15 Self-Care Ideas for When You Are Having a Bad Day
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We all get them – those days when you just wake up unhappy, didn’t sleep well, had miserable dreams or you’d just plain rather not face all of the problems and responsibilities in front of you at the moment. These are the days when you’d rather just crawl back into bed.
If you want to function at your best, every once in a while you need to stop and recharge. Whether you’re having a bad day, or just need a little reboot, try these self-care ideas to turn the day around.
If you don’t already have a solid routine in place, this is an excellent time to revitalize that. Some self-care ideas related to your morning routine include tweaking what time you get up, what you eat, and the first priorities of the day to set yourself up for a happy, healthy, productive day.
How many pictures are on your phone right now? For most of us it’s well into the thousands. And how often do you go back and look? Scroll through, delete, put others in albums, upload them to the Cloud or share with friends. You might even make someone else’s day too!
Cook your favorite meal and serve yourself like a guest with a placemat, fancy dishes, and cutlery if you like that or maybe curl up on the couch with a bowl. Whatever feels good to you! That’s the goal of all self-care ideas, after all.
This is the ultimate choice when it comes to self-care ideas. Give yourself a mani-pedi. Try that new face mask you bought a few months ago or luxuriate in the shower with a salt scrub for baby soft skin. Even just taking the time for yourself will feel loving and luxurious.
Pick up any clutter that is lying around, put the small things away, make sure the kitchen is spotless, and change the towels and sheets. Everything will look and smell better, and chances are you’ll burn off a little of that bad energy just getting everything done.
Just for one day, do what you need to and other than that back away from the computer or smartphone. Pick something else off this list and treat yourself to a little more self care.
Diffusing and therefore inhaling essential oils stimulates the olfactory system which connects with both the limbic system and amygdala, parts of the brain responsible for emotions and memories. Botton line is that it just makes you feel good, but if you want to read more about this, check out Yale Scientific here.
If you haven’t discovered TED talks yet, now is the time. TED talks are presented by thought leaders and I always find them thought-provoking and, sometimes, life-changing. From their website, “TED is a nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful talks (18 minutes or less).” For some ideas check out the 25 Most Popular TED Talks of All Time.
This is my number one go-to for weekly self-care. If you can’t find a class close to you, hit YouTube, or do a Google or Instagram search. There are hundreds of free videos available online!
Notice I didn’t just say reach out to a friend because we all have those friends that are cool people but maybe a bit of a sour puss or complainer. Who is it that really makes you laugh and puts a smile on your face? Put everyone else on the back burner and that’s who you reach out to today.
Think of 5-10 things that are really cool and amazing about you. Maybe write them down in your journal or share in a ‘lovefest’ group chat where everyone chimes in.
If you are a flower person, Trader Joe’s has mini bouquets for under $5 as do many local flower markets. Flowers aren’t your thing? Grab a little something for your desk or kitchen table. It brightens the room, not just your mood!
We are all the worst tourists in our own cities, but there must be something you’ve been meaning to try? Maybe a botanical garden you wanted to see, a museum, gallery, or a super fun attraction unique to your town. Pick one thing off of your ‘hometown tourist list,’ grab some comfy shoes and head out.
You can either revise an existing one or create a new one from scratch. Click here for more on dream/vision boards and how to get started.
When all else fails, hit the reboot button. Fix your world. And then…. Keep going. You’ll feel so much better and be glad you did!
Certified Professional Life Coach
Hunter has an M.A. in Psychology and is a Certified Professional Life Coach. For more than 10 years, she coached clients to find and follow their passion and live their best lives. Hunter has also done youth coaching work with Covenant House, realizing that this is such a challenging and important time in life.
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