I felt called to write this article on self-care ideas for women because, as women, we often learn to care for everyone else’s needs around us. Everything and everyone in the outside world, except for ourselves, because our priorities and what we need takes the backseat. This leads to a depletion of our resources, which means not only do we suffer, but we also can’t give the best of ourselves to anyone else.
The trouble is, the majority of us aren’t even taught how to show ourselves care or love. So we have no idea where to begin.
And those who do know what we should begin struggle to devote time to it because life often gets in the way. Commitments come up and self-care is usually the first thing to fly outta the window. Because we can’t immediately see the results. There’s no tangible indication that we’ve done something productive.
This is why self-care for women is so important and should be a priority in our lives.
But taking care of yourself is perhaps the most important thing you can do. Self-care nourishes you and fills you up. It feeds you physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
If there’s one thing you make time for in your life, this should be it! No if’s, and’s, or but’s about it! Make yourself a priority today. Because nobody else will do it for you.
I try not to let one day pass by without showing myself at least one act of self-care. It’s taken me years and I’m still learning to realize that I deserve this. Believe me… YOU DO!
Self-Care Ideas For Women Who Don’t Know Where To Start
- Take yourself on a date
I think we often wait for a romantic relationship to take care of many of our desires and needs. But by doing this, we place our happiness on someone outside of ourselves. We leave it up to chance.
But we don’t have to!
If no one has taken you on a date recently (or even if they have) I invite you to take yourself on a date.
Go for dinner, head to an art gallery, watch the sunset, or go for a walk on the beach. Plan a beautiful date for yourself and enjoy every moment.
Since reaching my thirties, I started taking myself out for a weekly dinner and movie (it’s really all about the theater popcorn for me) just because, and it’s one of the most liberating things I’ve ever done!
- Say something kind to yourself when you look in the mirror
We spend far too much time criticizing and judging ourselves. Next time you catch your reflection in the mirror, say something positive and empowering to yourself.
“I Love You”
“You are a powerful woman”
“You are worthy of love”
Even if you feel silly or strange doing this at first, keep going. Eventually, this will come out naturally to you.
Check out these affirmation cards that will surely ignite your soul.
- Write a celebration list
This can be a celebration list for today, the week, or even your entire life.
Think about all the reasons why you’re awesome and all the things you’ve achieved so far. Write them down. Read them back to yourself. Celebrate YOU.
We don’t do this enough.
I’ve achieved so many milestones in my life and I’ve flown right past them, and moved onto the next thing without acknowledging them. Don’t short-change yourself this way. Big or small, it doesn’t matter, a wee little victory is still something to take pride in.
- Allow yourself to a nap
Our menstrual cycle can deeply affect how much energy we have at different points in the month. And some of the things we fill our days with can be exhausting. Like parenting, running a business, or trying to do it all (even though you can’t).
Sometimes your body will tell you it needs some rest, and bedtime will feel light years away.
So honour this. Take a fifteen-minute snap-nap. Throw on that meditation app if you need some help drifting off into la-la land. Don’t feel guilty. You’ll wake up recharged and better able to handle that next challenge.
- Forgive yourself
When we hold onto guilt and judgment, it only weighs us down and limits us from living out our fullest lives.
There’s probably something you haven’t forgiven yourself for (truth be told, I struggle with this on the daily). I invite you to forgive yourself today. It helps to release whatever you’re holding onto, let it go.
We all make mistakes, and we all fail sometimes. This is what it means to be human. As long as you’ve learned and grown from those experiences, that’s all that really matters.
- Do something you loved doing as a child.
There are so many things you probably loved doing as a child but haven’t done in decades.
Make a list of those things that you enjoyed. Pick one to do today.
Enjoy being a child again. Play, have fun!
One of my favorite childhood activities was, when my mom would take me flying down this steep hill in the car (dangerous… Maybe? Fun… Absolutely!) Even writing about it now I can feel the joy those few seconds brought me. I would beg her to “Do it again! Do it again!”. We probably spent a good half an hour ripping down what I thought then was a massive steep hill. I’ve been back to that hill in my adult years and I laugh. It’s actually quite small but the joy it brought was far greater.
Let your hair down and enjoy this crazy thing called Life.
- Connect with someone
And I don’t mean one of those surface-level connections we have where someone asks “how are you?” and you say “I’m good” or “fine” or you chat about how nice the weather is.
Connection is to engage in an authentic heart-heart with someone, where you both speak from the depths of your soul without censorship or judgment.
Connect with someone in person or online, it doesn’t matter the locale. It could be someone you live with or even a total stranger you meet in the street (I truly love when that happens)
Human connection is like food for your soul. Personally, I crave it more often than not.
Self-Care Ideas For Women Who Are Short On Time
- Plant your bare feet on the Earth
Grass or sand is preferable but if you only have concrete, that’s okay too.
Grounding is what it’s called. Just take your shoes off, step outside, and plant your feet on the earth. If the sun is shining, even better! Double dose of Mother Nature’s medicine.
This will ground you and help you feel more connected to yourself and your world.
