Sharing 30 easy ways to practice self-care for FREE!! Learn the importance of really taking care of yourself without spending a dime!
I wanted to chat a little bit about self care & what it really means to take time out your day to take care of yourself. It just so happens that I’m a little under the weather writing this right now, so I might need to take a little extra time paying attention & taking care of myself too. Because that’s all self-care really is…it’s taking care of yourself. Simple as that!
BUT there are some myths regarding self-care. Self-care doesn’t have to be some extravagant thing you do for yourself once a week. It doesn’t involve facials or massages. Self-care does not have to be complicated. You don’t have to leave your house. And you don’t need to spend any money in order to practice self-care.
Obviously, you can take that how you please. Of course, you can go get your nails done every two weeks if that’s what makes you feel really great about yourself. Yes, you can spend $10 on a movie ticket & another $5 on popcorn if you want to take yourself out for a relaxing movie date, but it’s just not necessary.
As we all know, we don’t have all the time in the world to pamper ourselves. There are things that need to get accomplished, jobs that need working, dishes that need washing, lists that need to be completed…you get it, the list goes on & on. With that said, self-care is usually the first thing to be kicked to the back burner.
When life gets busy, self-care is still important.
Even if it’s once a week. This summer when I was working a ton, I didn’t have all the time in the world, but I made it a routine that every Monday morning, I did my favorite face mask & I made sure that I made it to my favorite yoga class in the evening. Now that might seem small but I so looked forward to it & it helped me kick off my week in a really good way.
Small acts of self-care can really make a difference in the way you feel.
Self-care is a form of self-love.
And to make it even better, self-love should not have to cost you. You do not need to spend unnecessary amounts of money on “self-care” to take care of yourself & you to show yourself that YOU CARE.
I listen to a podcast called “Off The Vine” by Kaitlyn Bristowe (former bachelorette a few years back) & one of her guests was a woman named Sarah Nicole from @thebirdspapaya. They began to talk about self-care & Sarah mentioned that one of her main acts of her daily self-care is to go to the bathroom with the door shut.
Now this may seem ridiculous to some, but Sarah is a mom of 3 & as a mom she was lacking time to herself. So when her kids were smaller, she decided if she couldn’t do anything else…she was at least going to have the door closed when she used the restroom. That was her self-care.
That conversation that they had on the podcast really hasn’t left my mind. And it was one of the main things that has been swirling around in my brain while I brainstormed & wrote this post.
Below, I’m sharing 30 easy & FREE ways to practice self-care to show yourself a little extra love. You might read through the list & realize that you might already be doing some of the things I mentioned, which is amazing!! These acts below are so simple & easy, but so effective. Hope you enjoy!
30 Ways to Practice Free Self-Care
- Take 5 minutes to take some deep breaths. Focus solely on your breath.
- Write down a list of intentions for the day.
- Go for a walk or a run.
- Have a conversation with your significant other.
- Have a conversation with yourself. Sounds crazy, but I do it ALL the time!
- Call someone you enjoy talking to!
- Cook yourself a good meal.
- Have a cup of hot tea.
- Write down your thoughts, whatever they may be.
- Pick up your favorite book & read a chapter.
- Spray your face with rose water.
- Meditate. Find my best tips for meditation here!
- Do 10 minutes of yoga or stretching.
- Scratch your scalp (my favorite thing ever) or give yourself a facial massage.
- Sit on the couch & do nothing.
- Take a 20 minute nap…wake up feeling refreshed!
- Watch an episode of your favorite show on TV.
- Listen to a podcast.
- Write down 5 things you are grateful for.
- Take a shower. Wash your hair. Shave your legs.
- Light a candle & take a bath.
- Give yourself an at-home spa treatment.
- Sleep in an extra 10 minutes.
- Research a topic that really interests you.
- Color! Be creative!
- Organize something in your house – here’s a list of 100 things you can organize!
- Wear an outfit that makes you feel amazing!
- Listen to a great playlist!
