30 Days of Self-Care Summary

Thank you so much for following #30daysofselfcare – I hope you found a handful of ideas that you’ve already tried or that you’re looking forward to trying out. Remember, you don’t have to do them all in one month. You don’t even have to do all of them. Just pick the ones that speak to you and maybe make a practice of doing them once or twice a month.

I’ve put them all together in this full 30-day compilation so you can bookmark it or save it somewhere to refer back to whenever you feel like you need a little pick-me-up.

Take care of yourselves!

graphic featuring 30 days of self-care suggestions

BONUS! Self-Care Day 31

Take Yourself on a Date

self-care graphic: take yourself on a date

Just when you thought #30daysofselfcare was over, POOF! Day 31! Here’s a little bonus self-care tip. Take yourself on a date. I learned about this tip from Julia Cameron’s book “The Artist’s Way” – as a tool for helping boost your creativity. She called them an Artist Date, but you can call it a Vet Tech Date or a Nurse Date or a Tired Mom Date, or whatever makes you happy.

Take a little me time. Find a way to get away for an hour or a whole afternoon. It doesn’t have to be an expensive date. Take yourself to a museum or art show. Go to your favorite cafe. Go for a walk in your favorite park. Treat yourself to lunch at your favorite restaurant.

The key is to do it by yourself. And don’t let it turn into a date with a bunch of errands. Try to do it on a day when you’re not in a rush to get back to work. Just take some time for yourself to do something that brings you a little peace, joy, or relaxation.

Where do you plan to take yourself for your date?

Self-Care Day 30

Clear Out Your Wardrobe

graphic self-care tip clear out your wardrobe

I am the least wardrobe-oriented person I know. I have clothing that is so old I don’t even remember where/when I bought it! When you wear a uniform for work, it certainly reduces the need for a lot of extra fancy work clothes.

That being said, I am actually TERRIBLE at getting rid of clothes I don’t wear. I have some stuff in my closet I never wear, but you know, I MIGHT need it!

There are a few ways you can get rid of old clothes. You can donate them, of course. Various thrift stores, shelters, and charities accept clothing.

Another neat thing I found is ThredUp. ThredUp is an online consignment and thrift store. Not only can you shop for quality used/upcycled clothing, but you can request a “clean out kit” and they’ll send you a bag you can fill with all your unwanted clothing. Once they receive the bag, they will process it and post it for sale on their site, and you get a portion of the proceeds added to your account that you can spend on the site!

There are possibly other sites that do this, this is just the one I’ve tried and liked. Maybe you can make a little extra space in your closet/dresser this week! Where is your favorite place to donate clothing?

Self-Care Day 29

Random Acts of Kindness

self-care tip random act of kindness

Doing something a little nice for someone else can be a boost to your own mood. It could be financial, like leaving an extra big tip or giving a friend a gift card. It could be making scarves and hats for the homeless.

Maybe brushing snow off your coworker’s car if you’re leaving before them, or mowing an elderly neighbor’s yard. Donate used towels or blankets, or pet toys to a shelter! Do a web search for “acts of kindness” for more ideas!

Self-Care Day 28

Look Through Old Photos or Happy Memories

self care look through old photos

It can be a nice little walk down memory lane to dig out old photo albums and look back at fond memories. Maybe you’ve got some old photos that need to be sorted into albums *coughcough*me*coughcough* – A perfect little task for a rainy weekend!

Self-Care Day 27

Start Learning a New Skill

self-care learn a new skill

I think most of us have something in the back of our minds we have always wanted to learn. Maybe it’s as complicated as a musical instrument or a new language. Maybe you want to learn to knit or sew. Whittle? Origami? Cake decorating? Tap dancing? (I know someone who can help you with that if you’re into it!)

Pick a new skill and give it a whirl! It’ll stimulate your brain, get you out of a rut, or give you a new way to make gifts, have fun, or create a little side hustle!

Self-Care Day 26

Buy Yourself Flowers or a Treat

self-care buy yourself flowers

Who doesn’t love receiving a special treat? Who doesn’t like waiting until special occasions like birthdays, holidays, or anniversaries to get special treats?

You don’t have to spend a ton to treat yourself. Maybe you spot a pretty bunch of daisies at the grocery store, or you stop and get a single rose from the flower shop. Take a little side trip to your favorite specialty chocolatier and get a couple of sweet treats. Go to a local artisan shop and treat yourself to a handmade treasure.

Invent your own special occasion! Maybe you’re celebrating getting some of the trickier self-care tips done! You deserve a little treat.

Self-Care Day 25

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

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

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!