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Self Care is one of those fun buzzwords that everyone seems to use as a way to describe everything from naps to bubble baths. But I believe that Self Care is so much more than just treating yourself to pedicures and facials. Which is why I partnered with to talk about some Self-Care ideas for your mind, body, and soul! 

This is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own.

Self Care is defined as the practice of taking action to preserve improve one’s own health. To me, that means focusing on all aspects of your health. So physical health, mental health, and spiritual health.

That can feel like a lot to tackle though, right?

As if we don’t have enough to do with work, kids, husbands and keeping up with friends, trying to add in a myriad of other hobbies in the name of self-care may sound stressful.

Which is why I wanted to outline some great self care ideas that you can easily build into your routines! And let’s be clear – I am not recommending that any one person try to add in all of these different ideas in order to achieve maximum self care-ness. What works best for someone else, might not work great for you.

We are all unique women and the way we take care of ourselves is going to look different. My goal with this post is to help you get some ideas that will help refuel you and not feel like another chore on your to-do list.

 

And self care really works best when you take a holistic approach. Which is why I have ideas to help you nurture all parts of you. I strongly believe that self-care is so much more than just bubble baths (which are a personal favorite of mine).

If self care is really about preserving and improving your health, that will require you to push yourself to grow and improve yourself as a person. You can’t just focus on rest and relaxation because we are more than that. You need to find ways to take care of and develop your mind, body, and soul. 

That is one of the reasons why I loved . This company really gets the idea of caring for your self IN TOTAL. It would make such a great gift for yourself or for you to send to a friend that needs a pick me up (like those new mamas!).

These packages give you products that are great for at-home spa treatments and personal development. My package came with a ton of goodies that I couldn’t wait to use (and that smelled heavenly).

In just one package, I received a book, a journal, a facial sheet mask, a bath bomb (hello bubble bath!), a lotion bar, a calming aroma mist (and now my room smells like a fancy spa) and some great chocolate snacks!

It was so fun to dig into them and even just looking through all the fun things brought some joy to my day! And it inspired me to put together this list for you of self-care ideas for the mind body and soul to hopefully bring some joy and inspiration to your day as well.

 

SELF CARE IDEAS FOR THE MIND BODY AND SOUL

Self Care Ideas for the Mind

Reading

Reading is such a great way to invest time in yourself. And most of us don’t read as much as we should, myself included (unless you count reading to my toddler!)

Not to throw shade at TV, but I never come away from watching The Bachelor feeling inspired or like I have learned something. But I almost always feel that way after reading a book. Even if it is a fun fiction book!

Reading can get your creative juices flowing like nothing else. I have also learned so much from books and have used some great non-fiction reads to push me to deeper thinking or challenge me in areas where I need to grow.

And self-care is all about growing and nurturing yourself, so reading is a perfect fit. Look at all the books included in the packages for Jen’s Happy Mail – it is like the perfect reading list for personal development!

Taking a Course

Last year, one of my goals was to continue learning. I challenged myself to take a few online courses that would help me improve my skills in my career. Courses like How to Manage a Team, or Workplace Communication. I also took a few classes that were just for fun, like water coloring and calligraphy.

It was a great way to grow and keep my mind challenged.

Continuous learning is so important and studies have shown that keeping our mind stimulated it crucial to mental health as we age. My grandma is always been taking classes and playing brain teaser games and even in her mid-eighties, she is still one of the sharpest people I know!

Check out my list of continuous learning sites and some of the courses I took last year to get started!

Self Care Ideas for the Body

Working Out

Right after my daughter was born, I could not imagine ever feeling like working out would be a form of self care for me. I was a new mom who was so exhausted and then when I went back to work full time, I was even more sure that I did not have the time or energy to spend on working out and that it would only make me more exhausted.

But after a while, I realized that not adding in routine physical activity was taking a toll on my body. I begrudgingly signed up for a few workout classes at the gym near our house and tried out pilates and spinning.

And after a few weeks, I realized that I did have more energy than normal. And the time I was spending at the gym wasn’t taking away from time with my family but making the time I had with them more impactful since I was more alert and had the energy to play.

We then got a Peloton, which made it even easier for me to work out and lets my daughter see us setting an example of making fitness and health a priority in our family.

Now I am a firm believer in working out as a form of self care. I am more energetic, stronger and more confident since adding this back into my routine. Yes, it can be exhausting, but the result is that you are taking an action to preserve and improve your health (the definition of self-care, remember?!). So don’t skip this one!

Spa Treatments

As much as I have said that self-care is not all about bubble baths, treating yourself is certainly a great way to boost your juju!

I love the way my skin feels after an in-home facial or after taking a little time to add some self-tanner to my winter white skin.

You don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars booking treatments at a fancy spa, there are tons of DIY scrubs that you can find on Pinterest! I also love that in each of their packages. Take some guilt-free time to pamper yourselves, ladies!

Self Care Ideas for the Soul

Volunteering

I can almost hear you thinking “But isn’t that the exact opposite of self-care?”

And yes, while volunteering is really the serving of others, think about what you hear people say after they get back from doing some form of volunteering.

They say “I think I got more out of it than I gave to them”.

As a Christian, I believe that our purpose on this Earth is to serve and care for others. And if that is the truth, then there is really no better way to care for ourselves than to live out the purpose we were created for.

Volunteering does take time and it can drain your internal resources in the short-term, but the long term gains are such a gain on your overall mental and spiritual health. There are few things better for us than being in a situation that reminds us how much bigger our world is than just our own problems.

If you are looking for ways to start volunteering, you can check out these ideas or start as simple as bringing sweet treats to a neighbor.

 

Keeping a Gratitude Journal

Last year, I started the practice of keeping a gratitude journal where I write down three things each day that I am grateful for. It has been a game changer for me and my mental state. My husband can even notice when I go a week without it because it does impact my mood in such a positive way.

I highly encourage you to take up this practice if you haven’t already. My three things are usually not big things like “Got a promotion!” or “Had a new baby!”, but more often they are simple, even mundane things that I remind myself to be grateful for.

My list usually looks like “Grateful for the sunshine” or “Kinsley slept till 8 AM”. Looking at all of the small things really ads up in a big way. When I am feeling a little down, I can flip through that journal and remind myself of all the things I have to be grateful for.

My current gratitude journal is almost full so I am going to use the journal in my Jen’s Happy Mail package as my new one!

Each box from Jen’s Happy Mail comes with such awesome goodies!

Prayer

Prayer may be the most important form of self-care that I do. If I am feeling anxious or stressed, spending a few minutes in prayer can completely turn my day around.

There is such power in being able to lay all your worries down and give them to a God who is infinitely bigger than all of those concerns. And how cool is it that we have a God who wants to take care of us? In my opinion, prayer is the thing that will tie all of these self-care ideas together.

 

So how do you self care? If you are looking for ways to get started with the ideas on this list, I encourage you to treat yourself to . It is the perfect self-care starter kit!