100 Extreme Self-Care Ideas

  1. Naps
  2. Massage
  3. Have an Adventure Day
  4. Read (easy, fun reads though, not self-help or professional books!)
  5. Snuggle with the cat (or dog or baby or kids)
  6. Hugs
  7. Long walks and/or hikes
  8. Bubble baths
  9. Movies (again, easy watches – not horrific documentaries or violent battles or super sad ones that remind you of your own losses)
  10. Order dinner in (or have someone else make it)
  11. Say no
  12. Buy yourself flowers
  13. Sip a mug of hot, soothing tea
  14. Play in the snow
  15. Dig your toes into the sand
  16. Feel the sun (or rain) on your face
  17. Hold hands
  18. Meditate
  19. Get a facial
  20. Listen to your favorite music
  21. Make a delights list
  22. Do something on your delights list
  23. Repeat above (over and over)
  24. Acupuncture
  25. Snuggle with your partner
  26. Have sex
  27. Journal
  28. Turn off the computer, cell phone and TV for 24 hours
  29. Go on a retreat
  30. Sit and people watch
  31. Garden
  32. Do something creative (draw, knit, crossstitch, paint, cook, write, color, make a collage, etc.)
  33. Daydream
  34. Dance with a child
  35. Have a Harry Potter movie marathon (it’s a personal favorite!)
  36. Take a mental health day from work
  37. Keep your daily to-do list to 3 items or less
  38. Swing on the swings
  39. Have energy work done
  40. Have a laugh fest with your best friend
  41. Eat simply
  42. Break up with your TV
  43. Allow yourself to cry and experience your emotions
  44. Join a support group
  45. Get a pedicure (or manicure)
  46. Tell yourself “I love you”
  47. Browse your favorite bookstore (or music store)
  48. Have a game night with friends
  49. Write thank you notes to those who have touched your life and inspired you
  50. Spend the day exploring your town – go places you don’t normally go
  51. Practice random acts of kindness & senseless acts of beauty
  52. Write a love letter to someone you love ( doesn’t have to be a partner)
  53. Write a love letter to yourself
  54. Have a “Freedom from Self-Improvement Day”
  55. Listen to Holosync
  56. Color (try going outside the lines – its fun!)
  57. Keep a gratitude journal
  58. Talk a walk with your camera – take pictures of all you see that delights you
  59. Find and notice something beautiful every day
  60. Do something badly.  Keep doing it.
  61. Admire beautiful artwork
  62. Do absolutely nothing
  63. Do one brave thing everyday
  64. Play
  65. Treat yourself to something
  66. Wear something that makes you feel beautiful or handsome and confident
  67. Have an “All Day PJs Day”
  68. Say I love you everyday
  69. Jump in piles of leaves
  70. Quit the job you hate that drains you
  71. Say YES to what you truly love
  72. Give yourself permission
  73. Let go of belongings you no longer love or use (even family heirlooms)  Also applies to relationships
  74. Hire someone to clean your house
  75. Hire someone to mow your lawn
  76. Let go of your story
  77. Laugh
  78. Be generous
  79. Lay in the grass and watch the clouds
  80. Take a long walk with your dog
  81. Ride horse
  82. Give up New Year’s Resolutions.  Pick a word instead
  83. Stop drinking caffeine
  84. Dance around your house
  85. Forgive others
  86. Forgive yourself
  87. Make a list of the things you want to do in your lifetime
  88. Do one of those things
  89. And then do another
  90. Eat healthy, whole foods
  91. Eat something unhealthy AND enjoy it without self-criticism or guilt
  92. Watch cartoons
  93. Read the comics
  94. Smile for no reason
  95. Call the friends you’ve been meaning to call
  96. Go complaint free
  97. Schedule a day of no schedule
  98. Go boat riding
  99. Buy yourself a cheery balloon
  100. What do you do for extreme self-care?
This entry was posted in Grief, Healing, Self-Care and tagged , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

17 Responses to 100 Extreme Self-Care Ideas

  1. Connie says:

    Love this post! I have been relying on medical doctors to “get me well” and have realized I just do not practice enough self care…time to get extreme!!!

    P.S. still working on the healing stories…this is a super busy time for me.

  2. Emily says:

    Hi Connie! I think I wrote this mainly to remind myself it’s time for some good ol’ self-care! I forget sometimes that the most ‘extreme’ and best self-care usually consists of the smallest, simplest things!

    Take care of yourself in this busy time :-)

  3. A couple of my favorite simple things are to blow bubbles and play the kazoo. And to skip…and not care what anyone else thinks. As I write that, it dawns on me that that might be one of the most important aspects of my own self-care…not caring what anyone else thinks about what I’m doing! Too many years of being overly concerned about other’s good opinions of me has probably deepened my NEED for self-care!

    Thanks!

  4. Emily says:

    Hi Shawn! That’s a big one – the not caring what others think. We so often stop ourselves from doing the things we love because of what someone else might think. (And I love blowing bubbles! :-) That’s a great one!)

  5. Jess says:

    these are great ideas to try when i’m feeling down!!! thanx for the posting of them who ever did it.

  6. Hi my name is Melissa Hargrave, and I am a therapist in Austin TX. I just blogged about taking time out for ourselves and ran across your list and I just had to share it with others. I hope this is ok. Thanks for creating such a great list!

    Melissa

  7. Pingback: Self care is Dynamic Care - Melissa Hargrave, LPC, LMFT, Austin, TX - Counseling with you in mind.

  8. Miss Ryan says:

    I have learned how important it is to have self care. Some things I like to do are practice Yoga, play with my two year old neice and cuddle up with my dog to a good book or movie.
    I enjoyed your article- Thank you!
    Ryan

  9. Rie says:

    I love this post. Here Japan ,we’re having holidays called Golden-Week soon.
    Reading your post,I’ve decided to be myself and reflesh myself during my holidays .
    Looking forward to follow your ideas and my original ones.Thank you. :-)

    Rie, from Tokyo

  10. Ana-Latu Dickson says:

    Thank you for the great self care ideas…I have just returned from having coffee with a friend and our discussion was on self care. We often take ourselves for granted. Timely for me

  11. Pingback: inspired by Beatrice Clay» Blog Archive 31 Days to Create a {more} Beautiful Life No 27. Put Good Stuff In and On Your Body - inspired by Beatrice Clay

  12. Pingback: When Your Inner Child Rebels | The Way of The Chiro

  13. I love this list! It is sometimes easier to help others care for themselves. I needed to see this as a refresher of how to take care of me :) thank you!

  14. “100 Extreme Self-Care Ideas | Emily Long, LPC” was in fact pleasurable and informative!
    Within todays world that is very hard to achieve.

    With thanks, Jacklyn

  15. Beatris says:

    “100 Extreme Self-Care Ideas | Emily Long, LPC”
    cewi ended up being a quite wonderful blog post, . I hope you keep creating
    and I’ll try to keep viewing! Thanks ,Nelson

  16. Deana says:

    Hello my family member! I wish to say that this article
    is amazing, great written and come with almost all significant infos.

    I would like to peer extra posts like this .

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