How Is Self-Care Related To Health?

What do 25 self-care ideas have to do with your health goals? Well, let’s face it, we are all stressed out. Even those of us who don’t want to admit it are often stressed to the point where making healthy choices becomes a challenge (discussed in this video). We have no energy, no motivation, and no time to meal plan, meal prep, and look for healthy products and recipes.

What Can We Do About Stress?

Luckily, it only takes 5 minutes a day to make significant improvements to your stress levels. Adding 5 minutes of self-care each day means adding 30 hours a year of self-care. 30 hours of self-care can make a huge difference! What can you do for yourself in just 5 minutes? Well, lucky for you, here are 25 self-care ideas that are simple and don’t require any special planning or purchases. The only thing you need to do is commit to 5 minutes a day (maybe upon rising or before bed or on your lunch break).

25 Simple Self-Care Ideas

1. Doodle, draw, sketch, do some watercolour painting.
2. Paint your nails.
3. Give yourself a mini facial with a face mask.
4. Apply your favourite lotion without rushing.
5. Use an aromatherapy diffuser (lavender and vanilla are both calming scents).
6. Fiddle with a musical instrument you have in the house.
7. Snuggle with a pet.
8. Snuggle with a person.
9. Go through a favourite old photo album.
10. Drink tea and look out the window.
11. Pray.
12. Meditate.
13. Flip through a magazine.
14. Flip through a coffee table book.
15. Stretch.
16. Do some deep breathing.
17. Youtube your favourite comedian.
18. Call a friend (remember, your phone is still a phone!)
19. Start a journal of all the good things that happened to you today or all the funny/cute things your kids did (I have one of these and it’s hilarious to read).
20. Make a collage – yes, it’s still fun when you’re a grown-up.
21. Listen to music that moves you emotionally or physically.
22. Experiment with your hair and/or makeup in the bathroom – yes, this is also still fun!
23. Walk outdoors – barefoot in the grass if it’s warm enough.
24. Sit outside with your eyes closed and listen to the sounds of nature. Even in the city, you can hear them if you listen.
25. Stimulate your sense of touch – think of things you’d find in kids’ sensory bins – put your hand in a big bowl of dry lentils, rice, seeds, beads.  Find something soft to hold and manipulate with your hands (fur, silk, satin, that super soft baby blanket you held on to, etc…..)
26. Bonus: Remind yourself of everything that is awesome about you!

Remember, Small Changes Add Up

Committing to 5 minutes a day of self-care will add up. Just like the number of sugary snacks tend to add up slowly over time, small steps toward improving your health will also add up to big improvements in your overall well-being. Make sure to follow me on Instagram @shawnahughesnutrition for more tips on how to improve your family’s health through simple changes that will add up to big results.

If you feel like you are ready to take that next step and are considering 1-on-1 nutrition consulting (congrats!), click here to book a discovery call with me. I would love to help guide you and your family towards a new and healthy lifestyle.

XO

Shawna