The Ultimate Guide to Creating the Perfect Self Care Checklist (2024)

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If you want to incorporate a daily self-care routine but aren’t sure where to start, a self care checklist is an actionable way to keep yourself focused.

Self care is becoming more and more relevant in today’s society, as people are starting to realize just how important it is to take care of oneself on a regular basis.

Because after all, you can’t run on an empty tank. It is essential to take the time to rest and recharge. We could all benefit from taking better care of ourselves.

We all know that practicing self-care is important for our mental health, but many of us don’t know where to start or what exactly constitutes “self-care.”

I know I was originally skeptical of self-care because the idea seemed a little ‘woo-woo’ for me or I could be using that time to do something ‘more productive.’

However, self-care isn’t just bubble baths, massages, and manicures. It’s exercising, eating nutritious foods, connecting with loved ones, and even getting enough sleep.

This guide will show you everything you need to know about self-care, from the benefits of practicing it to creating your very own custom self care checklist. This is one of the best ways to keep yourself accountable and ensure you are incorporating self-care habits on a daily basis.

Since everyone’s idea of self care will look different. We all have different needs. What works for me may not work for you and that’s just part of being a unique individual!

To help, I’ve created a template just for you!

Not sure what self care activities you want to incorporate? You know, I’ve got you covered! You’ll also find ideas for daily, weekly, and monthly self care activities to add to your routine.

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What is Self Care?

Self-care is anything that we intentionally do to take care of ourselves – physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually. It can be something as simple as taking a relaxing bubble bath or going for walk and spending time outside in nature.

Self-care is not only important for our mental health, but it’s also necessary for our physical health. It’s a way to incorporate healthy habits into your daily life.

The Basics of Self Care

In a very broad sense, there are four main pillars of self-care: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. A good self-care routine would include all four pillars in some aspect.

Physical self-care is anything we do to take care of our bodies, such as exercise, eating healthy foods, getting enough sleep, and visiting the doctor for regular check-ups.

Mental self-care is anything we do to take care of our minds, such as practicing mindfulness, journaling, and setting aside time each day to relax and unwind.

Emotional self-care is anything we do to take care of our emotional needs, such as expressing ourselves creatively, spending enough time with family members, or talking to a therapist.

Spiritual self-care is anything we do to connect with our spiritual side, such as praying, meditating, or reading religious texts.

Now, you don’t have to worry about hitting all of these pillars every day. Sometimes you’re going to have to fill your emotional cup more than your spiritual cup and so on and so forth. With anything in the personal development realm, it’s all about the self-care journey. An important thing to remember is that true self-care is ensuring your needs are being met and you feel fulfilled and whole.

There is no wrong way to practice self-care – the key is to find what works best for you and make time for it regularly.

The Benefits of Self-Care

There are innumerable benefits of self-care. Some of the most notable benefits include:

improved mood and decreased stress, anxiety, and depression
increased productivity and creativity
build resilience
better sleep quality
stronger immune system
reduced risk of developing chronic health conditions such as high blood pressure
the ability to connect with loved ones better and be more present

Just like on the airplane, you have to put your oxygen mask on first. I mean I hope you are never on a plane where this is a requirement but I hope you’re getting what I’m putting down.

There are so many external expectations out there bringing us down, adding so much pressure that we need to take the time to reflect and meet our personal needs.

If you are well-rested and relaxed, you’ll be able to take on the day way better than if you are burnt out or stressed. You’ll be able to show up better for your loved ones as well!

I know I am not a pleasant person to be around when I’m stressed and my mind is running a million miles a minute. I’m not listening, I’m not taking care of myself, I am honestly barely a functioning adult.

Signs You Need to Start Practicing Self Care

If you’re not sure whether or not you need to start incorporating self care into your life, believe me, you do.

You may already have self-care activities in your daily routine that you don’t even realize are considered self care. After all, self-care isn’t woo-woo. It’s making sure your basic needs are being met, that you are feeling fulfilled as an authentic human being and that you’re being your best self, whatever that is.

But I promised you signs so here are some signs to look out for:

You’re…

always tired and never have enough energy
easily overwhelmed and tend to worry a lot
struggling to focus or concentrate on anything
feeling constantly stressed, anxious, or overwhelmed
been feeling down or hopeless for more than two weeks
been dealing with a lot of traumatic events or experiences

Does any of this apply to you? If it does, what do you have to lose in trying a self care activity?

I know I don’t feel my best when any of these things are happening to me.