- Hug someone you love.
- Tell yourself “I love you!”
Sounds pretty easy right?
I feel like so many of us want to over-complicate things. If it’s not hard or difficult or expensive then it must not work. Wrong. Anything can work or make you feel better if you associate the act with a loving intention towards self-care.
This is something I mentioned in my 20 Essential Tips for a Healthier Lifestyle post. If you are not able to take care of yourself, then you will not be able to take care of others. Even if you don’t have a husband or boyfriend or girlfriend or kids or a dog or whatever, you STILL need to make time to take care of yourself. You cannot pour from an empty cup. Your relationship with YOU is if not the most important relationship you have in your life. The other relationships in your life stem from the one you have with yourself.
With that said, here’s to taking a little bit more time to love yourself & to dedicate necessary time to take care of yourself mentally, physically, spiritually, & emotionally in 2019! I really enjoy talking about the topic of self-care.
How do you practice self-care?

Love this list! It is a really great post! ~ love your blog design as well!
Thanks so much, really appreciate it! xo
I really like those tips 🙂 I need to get running again! ☺️
Thanks so much Victoria! xo
This list is life goals! My favorite of all is wearing an outfit that makes me feel good. I try to do this as often as I can, because I work full time and intern 5 days a week and the only good thing about it is that I can wear my own clothes. No uniforms! So, I try my best to dress up and look my best. Getting compliments from my coworkers always makes me feel good. I’ve noticed on days where I don’t dress up, I have a damper mood.
Great content and excellent list of self-care practices!
-Kendra
I love that Kendra..thanks so much for sharing & for reading, really appreciate it! xo
I love all the suggestions and you’re totally right that self-care doesn’t have to cost a lot of money (or time)! No matter how busy I am, I always try to fit in a some sort of exercise, a meditation, and nightly reflection journaling. You’ve reminded me that I need to fit in more reading (for enjoyment, not for any other purpose) into my days. My boyfriend and I have been watching more movies together and just having conversations in general and it really does make life so much better.
Ugh that is wonderful!! I’ve just started incorporating a daily meditation…it’s definitely something I want to explore! Thank you so much for reading & for leaving such a thoughtful comment! xo
Self-Care is super important! I do yoga, drink hot tea at night before bed while reading a book, listen to music and go for hikes. These are also the ways I wind down and take a break from any sort of media (well, besides the music). I also think cuddling with my cat helps me too. A pet can be a great help in this area.
All those ideas are wonderful, I love ending my days with a hot tea as well! Thanks so much for reading! xo
I love the idea that self-care doesn’t have to be this big expensive thing that we do. We can practice self-care every single day with the little things – like going to the bathroom with the door shut! I love lighting candles – that’s a little one I do and it makes my workspace so much nicer.
https://teaspoonofadventure.com
Yes, I love that Riana! Thanks so much for reading! xo
My favorite form of self care is taking a long bath while listening to a podcast!
I just started listening to podcasts within the past year & I can’t get enough!! Thank you for reading! xo
I love going for walks. It’s amazing how much one thing can help change your perspective!
Oh absolutely! Thanks for reading! xo
Loving returning to your blog Madi.. A cup of hot tea, conversations with my DH, myself, and my mom as well as other family/close friends, and so many/all of the other things on your list today are totally things that make my day better instantly!
That makes me so happy to hear! 🙂 Thank you so much! I agree, a phone call with my mom instantly makes my day better as well! xo
This is a great list! It’s easy to forget that simple thing, like showers and watching TV, count as Self Care. It doesn’t have to be extravagant like going to the spa.
Yes absolutely, it’s crazy how recharging just a shower can be! Thank you for reading! xo
There are so many small ways you can practice self care. Some of my favorites are listening to my many many podcasts. I also enjoy taking a bath while either listening to any audio book or one of Pandora stations. It leaves me feeling happy, warm and refreshed.
Love that!! I’m obsessed with podcasts too!! Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a great week! xo