22 Easy Self-Care Ideas for Your Busy Life

Today I’m happy to share a guest post from Jessalynn of Doable Simplicity. Jessalynn is sharing a wonderful list of 22 easy self-care ideas. And the best part is, the ideas on her list are all simple, inexpensive and easy to fit into your day, even if your life is busy!

I fully believe in the importance of taking care of yourself. I’ve even shared how decluttering can be a wonderful form of self-care!

But I also know most of us have enough on our plates (and to-do lists!) without needing to add any more unnecessary stress or work. Keeping it simple when it comes to self-care is a great way to make sure your self-care activities feel nourishing and supportive. Not like another stressor taking up your time and energy.

That’s why I love Jessalynn’s easy self-care suggestions in this post. They are all easy to fit into your days, making them realistic and practical.

If you’re looking for some excellent tips and ideas to simplify self-care, you’re in the right place! Without further ado, here are Jessalynn’s simple self-care ideas!

22 Easy Self-Care Ideas for Your Busy Life

Have you heard of self-care? If you are like I used to be, you may be thinking; “I don’t have time for that!”

I understand. But self-care isn’t selfish or self-indulgent. Self-care is important and it doesn’t have to be anything fancy or complicated. In this article, I’m going to help you understand why you need to take time for self-care and give you 22 self-care ideas for your busy life!

What Does Self-Care Mean and Why Do You Need It?

Life is really busy and you can run run run! You are amazing and you can get it all done! But should you?

You definitely shouldn’t! When you are giving of yourself all the time you will become depleted. And that is exactly why you NEED self-care.

Self-care is literally taking time to care for yourself. It is not selfish and it’s not (necessarily) a spa day. Your mind and body need rest if you are going to continue being the awesome team member your family needs you to be.

What are examples of self-care? How do I schedule myself for self-care? Here are 22 simple self-care ideas for minimalists that you can enjoy anytime!

Self-Care Ideas for Your Busy Life at Home

Self-care is all about taking a little time for yourself to rest and recuperate and of course, you will do most of your self-care at home. That’s where you feel the most comfortable.

But a lot of times, home becomes the place we work the hardest. Sometimes when we get home it feels like we are starting our side job.

Eventually, that leads to an exhausted and resentful person that no one wants to be around. That’s why you need to find small pockets of time to rejuvenate yourself!

Here are some self-care ideas for minimalists that don’t require lots of stuff or time!

1: Have a cup of tea. I am totally in love with tea! My favorite tea is Good Earth Sweet and Spicy. It’s so comforting and relaxing to sit and enjoy a cup of tea in silence. You could even combine your tea time with one of the next two activities!

2: Read a book. In today’s fast-paced society we have pretty short attention spans and we are normally scanning social media or short news articles or videos on our phones. But when was the last time you sat down and just read a book? If you feel like you need just a few minutes to relax, put down your phone and pick up a book.

3: Write in a journal or a planner. If you feel kind of all over the place, anxious, and icky it might be time to pour it out in a journal. Don’t worry about creating a literary masterpiece. Just write down your feelings or even a non-related short story to help you relieve the tension. I personally have a hard time writing out my feelings sometimes but I really enjoy my 100 Writing Prompts Journal and I also write spiritual thoughts in my planner each day.

Rest and Relax

4: Take a Nap. Don’t tell me your “not a nap person”. A 10-20 minute nap can help you restart your day. It can improve your mood, mental clarity, creativity, and productivity! Companies like Google, Facebook, Ben & Jerry’s, and Huffington Post even encourage their employees to take needed naps by providing spaces for them to do so!

5: Listen to Music. Sometimes you don’t want to rest but you don’t want to think too hard either. At times, you may feel stressed out, not knowing what to do with yourself. That is the perfect time to put on some good music and just take a minute to enjoy it. Whether that means listening to calm music and kicking up your feet up or listening to your happy song and dancing around the house, putting on some good music can definitely elevate your mood!

Pamper Yourself

6: Do a Facial! Now we are getting into the spa day activities you probably think about when you hear the term “self-care”. But doing a facial doesn’t have to be expensive or time-consuming. Buy a couple of packets of facials to have around and plan on slapping one on after your hot shower at the end of the day. Having something on your face will force you to chill and maybe give your family a good laugh! Your pores will thank you.

7: Manicure Time! It does a girl good to feel pretty so take a few minutes and paint your nails (or use some awesome stick-ons) and give yourself a pedicure too. Taking that time will give you a moment of rest and make you feel gorgeous later!

8: Deep condition your hair. Are your lustrous locks not shining brightly these days? Before your next shower, take 20-30 minutes to deep condition your hair. You can use a hair mask from the store or things you have around the house like olive oil, mayonnaise, or your regular conditioner! Your hair will love it and you can drink a nice cup of tea while you wait.

9: Take a bath. Light candles, put on some music or just enjoy the silence. Taking a nice hot bath can release toxins in your body, relax your muscles, and give your brain some time to relax.

Take Care of Your Health

10: Get some exercise! As Elle Woods would say; “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t shoot their husbands.”

Although you may not feel like it, getting some exercise can do amazing things for your mood and your health! I love to use Beachbody On Demand videos because they don’t require tons of equipment but they give you a great workout! My favorite is Barre Blend. Check it out! It’s way cheaper than the gym.

11: Stretch. Sometimes, you just need to keep it low-key and do some stretches. Your body really needs to stretch to loosen up all the tension. Do a few stretches right before you go to sleep for a better night’s rest.

