5 Things to Look For in Your Self-Care Activities

People often get overwhelmed when it comes to adding self-care to their life, but all you 
are doing is choosing simple activities that are going to help improve your physical and 
mental wellbeing. These can be things you do alone or with other people, as long as 
they help to improve your life and happiness. 

Here are some things to look for in your self-care activities.


1. It Can Be Done with Little Effort

You want your self-care routine to be done with little effort. This means it can be done 
quickly and easily, without needing to spend a lot of money or having to “set up” in an 
elaborate way. If it feels like your self-care activities take a long time to set up, are 
elaborate, or you dread getting it done, it is probably a little too demanding for 
something that is meant to be relaxing.


2. It is Something You Thoroughly Enjoy

Another thing to look for in your self-care activity is something you actually enjoy. It is 
really important that you find a self-care activity that makes you excited and happy. 
Even activities that your friends enjoy immensely, might not be the right fit for you. 
Journaling is great for some people, but other people feel like it’s a chore. Others like 
listening to music and practicing mindfulness as their self-care, while their best friend or 
sister might hate it. 


3. It is Something You Look Forward to

Do you look forward to your daily self-care routine, or is it something you feel like you 
are forcing yourself to do? This is a good indication when figuring out if you chose the 
right self-care activity or not. Pay attention to your thoughts and feelings before you get 
started with the self-care activity, and whether you are really excited for it, or you are 
trying to put it off.


4. It Fits in With Your Schedule

Your self-care routine should fit in nicely with your schedule. In some cases, you do 
need to make a little room for it, but it shouldn’t come in the way of any of your 
responsibilities and priorities. How you choose to fit it in will depend on your schedule 
and what works best for you. If you use a type of block schedule where you like to see 
what you are doing during each block during the day, then you can schedule a 15-30 
minute block for your self-care. In other cases, adding it to your nighttime routine might 
work better.


5. It Brings You Peace

Lastly, your self-care activity should bring you peace of mind and relaxation, not stress. 
Practice mindfulness and really focus on how you feel before, during, and after your 
self-care routine. If it relaxes you and reduces anxiety, it’s working great for you.