I want to also point out that if you are feeling hopeless, I highly encourage you to speak with a licensed professional.

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How to Create Your Own Self Care Checklist

Now that you know all about self-care and why it’s so important, it’s time to create your own self care checklist! This checklist will be unique to you and your needs, so take some time to think about what would work best for you.

Here are some steps to get you started:

Make a list of all the areas of your life that need attention. Try to think of all the pillars: physical health, mental health, emotional health, and spiritual health.

For each area of your life, list some activities or practices that would be beneficial for you. These could include things like eating healthy foods, exercising, taking breaks throughout the day, getting enough sleep, meditating, journaling, and spending time with loved ones.

Once you have your list, start customizing it to fit your own needs and priorities in this season of your life. For example, if you’re struggling with anxiety, you might want to focus on activities that help reduce stress and promote relaxation.

Consider how much time you can dedicate to self-care. If you only have a few minutes each day, that’s okay! Be realistic about the amount of time you have to commit to self-care. You don’t want your self care routine to overwhelm you after all!.

Finally, organize these activities into daily, weekly, and monthly self care activities. Some activities like brushing your teeth and washing your face should be done every day. Other activities such as going for a hike could be done on a monthly basis.

Questions to ask yourself when building a self-care routine:

Here are some questions to think about when creating your dreamy self-care routine. Since self-care looks different for everyone (this point is so important, I know I’m sounding like a broken record but I want it to hit home), you are going to have to do some reflecting to discover what may work for you.

So grab a pen and some paper and jot down some answers to these questions:

What do I need to feel my best physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually?
How can I reduce the stress in my life?
What activities do I enjoy?
Are there any relationships that seem to drain my energy?
What boundaries can I create?
What can I say no to in order to say yes to myself?
How much time can I commit to self care?
How can I improve my diet?
What are some ways I can drink more water?
How can I incorporate more movement into my day?

Those are just some questions to get you started. When you’re on a self-discovery journey, reflecting is super important. Make sure you don’t skip this step in order to discover what you truly need.

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Examples of Daily, Weekly, and Monthly Self-care activities

Here are a few ideas to get you started

Daily self-care ideas:

Wake up an hour earlier than you need to
Drink a cup of tea or coffee
Take a few minutes to reflect and journal
Eat a healthy breakfast
Exercise for at least 30 minutes
Take a break every hour to stretch and move around
Meditate or take deep breaths
Get 7-8 hours of sleep
Wash your face
Brush your teeth
Create a nighttime routine to unwind
Do nothing for a designated amount of time

Weekly self-care ideas:

Take a full day off from work or school and relax (mental health days are totally in!)
Spend time with loved ones
Take a break from social media for the day or a few hours
Go for a walk outdoors
Take a yoga or meditation class
Face masks to unwind and rehydrate your skin
Plan your week (perfect time to schedule self care activities!)
Experiment with new recipes and create nutritious meals
Incorporate some ‘play time’ to spark creativity
Plan a date night with your significant other or friends

Monthly self-care ideas:

Get a massage or acupuncture treatment
Get a manicure or pedicure
Take a weekend trip away from home
Dedicate an entire day to doing things you love
Declutter or Organize a room in your home
Volunteer with a charity or organization you care about
Reflect on your personal goals. What do you need to do to move closer to those goals?

This is obviously not an extensive list, just some ideas to get you started! Look for activities that bring you joy! If you can do it daily great, if not, try to incorporate it into your monthly or weekly routine.

Self-Care Checklist Template

Sign up for my email list and get your free printable self-care checklist! This checklist is customizable with blank spaces, so you can make it work for you and your specific needs. The pdf is fillable so you can type your activities right on there and save it to your computer or print it out!

If you join my email list, you’ll have access to additional content that I send out as well as products and resources I recommend! Don’t worry, I don’t have time to be spamming your email box so you’ll only hear from me when I have offers or content I think you’d enjoy. 🙂

Practicing self care can help improve your physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and social health, so it’s essential that you create a custom checklist that fits your needs. The steps outlined above will help get you started, but be sure to tailor the checklist to your own preferences and priorities.

Additionally, make sure to add in some daily, weekly, and monthly self care activities to keep yourself on track. If you need some ideas, I’ve included a few suggestions above.

And finally, don’t forget to sign up for my email list so you can get your free self care checklist! It’s customizable, so you can make it work for you.

Let me know in the comments below what you do to show yourself some love!

Until next time,