Self-care is more than a buzzword. It’s a practice — a discipline, even.
Self-care is more than a buzzword. It’s a practice — a discipline, even.
Amid ever-growing responsibilities and everyday stressors, many struggle to make time for themselves. But regularly giving yourself a little self-care is vital for your mental, physical, and emotional health.
We’ll dig into what self-care is and how to practice it, then offer self-care ideas for women you may want to incorporate into your life.
Self-care is all about tuning into your needs and intentionally doing what helps you feel your best — both physically and mentally. It’s a broad concept by design, so it can look different for everyone.
Whether it’s hitting the gym, meditating, carving out time to read before bed, or savoring a quiet cup of tea, self-care is anything that brings you balance and a sense of control over your life.
Whatever nourishes your well-being, brings you peace, or leaves you feeling rejuvenated — that’s self-care. And doing things just for you isn’t only good for you but also for the people around you.
Self-care is a holistic practice that supports overall wellness. While it looks different for everyone, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) lays out eight key areas of self-care:
Emotional self-care. Your emotional well-being is the cornerstone of overall health. It includes managing stress, practicing self-compassion, processing emotions, and seeking support when needed.
Environmental self-care. Your surroundings matter. Creating a clean, calming, and organized physical space can promote relaxation, focus, and mental clarity.
Financial self-care. Health isn’t just physical — it’s financial, too. Managing your finances through budgeting, saving, planning for the future, and making informed decisions can ease stress and create a sense of stability.
Intellectual self-care. Stimulating your mind keeps you sharp and engaged. Activities like reading, learning new skills, or tackling puzzles can improve your mood and keep your brain active.
Occupational self-care. A fulfilling work life contributes to overall well-being. Whether it’s finding meaning in your work, setting professional boundaries, or pursuing career goals, occupational self-care helps you stay motivated and balanced.
Physical self-care. Taking care of your body lays the foundation for good health. Regular exercise, nutritious meals, hydration, proper hygiene, and quality sleep are all key to feeling your best physically and mentally.
Social self-care. Strong relationships are vital for emotional health. Cultivating meaningful connections with friends, family members, or your community is key to building a solid support system — and having more moments of joy!
Spiritual self-care. Spiritual self-care is about finding purpose, connection, and inner peace. This could involve religion, meditation, mindfulness, or spending time in nature — whatever nourishes your soul.
Each area of self-care is interconnected, and nurturing all of them can help you create a balanced, supported, fulfilling life.
Self-care goes beyond occasional indulgences — it’s a cornerstone of a harmonious, healthy, and fulfilling life. By caring for yourself in all facets of life, you’re building the foundation for daily resilience, focus, and peace.
If self-care hasn’t been a focus before, it might feel unfamiliar at first or even indulgent. But embracing it is worth the effort.
Proactively tending to your well-being can help reduce stress, lift your mood, and improve your overall quality of life. What’s more, people who practice good self-care are better able to help others around them.
Remember, self-care habits are personal — it’s about what feels right for you.
More specific benefits of self-care include:
Improved relationships. A healthier you means stronger connections with others — and vice versa.
Enhanced mental and physical well-being. Through self-care, you can boost your resilience (how well you handle hardships or unexpected setbacks) and overall health.
Increased productivity and focus. Taking care of yourself can lead to greater clarity to achieve your goals.
Higher self-esteem. When you’re healthier thanks to self-care, you might feel more confident and empowered in your choices.
Here’s how to start prioritizing and practicing self-care for women:
Evaluate your current stressors. Take stock of what’s draining your energy. Are there particular situations, environments, or relationships that take a toll on your well-being? Pinpointing these will help you understand what needs to change. Or, if you can’t change them, you can work on better ways to manage them.
Reflect on your needs. Think about what makes you feel grounded, whole, strong, and at peace. Is it quiet time with a book, connecting with loved ones, or being active outdoors? Recognizing these sources of fulfillment can guide your self-care choices and help you find motivating ways to meet your physical health needs.
Set goals to meet those needs. Create actionable goals to address your needs. Use the SMART method: Make your goals specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.
Develop a plan. With your goals in mind, design a self-care plan that fits your life. Break it into small, manageable steps and be flexible — your routine can evolve as your needs change.
You don’t need to overhaul your life overnight. Begin with one or two self-care practices and gradually add more as they become habits.
These self-care tips for women (or anyone, really) will set you on the right path:
Stick to a schedule to get enough sleep
Get some sunlight and fresh air
Start your day with something you enjoy
Get at least 30 minutes of daily exercise
Take five minutes to relax
Celebrate your wins
Keep a journal
Try mindfulness meditation
Spend time with friends and family
Appreciate JOMO
Make healthy cooking a habit
Rethink your screen time
Play with a pet
Plan a vacation
Get creative
Take a hot bath
Look after plants or grow a garden
Declutter your home.
Keep scrolling for details.
In a busy world, prioritizing rest is a luxury you deserve.
Poor sleep not only impacts energy but also amplifies anxiety, with research linking it to heightened activity in anxiety-related brain regions.
To improve sleep, try sticking to a consistent schedule — go to bed and wake up at the same time daily — and limit screen time before bed to reduce blue light exposure.
Getting some sunlight daily can boost mental health. Research shows sunlight triggers serotonin production, which helps regulate mood.
Even on cloudy days, being outdoors offers benefits. For instance, forest bathing (spending time in nature) has been shown to lower blood pressure, improve cognition (thinking power), and reduce anxiety.
If sunlight is limited, try a sunlight lamp.
Starting your day doing something you enjoy is definitely one of those easier-said-than-done types of things.