Soak in the beauty of the scenes you see in front of you. Plants, flowers, trees, the scent of freshly mowed grass, singing birds etc… Enjoy it all for as little or as long as you like.
This is a fantastic thing to practice as part of your morning ritual.
- Plan short breaks into your diary
I understand what it means to have a full-on schedule.
But… No matter how much you have going on, make a conscious effort to take breaks (I’m guilty of not doing this, because I feel guilty for breaking). Even if it’s just a quick five minutes in between tasks or meetings, or a twenty minute walk around the block.
Reality is, there will often be a lot on your plate, so you have to prevent yourself from overworking and burn out.
Sit and do nothing, listen to some music, make yourself a cup of tea, doesn’t matter what it is. As long as you are taking a proper break, that’s all that matters.
- Try walking meditation
You can combine exercise with the act of mindfulness by listening to a walking meditation.
Spotify and Calm have so many options to choose from.
Walking meditation can be just as beneficial as sitting down to meditate. So if you prefer to be more active, give this a shot.
- Listen to a self-care podcast while on the go
Podcast choices are endless these days. There are so many to choose from, with new ones being released on the daily. Take time to find one that helps you care for and love yourself.
That might be one specifically related to self care, or it may be one on happiness or mindfulness or even moon magic. Whatever it is you need to hear the most, it’s out there.
Allow your intuition to guide you on this, our emotions fluctuate daily and your choice in podcasts might as well.
Listen to it in the car, on the train while you’re commuting to work, or picking the kiddos up from school, or even while working out.
- Gift yourself a beautiful bunch of flowers
This is super simple and can cost as little or as much as you like.
I used to work as a florist and I would bring home flowers for myself weekly. It makes you happy every time you look up and see them brightening up your surroundings.
I’m of the opinion that no woman should have to wait for someone else to buy her flowers. Plus, they’re too pretty to save only for special occasions like birthdays and anniversaries.
You could also invest in a small plant instead, or plant some flowers in your garden.
- Make yourself a cup of herbal tea
For women who are short on time (that’s all of us I think), the simple act of taking five to ten minutes out of your busy day to make a nice cup of tea for yourself, can be enough.
Herbal tea is great for your body and comes with a lovely soothing and calming effect.
You could opt for green tea (if you need a little boost) peppermint tea, chamomile… There are so many wonderful blends to choose from today.
If possible, let yourself sip in peace before getting back to whatever you were doing.
Herbal tea is also a great remedy if you experience period pain.
Self-Care Ideas For Women Who Want To Show Their Body Some Lovin’
- Hydrate yourself
Drinking water doesn’t only help to hydrate you, it also helps to flush out toxins from the body and boost your immune system.
I think one of the reasons we don’t drink water is because… It’s just plain boring.
But… IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE!
Try infusing your water, there are so many delicious infused water recipes you can make in minutes. It will spice up your water, making you want to drink it, plus, it will look pretty too.
- Eat more plants
The more fruits and veggies you can weave into your daily meals the better.
If you’re not used to eating many healthy foods, just start small. Swap one sugary snack for a piece of fruit. Commit yourself to eating a salad three times a week, or you could try going vegetarian one day a week.
The more colorful your plate, the more nutritious it is. Try to make every meal look like a beautiful rainbow. (no one’s saying you can’t afford yourself a little treat here and there)
Fruit and veg help boost your energy levels, your immune system and you’ll feel full quicker and much lighter afterwards (💩).
- Find some quick, delicious new recipes
Thanks to google, who has made it easy to find hundreds of new recipes in a matter of seconds.
Spend some time saving the ones you like down in a document (I use Freeform) and then pick a new one to try each week.
Crank some tunes and enjoy cooking up something new and nutritious.
- Masturbate
Yup, you read that correctly. When you orgasm, you release hormones that make you feel relaxed and happier (who doesn’t like that?) This can be a much needed stress reliever in a time of need.
Plus a self pleasure sesh is a great way to connect with your body and embrace your sexual energy.
Make it about what you like… light a candle, slip into something that makes you feel sexy, run to washroom quickly and rub one out – whatever it is that makes you feel good. Might I suggest one of these….
- Move your body in ways that feel good to you
Sure, exercise is great but I think it’s important that you ENJOY the act of moving your body.
If you don’t know what you love yet, give something new a try. Keep going until you find something that you love that is also good and rewarding for you body
My personal fave is dancing. The kind of dancing, when you’re home alone and get to listen to whatever music you like and just let loose. Now that’s my idea of moving in a way that feels good. Plus, I’m sure my neighbors get a good laugh too!
- Track your moon cycle
I started tracking my cycle probably a decade ago using the Natural Cycles App and it’s pretty amazing how much I’ve learned about my body in that time.
It really helps you understand what’s going in with you physically and emotionally, depending on what phase of your cycle you’re in.
Your understanding of the menstrual cycle will help you see when you need to show yourself a bit more love and care or when you need to take more rest and cut yourself some slack.
- Get a massage
This is a wonderful treat to indulge yourself in every now and then, depending on your budget.
A good massage will help alleviate any tension in your body and help you to feel relaxed and pampered.
Don’t be afraid to splurge on things that feel frivolous from time to time. It’s money well spent and remember you DESERVE IT!
