25 Bite-Sized Acts of Self-Care You Can Do Today

Have you ever had that moment at the end of the day when you realize it’s nighttime and you have no idea how the day went by so fast? Or when someone asks you how your day was and you have no idea how to respond because it was such a blur? Do you feel like you’re rushing from task to task and constantly focused on the next thing you “have” to do?

In our fast-paced lives, it’s hard to imagine where the elusive concept of “self-care” would ever fit into our days. We feel like we have so much to do all the time, so where would there possibly be anymore time to fit in one more thing?

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Self-care looks different for everyone. It’s not meant to be hard, stressful, or put the pressure on us to feel like we have to add one more thing to our already full schedules. As I mentioned in this post, your self-care should meet you right where you are and point you in the direction of where you hope to be.

In order to be in the place of adopting and integrating a sustainable self-care practice, it’s important to get a snapshot of how we’re doing at the present moment. One way of doing this is to start with bite-sized self-care activities. When we start to make small shifts towards self-care, we start fine-tuning our awareness to help us realize the following: 
a) There are opportunities where we can practice self-care in small ways.
b) We start recognizing how we’re feeling in the present moment.
c) When we have more awareness, we can start making effective decisions that support our well-being. We start shifting to become more proactive, instead of reactive in our everyday lives.

Here are some bite-sized, 5-minute self-care ideas that you can implement today. Print out this list, post it somewhere you see often, and challenge yourself to do at least one of these every day.

25 5-Minute Self-Care Ideas:

1. Sit outside and feel the breeze
2. Listen to a song that makes you happy
3. Put your phone in another room and unplug for 5 minutes
4. Stretch wherever you are
5. Write down 3 things you’re grateful for
6. Do a 5-minute mandala
7. Listen to a relaxing song
8. Give yourself a face massage
9. Go on a walk around the block
10. Write yourself a note of encouragement
11. Turn off notifications on your phone
12. Go into your inbox and unsubscribe from 5 emails that no longer serve you
13. Text a friend and let them know you’re thinking of them
14. Give yourself a hand massage
15. Fill a post-it note with doodles
16. Enjoy a healthy snack
17. Drink a glass of water
18. Reach out to a friend for a coffee/lunch date
19. Call someone who lifts your spirits
20. Write out a quote that inspires you and post it somewhere
21. Write 3 notes of encouragement and hide them throughout your day
22. Write a note, letter, or postcard to someone you appreciate
23. Do a body scan
24. Write down 3 things you’re proud of today
25. Watch a funny video​

Snap a photo of your list and tag @theLOVESUM #LoveSumSelfCare on Instagram! If you have more ideas to add to the list, comment below! I’m working on a massive list of self-care ideas for you all and would love to know what works for you!