Self-Care Ideas for Your Busy Life at Work

You are a hard worker and you are super-efficient at work. That’s great! I am proud of you.

But could you be running just a little too hard? Are there any ways you can do a little self-care at work? There actually are a few simple things you can do to help you stay calm and healthy during your workday.

Self-Care Throughout The Day

12: Get up and walk around. If you sit at a desk all day it can actually be hard on your body and mind. To counteract this make it a habit it get up and walk around after each task. Walk the long way to get your coffee, go look out a window, walk over to your coworker and tell them what you need to tell them instead of texting or e-mailing it.

Some other great ways to get more movement in your workday are to try out a standing desk or sit on an exercise ball.

13: Pack healthy snacks and lunch. Don’t leave your food choices up to chance. You know you are going to want a snack and lunch, so pack it! When you pack healthy snacks you enjoy it’s easier to resist break room donuts and grease-laden fast food. This is an act of self-care because you will feel better all day and be more productive!

14: Stop and breathe. This may sound a little crazy but sometimes we need to just stop and breathe. When you are feeling angry, frustrated, exhausted, or even happy stop. Just stop. Close your eyes and take deep breaths in and out three or four times to absorb the feeling, embrace it, and calm down.

I never did this before recently, but I have to say it definitely helps stop a freight train of emotion from turning into a full-blown problem.

Use Your Lunch Break

15: Take Lunch, Leave Your Phone. We are living in the age of information overload and it is leading to a lot of decision fatigue and attention span problems. A lot of that has to do with the bait and switch techniques of social media and our constant consumption of bite-size information junk food.

If you want to care for yourself you are going to need to give your brain a break and just enjoy lunch. Try it. When you don’t look at your phone for an entire lunch break you will find that your food tastes better and your brain is refreshed and ready to resume work.

16: Take a Walk at Lunch. You know you need more exercise but you just can’t find the time. Have you ever thought of taking a simple walk during your lunch hour? Pack a pair of tennis shoes and plan on taking a walk during your lunch. You can enjoy quiet time, listen to some music, or ask a coworker to join you.

If you make this a habit and you walk 20 minutes each day you will have added 100 minutes of activity to your week and you will feel great knowing that you did something good for yourself.

17: Drink enough water. Sure you will need more bathroom breaks but water is what lubricates every cell in our bodies, including our brain cells! We have to have water. Get a big water bottle and plan on drinking at least one full bottle before lunch and another one after lunch. It might not feel like self-care but healthy habits like drinking water will pay off.

Self-Care Ideas for You Busy Life at Play

We all look forward to the weekend! Maybe you are the type of person that likes to have back-to-back activities planned for the weekend but don’t forget to make some time for self-care.

Self-care can mean a lot of things but mostly it means taking the time to notice what you need and giving yourself the time to fill that need. Here are some ways you can use recreation as self-care.

Be Creative and Active

18: Create art. I am convinced that we all need to be creative to be truly fulfilled. Creativity helps us calm our minds, express our feelings, and bring beauty into the world.

There are so many ways to be creative. You can paint, draw, sculpt, crochet, knit, sew, play music, write, and more! It doesn’t take much but it does take time. Make creativity a part of your life.

Find the creative endeavor that puts you into a state of flow, that wonderful feeling where you forget everything else.

Create art regularly! Don’t seek perfection. Seek the process. The journey is what art is all about and the journey is self-care.

19: Enjoy active hobbies. We all need exercise but not all exercise is at the gym. In fact, the healthiest people in the world aren’t thinking about exercise. They are thinking about something that they love to do that just happens to be active.

I love water and swimming and kayaking at the lake makes me feel like I’m where I need to be. Maybe you love to hike in the mountains or jog through the park or play basketball with your friends or dance! Find an active hobby you LOVE. When you are able to make time for something you love to do, it rejuvenates you! That is the definition of self-care.

Look Outside of Yourself

20: Have coffee with a friend. Yes, sometimes self-care can include others. Taking the time to have coffee and talk with your best friend doesn’t happen as much as it should. Having long rambling conversations that jump from funny anecdotes to soul searching, save the world topics, is very healing. Giving time to the relationships that are important to you not only shows love to your friend, but it also shows love to yourself.

21: Watch the world outside. When was the last time you stopped and looked at the white puffy clouds in the blue sky or noticed a little yellow bird perched on a sunflower? Have you sat on your porch and watched a sunset lately? Take a little time to slow life down.

Put your phone down, sit with your thoughts and look for beauty in whatever nature surrounds you. Take your time soaking in the colors of flowers and the funny antics of the birds. Just stop and enjoy these beautiful gifts that surround you.

22: Feed your spirituality. Do you ever feel like something is missing? That is your spiritual need calling. We all have it. If you have an empty space, odds are you can fill it with spirituality. Take time to feed your spirituality and care for that part of yourself. Feeding your spiritual need is the ultimate act of self-care.

How Will You Practice Self-Care From Now On?

As you can see, self-care can encompass all sorts of activities. Self-care is all about taking the time you need to take care of yourself, rest, and grow so that you can continue to take care of those around you.

Self-care isn’t about a spa day (unless you want it to be). It doesn’t mean you are selfish or self-involved. Remember that every time you are taking a little time for yourself, you are doing it so that you can bring the best version of yourself to those around you.

What do you like to do for self-care? I would love to hear your suggestions! Comment below!

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Jessalynn Jones writes to help people simplify their life. Her goal is to make minimalism or simple living fit your life in an easy, sustainable way. Check out more of her articles on her blog, Doable Simplicity.