Self-Care Ideas For Women Who Are Feeling Brave
- Dance naked
Put on your favorite empowering playlist on (Insert Beyonce here), shed your clothes, embrace your beautiful body and DANCE.
Let the music flow through you and let your body be free.
This is a great way to get you comfortable in your body and feel at home with her.
Added bonus, it’s also a great way to move stuck energy through you and release it, creating space for new energy to flow in.
- Do something that scares you
Self-care ideas for women can sometimes include doing things that make you feel temporarily uncomfortable.
When I say do something that scares you, I mean something that excites you but something that you’re also a little afraid of. Because it means stepping off that safe path you’ve known all your life and venturing into the wild unknown.
Something like starting a blog, asking someone out, or as bold as quitting your job.
Pick one thing you’ve always wanted to do but have put off out of fear.
Do it today… Go on… I dare you!
- Break up with what doesn’t serve you
Honestly, this could be anything but in particular I’m referring to “someone”. This could be a romantic partner, a friend, a family member.
If there is someone in your life who doesn’t make you feel good or bring you joy, it’s time to part ways.
Be honest with them, and prioritize your happiness over theirs for a change.
The company we surround ourselves with has a huge impact on our lives. It’s vital that we surround ourselves with kind people who love and support us, and fill our cups.
Not all relationships are meant to last forever. Just because someone is related to you by blood, doesn’t always mean they are your soul family.
- Try something new
Trying something new doesn’t have to be scary. It’s exciting!
As I’ve gotten a little older and wiser I’ve been exploring new things to challenge my brain and learn new skill sets.
Last month, I enrolled myself in an online course called “Conversion Copywriting for Beginners”. Truth is, I’m not a writer, never have been but I tried something new, that’s not only challenging but has also turned out to be a very rewarding skill set.
Do something you’ve never done before. You’d be surprised at how rewarding it feels. You’ll never know what you love if you don’t let yourself explore and experiment with new things.
- Explore your deepest feelings
I find some people confuse self-care and self-love with living in the clouds and ignoring reality. This is not what real self-care looks like.
Self-care can be taking a bubble bath or getting a makeover, but… It’s also about being really honest with yourself and exploring your deepest most inner feelings and that can be hard. This means the things that cause you anxiety, sadness, fear ect…
This is called Shadow work and when you engage in work like this, you get to know yourself more intimately. This is the only way to move past all the things that are subconsciously keeping you small and stuck. It’s hard to practice but very worth it in the end (work in progress here 🙋)
Self-Care Ideas For Women Who Feel Overwhelmed
- Disconnect from social media
Probably one of the biggest causes of feeling overwhelmed today is technology and our ever growing addiction to it.
Social media in particular can be a really noisy, toxic place. And if you use it for business (as most of us do) it can be extremely difficult to remove it from your life.
But that’s where setting boundaries becomes important.
Curate your social media feed to what serves you in that moment, give yourself a time limit if you must use it. If you don’t have to, allow yourself to completely disconnect from it whenever you desire. Delete it for a period of time, you can always re-download at a later date.
See if you notice any change in how you feel.
- Declutter your space
Could you be feeling overwhelmed because of the environment you’re living in?
Is it messy or cluttered? Are there many things taking up space that don’t bring you joy anymore?
If so, try to do a clear out of your home or office space. Start with one cupboard or one room, and go from there. You don’t need to do it all in one go!
I dread looking in my closet, it’s shameful!
- Swap your to-do lists for done lists
In our current society, this idea of doing more is celebrated, leading many of us to believe this is how it’s supposed to be.
But it’s not.
Swap your to-do list for a done list today. That means you write a list of all the things you’ve done, no matter how small or insignificant you think they might seem.
When you’re done, stop and celebrate. Recognize just how much you’re actually doing.
I actually did this the other day, when I was feeling down on myself for not achieving what I thought I should have for the day. I was amazed to see that “Nope, Kylie! You did a lot today girl”.
- Ask for help
As women, we often take on too much responsibility and find it difficult to delegate or ask for help. This could be the case in a relationship, a family situation or even at work.
If you feel overwhelmed, that’s your sign that it’s time to ask for help.
Maybe you need to take a night off and ask your partner to put the kids to bed. Perhaps you need to speak up and tell your manager you’ve got too much on your plate at the moment. Or maybe you just need to share with a friend how you’re feeling over a cup of coffee or a glass of wine.
Don’t try and mask how you’re feeling because it will only linger. Let it out. And don’t be afraid to ask for support in times of need.
Self-Care For Women Is Important
It doesn’t matter how you choose to show yourself self-care, it only matters that you do it, in some way shape or form.
It’s taken me years to realize just how important taking care of myself is. Not only for me, but for the people around me. I’m a better human when I allow myself to put myself first. It’s not a selfish act, it’s a selfless act of love. You simply cannot give from an empty cup.
If I can leave you with one message it is this, it is not selfish to practice self-care. Just like on flight demonstrations, it’s right and necessary to put your own oxygen mask on first before you can attempt to tend to anyone else.
So go ahead and put yourself first today.
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