of ways to express the practice of self-love, always remembering that you don’t need to earn self-care— by simply existing, you are already worthy of love.
