27 Self Care Day Ideas for the Ultimate Reset
When it comes to self care, there are so many activities and simple things we can do to nourish our minds, bodies, and souls while helping us reset and recharge. If you’re looking to carve out an entire day dedicated to pouring back into yourself, I’ve got you covered with plenty of self care day ideas.
From changing your bedsheets to romanticizing your day, here are some activities that you can add to your self care menu. So you can feel renewed, refreshed, and restored from the inside out.
How to Plan a Self Care Day
When planning a self care day, you can carve out an entire day when you’re off from work or school, like during the weekend, or you can simply dedicate an evening to it.
Be sure to mark it on your calendar so you have something to look forward to and can mentally prepare to slow down, rest, and recharge.
If you’re planning to include any professional services, like getting your nails or hair done, make sure to book those appointments ahead of time. That way, your self care day is already set aside, and you can fully relax knowing everything is planned out and ready for you.
Self Care Day Ideas
1. Sleep In and Have a Slow Start to Your Day
For your self care day, if you’re someone who loves sleeping in, give yourself permission to rest a little longer and enjoy a slow start to your day.
On the other hand, if you’re an early bird and love getting your day started bright and early, use your self care day in a way that works best for you. Maybe that looks like watching the sunrise, heading to the gym, or tidying up your space.
At the end of the day, you know yourself best, so use this day to do what feels most refreshing and restorative for you.
2. Eat Breakfast
They say “breakfast is the most important meal of the day”, so don’t forget to fuel your body during your self care day.
It can be something simple like eating yogurt, a smoothie, or eggs. And if you’re not in the mood to cook, you can always treat yourself by going out to a restaurant or grabbing breakfast from your favorite café.
CHECK OUT: 14 Self Care Ideas For When You’re Tired And Have No Energy
3. Journal
Another great activity to add to your day, is journaling or spending time doing a devotional.
You can write down things you’re grateful for, reflect on how your week has been going, or simply do a diary entry about whatever has been on your mind.
Writing things down can be such a helpful way to decompress, process your thoughts, and release some of the mental weight you may be carrying.
4. Make Your Bed
Making your bed in the morning may seem simple, but it’s often overlooked and can be one of the easiest ways to start your day feeling refreshed and put together. It’ll give you an instant “win” first thing in the morning and helps set a productive tone for the rest of your day.
5. Tidy Up Your Space
Piggy backing on making your bed, is to take some time and tidy up your space. Let’s be real, it’s hard to fully relax when there are dishes in the sink or clutter around the room.
Spend about 20 to 30 minutes quickly resetting your space by washing dishes, putting things away, and clearing surfaces. It doesn’t have to be a deep clean, just enough to create a fresh and peaceful environment.
6. Slow Down Your Routine
If you’re usually rushing through your day, use your self care day as an opportunity to slow everything down on purpose.
Take your time with your everyday beauty routines, like showering without rushing, brushing your teeth mindfully, getting dressed slowly, and giving yourself space to actually enjoy the process. Even your skincare or makeup routine can feel different when you’re not in a hurry.
7. Romanticize Your Day
Along with slowing down, try romanticizing your day and the little things you do throughout it.
For example, if you’re making coffee, take your time with it. Froth the milk, use your favorite mug, and make it feel like a little moment just for you. If you’re cooking breakfast, don’t just throw it together, plate it nicely and enjoy how it looks as much as how it tastes.
It’s all about turning everyday moments into something a little more intentional, soft, and enjoyable. So your self care day can feel special from start to finish.
Self Care Day Ideas at home
8. Do Your Nails
Doing your nails is another great activity to add to your self care day, and honestly one of my personal favorites.
You can either do your nails at home or go to a nail salon. If you grew up watching 2016 beauty YouTube videos like I did, you probably remember the DIY nail art era. Which is why I love doing my own nails and it’s cheaper for me.
But if you prefer the experience of getting your nails done by someone else, that’s great too. The best part is there is no right or wrong choice. This is your self care day, so do what feels good and fits your preferences.
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9. Wash and Style Your Hair
I know I’m giving you a lot of ideas for your self care day, but you don’t have to do everything all in one day. Think of these more like “options” that you can choose from to build your own self care itinerary.
With that in mind, another great activity is washing and styling your hair. There is something so refreshing about having clean, freshly styled hair, especially when you’re heading into a new week.
10. Light a Candle
I love a good soy wax candle and the cozy atmosphere it instantly brings into my space.
