100 Extreme Self-Care Ideas

Posted on January 20, 2009 by Emily

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?