Self-Care Day 25

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Print Some of the Photos on Your Phone

In our house, we tend to read/watch a fair amount of dystopian fiction (no, not just the nightly news). One of the themes I’ve seen come up a few times is when there’s no power, a character is carrying around a dead cell phone just hoping for a chance to look at a photo of their loved one again.

While I’m not saying that we’re headed for a dystopian future (fingers crossed), how many happy memories or fantastic photos of loved ones do you have that only exist on your phone, computer, or up in the cloud?

Pick a few this week and get them printed! If you have a decent home printer, you can usually get some photo printing paper and check the printer for photo printing settings. Remember One Hour Photos? They still exist in a more digital format. Many department stores and drug stores have kiosks where you can print your photos. If you want to get really fancy, there are specialty printers just for printing from your phone.

You can frame them relatively inexpensively with frames from a craft store or even a dollar store. Put them on your fridge with magnets. Display them in your office. Get a photo album! Put them somewhere where seeing them makes you smile!

Self-Care Day 24

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Forgive Yourself for Something in Your Past

I don’t think we always realize how much our past can weigh us down. If you take a moment and think about something you did or didn’t do that you really regret, notice where you feel it in your body. Your chest? Neck and shoulders? Gut?

We all have things we regret. We were young and foolish. Maybe we were mean before we knew better. Maybe we blame ourselves for a bad relationship or breakup. We wish we could take back the words we said.

Here’s the thing, though. If you’re looking back and you feel regret, that’s a sign that you’ve grown as a human. Think about the lessons you’ve learned since then. Realize that those experiences make you who you are today. Forgive yourself. Thank yourself. And let it go.

Self-Care Day 23

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Try a New Healthy Recipe

For the last couple of years, I have tended to stick to my favorite comfort foods or old favorites when it comes to dinner prep. Some of them are even healthy, or at least less overtly unhealthy. 😏

Every now and then, I like to peruse the interwebs and find new healthy recipes to try. Some of my favorite sources are Pinterest boards, Cooking Light, Budget Bytes, and Peace, Love, & Low Carb.

I don’t tend to follow any particular diet trend, and I’m not vegetarian, but sometimes I’ll try a keto or low carb meal, or a meatless dish. I’ve experimented with curry, stir-fries, and soups. Soups are actually a fairly easy new thing to try if cooking is not your jam. One of my recent favorites was a tasty vegetable soup.

Pick a night sometime soon and try a new recipe. Share it in the comments if you loved it!

Self-Care Day 22

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Get Rid of Something You Don’t Need

This kind of goes along with the decluttering one, so maybe you can combine them! Got a pile of magazines you’re not reading? A kitchen gadget taking up cabinet space that you haven’t used in more than a year? A craft project that you’ve been “meaning to get to” for like, 20 years?

Put on your stern face, look that object in the eye, pick it up, put it in a box, or a bag, or a backpack, and take it to your nearest thrift store to donate! Think of what other fun thing you can clutter that empty space with!

Self-Care Day 21

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I tried to look up some different breathing exercises for this post and there. are. so. many.

My personal favorite is just a nice deep breath, hold it for a moment, and let it out slowly. Long, slow exhales can stimulate the vagus nerve and send a calming message to your nervous system. In turn, this can lower your heart rate and blood pressure.

There are different breathing exercises out there for helping with anxiety attacks, stress, and calming… as always you can do a little research to find different techniques that suit you.

Self-Care Day 20

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Wake Up 15 Minutes Early

I’m not at all a morning person, but I’ve kind of made myself one in the last year or so. I’m sure many of you can appreciate during this pandemic finding “alone time” when EVERYONE is home. ALL. THE. TIME.


My answer was to drag my butt out of bed an hour earlier in the morning. I use the “quiet time” to read or get some work done when I have something I need to think about with less distraction.

It can be 15, 30, 60 minutes earlier. You might need baby steps, just creep your alarm back 5 minutes each day or week. What will you do with your extra time?

Self-Care Day 19

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Create a Bucket List

How many of you have an actual written/typed-out bucket list? Or are you like me, where “things I’d like to do sometime in this lifetime” just sort of rattle around in your head and maybe you remember them, maybe you promptly forget them?

Writing down your dreams and goals can be an important step in actually accomplishing them. Plus, you won’t forget to watch for the opportunity to check that item off your list. If it’s randomly floating around in your brain, you’ll probably only remember it at weird times when you can’t do anything about it. 🙃

Like your accomplishments list, your bucket list can be as simple or as fancy as you like. Add another page to the file on your computer, grab a new color sticky note, or whip out all those scrapbooking tools you got!

However you do it, just get them written down where you can see them occasionally and remind yourself what you’re working so hard for!

Self-Care Day 18

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Take a News Break

Every. Time. The news is on tv, my phone, my laptop… my shoulders creep up around my ears, my jaw gets all clenchy, and I’m certain I can feel my blood pressure rise.

Of course, there’s so much going on these days “My desire to stay informed is currently at odds with my desire to remain sane.” – to quote a cartoon I saw a few years ago. But, as I’m sure you know, all that jaw clenching and blood pressure raising isn’t great for you.

I live with a news junkie, so it’s not easy to take a break from it. The main thing I try to do is make sure I’m avoiding the news for at least an hour or so before I go to bed. Sometimes this means I just get up and leave the room if the news starts playing on my TV.

I also tend to try not to read the news while I’m at work unless there’s some big breaking news thing I want to pay attention to. It helps me stay better focused on what I’m there to do, which is to give a restorative massage.

Pick a day or a time of day and turn off the news. You can catch up tomorrow, or later. Fill the time with something positive, or just focus on your to-do list. Watch something funny as a “palate cleanser”. You might notice your shoulders lowering and your jaw feeling a tad less clenchy, and your body and brain will thank you for it.

Self-Care Day 17

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Make a List of Your Accomplishments

I kind of love this idea. Maybe you just write it on a Post-It Note, type a list on your phone or computer, create a resume of your greatest hits, or even get super fancy and make something with colored paper and embellishments.

Take a moment to think about what you’re proud of about yourself. Did you win a spelling bee when you were a kid? Get a ribbon at a science fair? Learn to kayak or ski? Graduate? Have children? Travel? Accomplish goals? Win a Major Award? Anything goes!

If you’re prone to feeling imposter syndrome about your current career or passion, make a list of everything you accomplished to get there. Training, education, hard work, sweat, glory. If you’re stuck ask a friend or family member for ideas!

Keep that list (or lists!) around in case you’re feeling in a funk. Remind yourself why you’re badass.

Self-Care Day 16

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Turn Off Your Phone for an Evening

I confess that I sometimes do this sort of accidentally. I have gotten so that all the bings and buzzes and notifications drive me crazy, so I tend to keep my phone on silent. Then, of course, I set my phone down and wander around and realize it’s been two hours and I have no idea if anyone has tried to reach me 😆

But maybe we can all pick a night and be a little more intentional about it. For many of us, it’s the only actual telephone we have. One option is to put your phone on do not disturb.

I know that on my phone I can go into my do not disturb settings and choose to allow calls from the favorites on my contact, family, or other specific groups. This makes it so they can still reach you in an emergency.

The purpose of this tip is to not be “on” for a few hours. Not responding to every text or instant message… instantly. Not mindlessly scrolling news feeds or videos. Instead, read a book, work on an art or craft project, knit/crochet, or watch a movie.

Give your neck, eyes, and brain a break from staring at your phone for a couple of hours. You might like it, it might make you twitchy, but hey, you tried it 🙃