During your self care day, especially if you’re winding down in the evening, lighting a candle can help set a calm and relaxing mood. Even during the day, if you love candles, you can light your favorite scent and let it slowly fill your room while you go about your routine.
11. Watch a Show or Movie
Whether it’s something you always rewatch or a new show you’ve been wanting to start, take some time to watch a movie or a series you enjoy.
Self Care Day Ideas for Women
12. Exercise and Move Your Body
Moving your body is a great way to pour back into yourself during your self care day. This does not have to be anything too intense or complicated.
You can go to the gym, take a walk in your neighborhood, stretch at home, or follow a simple workout video.
13. Spend Time in Nature
Whether it’s going on a walk in your neighborhood, sitting at a park, or even having a small picnic, get outside and spend some time in nature.
It’s a great way to get some fresh air and take advantage of that good ol’ vitamin D.
14. Talk to a Friend or Family Member
Take some time to call, text, or video chat a friend or family member and just catch up.
You can talk about your week, share life updates, or just have a light and easy conversation. You can even turn it into a shared self care day where you both do your own relaxing activities while staying connected.
15. Read the Bible and Meditate on Scripture
Reading the Bible is one of my favorite self care activities because it helps me feel grounded, calm, and more connected spiritually.
It’s a great way to reflect, process my emotions, and find encouragement in my day to day life. In a world full of constant noise and self help advice, going back to scripture is like a deep reset for my mind and soul.
Which is why I highly recommend reading the Bible, on your self care day and also in your day to day routine.
CHECK OUT: 26 Inspiring Bible Verses About Strength To Uplift Your Spirit
16. Listen to Music
Listen to music and you can even turn it into a solo dance session or karaoke moment.
17. Color a Coloring Sheet
If you have a coloring book, this is the perfect time to bring it out with your crayons, markers, or colored pencils.
If you don’t have one, you can easily find free coloring pages online and print them out.
18. Work on a Puzzle
Puzzles are a great low stimulation activity that still keeps your mind gently engaged.
You can choose something simple like a 100 piece puzzle or go for something more challenging like a 1000 piece puzzle, depending on your mood.
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19. Play an Online Game
From Roblox to Candy Crush to nostalgic dress up or makeup games, playing online games can be a fun way to decompress.
20. Buy Fresh Flowers
One of my favorite things to do is pick up fresh flowers, especially from places like Trader Joe’s or my local Walmart.
For your flowers, you can grab a simple bouquet. Or mix a few together to create your own arrangement.
21. Go Out to Eat
If you want a break from cooking or meal prep, going out to eat is a great self care moment.
You can sit down at a restaurant or grab something quick and easy from a casual spot.
22. Make Your Favorite Dinner
If you’re wanting to cook, take your time and enjoy the process. You can light a candle, play music, and really enjoy preparing your food without feeling rushed.
23. Wear Cozy Pajamas or Loungewear
One thing I want you to remember during your self care day, is to keep in mind your five senses. (sight, hearing, touch, smell, taste)
For touch, wear something cozy and comfortable like pajamas or cozy loungewear in the evening. During the day, wear something cute and comfy (putting emphasis on *comfortable*) so you can look good while staying comfy.
24. Visit Your Happy Place
Going back to the fact that your self care day is all about you, your preferences, and what makes you feel good, another great activity to add to your itinerary is visiting your happy place.
This could be anything that brings you joy, like going to a friend’s house, spending time at the beach, walking through a park, sitting in your favorite cafe, browsing a bookstore, or even visiting your favorite clothing store.
25. Work on Something You’ve Been Procrastinating on
Have you ever worked on something you’ve been procrastinating on and once you finally finish, you instantly feel 10 times better? That is exactly what I mean when I say “work on something you’ve been putting off”.
This could be something simple like finally dropping off those donated clothes, putting something away, or tidying up a small part of your home. If it’s something that can be done in a short amount of time, like 5, 10, 15, or even 30 minutes, go ahead and use this time to get it done.
Once you finish it, you get to enjoy that sense of relief and accomplishment, knowing it is finally complete and off your list.
CHECK OUT: 18 Super Productive Things To Do At Home (When You’re Bored!)
26. Eat a Sweet Treat
From ice cream to cookies, if you have a sweet tooth, eat your fav dessert.
27. Go Shopping
Wrapping up our self care day ideas, is going shopping. Whether you’re buying something or just looking around, enjoy a little bit of retail therapy.