Still, doing something just for you before all your responsibilities come roaring into focus can be powerful. It could be as simple as sipping a fresh cup of coffee or blasting your favorite song.
You’ve heard this one before, but daily exercise is among the best ways to support physical and mental health.
Physical activity elevates mood by releasing endorphins and improves brain function by promoting nerve cell growth. Some even call it a natural treatment for depression.
Just 30 minutes of movement a day — walking, biking, yoga, or even doing chores — can lower the risk of death by up to 35 percent.
It’d be nice to set aside hours explicitly dedicated to relaxing. But it’s just not possible for most people. Instead, start small.
Try setting aside five to 10 minutes to chill out and decompress whenever you can. Doing deep breathing exercises, flipping through a magazine, or listening to a song from a peaceful playlist can calm your mind and help you appreciate the present moment.
Stress can make it easy to focus on what went wrong or where you didn’t improve, but this negative thinking can harm your mental health. Research shows it can fuel depression and mess with problem-solving skills.
To counterbalance this, practice gratitude by celebrating your accomplishments, big or small. If you’re hard on yourself, shift the tone with positive self-talk — remind yourself of your strengths and achievements, just as you would encourage a friend.
Journaling can help alleviate anxiety by giving you space to process your thoughts and feelings. It can also help you navigate life’s highs and lows and get in touch with yourself.
To start, keep your journal nearby and focus on expression, not perfection — avoiding the pressure to write “well“ will help keep the practice relaxing.
Brief, daily mindfulness meditation enhances attention, memory, mood, and emotional regulation — even for non-experienced meditators. This form of meditation involves focusing on the present moment.
Not sure where to start? Follow this beginner’s guide to meditation.
When you’re feeling stressed, it’s easy to turn inward. While this is a natural thing to do, it’s often not what you need.
Spending time around others — perhaps by making new friends or visiting with loved ones — not only brightens your life but also has numerous mental health benefits.
We’ve all heard of FOMO (short for “fear of missing out“), but what if you embraced JOMO — the “joy of missing out?”
Sometimes, a quiet night with takeout and your favorite show — with loved ones or on your own — is precisely what you need.
If you tend to people-please, saying “no“ can be tough. But putting your own needs first helps avoid burnout and exhaustion.
Speaking of which — while takeout is fun occasionally, cooking at home is a healthier, more cost-effective habit. It lets you control your nutrition and avoid fast food.
We have more guidance on healthy eating with specific tips and tricks for weight management.
Oof. Most people have caught themselves doomscrolling from time to time. As a human living in the modern era, spending time with tech is just a fact of life.
But although technology is great for communication and connection, it can also cause stress, disrupt sleep, and blur work-life boundaries.
Try setting screen-free hours or logging out of social media on weekends. If notifications interrupt your focus or leave you unsettled, mute your phone for set periods or adjust your settings to turn them off.
Spending time with a pet can reduce your heart rate and blood pressure, helping lower stress and anxiety.
Whether playing at the park or relaxing at home, emotional-support pets offer stress relief, improve health, and provide unconditional love — making pet time a good form of self-care.
A change of scenery can work wonders for your well-being. If your budget allows, plan a vacation — or even a staycation in your hometown.
Research shows that even a short time away can reduce stress and boost mental wellness for some. Having something to look forward to can also help brighten your moods.
Research shows that creative expression can help reduce stress.
Sketching, doodling, playing with clay, or learning a musical instrument isn’t simply a way to distract you from sources of stress. Art therapy is a way to get in touch with your inner child and invite a bit of playfulness into your life.
One study found that taking a bath reduced fatigue, stress, and pain more effectively than showering. Bathers also reported lower levels of anxiety, anger, and depression.
So, the next time you feel stressed or overwhelmed, run a warm bath and soak for a while — and maybe throw in some essential oils or Epsom salt to take your self-care up a notch.
Even if you’re not much of a green thumb, caring for plants can be its own form of self-care.
Researchers have found that engaging with indoor plants may reduce physiological and psychological stress, including blood pressure levels.
Getting a couple of houseplants is a low-maintenance way to add natural life to your home. You could even start cultivating a garden — indoors or out.
Self-care isn’t always about bathtime or yoga — sometimes, tackling a few light chores can be just as effective.
To be sure, finding the motivation to clean a cluttered space can add to the stress, especially when you’re already overwhelmed. But it’s worth a shot.
If your space is getting messy, put on some music or your favorite podcast, open the windows, and spend some time decluttering. Not only will it make it easier to find things, but a clean home can also boost confidence, reduce anxiety, and enhance productivity.
Self-care isn’t always the be-all and end-all. Sometimes, professional help with therapy or medication is necessary.
If you’re feeling depressed, have lost interest in things you once loved, or are wondering if you might have a mental health condition like anxiety, consider speaking to a mental health professional.
The good news is that care is more accessible than ever, with online therapy and psychiatry support right at your fingertips. Reach out to a healthcare provider for help, or use our online platform to explore your options.
Self-care is critical for overall health. It’s about building self-compassion and a strong foundation for whatever life throws your way.
A few things to remember:
Taking time to stay active, relieve stress, and sleep — and just generally staying attuned to and responding to your own needs — is extremely important for overall well-being.
Self-care is a set of practical tools you can reach for depending on your needs or available time. What feels like the best form of self-care to you may differ from someone else. It’s about taking steps to ensure your own physical, financial, occupational, and emotional well-being.
Sometimes, self-care means seeking professional help to learn how to manage life’s stressors or a mental health condition.
If you make time for one thing that makes you happy every single day, you’re well on your way. With the right combination of professional help and self-care, it’s possible to manage stress, overcome common mental health issues, and feel like your best self.
If you need mental health support, you can start exploring options with our free virtual assessment.
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