Today I’m excited to introduce a new post series all about self care!
Throughout the year I’ll be putting out themed posts on self care specifically for different seasons, different holidays, and even some aimed at helping with different types of mental health struggles!
Self-care is such an important part of a well balanced life!
It comes in many different forms and can be anything healthy that you do to meet your physical, emotional, and spiritual needs!
You don’t have to do every single idea on this list, but instead try to pick at least one idea to add into your usual routine every week.
The idea isn’t to be constantly doing something extravagant or expensive, but rather to be actively pursing better overall health by making self care a habit in your life!
And since fall will quickly turn into winter, now is the perfect time to really start developing healthy self care habits that can carry you through the colder and darker months spent inside!
Keep reading to find out which of these 11 fall self care ideas would be perfect for you!
1. Start a gratitude journal
This is the perfect time of year to reflect on the things that you’re grateful for!
Try to write in a daily gratitude journal everyday for a week, but write only things that happened THAT day, and try to focus as much as possible on the little things!
So instead of writing “I’m grateful for my kids”, try writing something like “I’m grateful for my son asking for extra hugs before bedtime”
By focusing on only that one day at a time, you’ll start to spend more and more of each day looking for things that you’re grateful for!
2. Donate or volunteer
What usually comes to mind when you think of self care may be mostly focused on well, yourself, but giving back can be an incredible gift to yourself as well!
It’s a guaranteed way to help improve both your happiness and overall mental health!
This time of year there are usually lots of opportunities to give back, from giving to food or toy drives, to volunteering your time at a local animal shelter or soup kitchen.
You can even give back in your local neighborhood by creating food or gift baskets for neighbors!
Offer to babysit for your friend who’s an overwhelmed new mom, or clean house for your grandmother!
There are so many different ways that you can help bring a little happiness into someone else’s life!
3. Read
Reading is one of my all time favorite forms of self care!
My favorites are personal development and business books, but I also love to occasionally take a break from those and indulge in a favorite fiction series!
Nothing beats curling up in a cozy spot and losing yourself in a great book!
It’s an excellent was to disconnect from the world for awhile and come back feeling refreshed.
Fantasy, sci-fi, historical, autobiography, personal development, pick your favorite kind of read and dive in!
Try to read at least one chapter of a book every night for a week!
If you’re wondering how you can possibly find the time to read in a day, try replacing your nightly Netflix binge, getting up a bit earlier to enjoy a chapter along with your morning coffee, or take your book along with you to read while waiting for an appointment!
4. Go for a walk or hike
Depending on the weather where you live, you might either be enjoying the last few warm days or just starting to adjust to the colder weather.
Either way, get out of the house and enjoy the changing of the seasons!
Fresh air and sunshine are good for both your physical and mental health and can reduce stress and fatigue!
And if you’ve never tried walking meditation before, you NEED to!
It can be a great way to slow down and find calm in a busy season!
Walking meditation is the simple practice of staying grounded and present while moving, and observing the current moment and your thoughts in a non-judgmental way.
Try walking a bit slower than usual, and focusing on your breathing.
Notice the thoughts and feelings you have about your surroundings as you walk, and remember that there are no right or wrong feelings.
Accept them as they come without trying to change them.
If you notice that your thoughts have started to wander outside the current moment while walking, simply bring them gently back to the present again.
5. Unplug from social media for a day
As we get into the holiday season, it can be hard not to feel pressure from social media to do all the things.
Everywhere you look it seems like someone is showing off their porch full of pumpkins, the better-than-store-bought Halloween costume they made their kids, their perfect freshly baked apple pie…well you get the idea.
Social media tends to give us the impression that everyone else is doing it better and more perfectly, and even though that may be far from the truth, it can still be draining if we don’t consciously chose to take breaks from it when needed!
Try staying off all social media for an entire day to reset!
6. Light candles or a fireplace
When I used to live in a house that had a fireplace, I would light a fire in that thing as soon as we had even just one slightly cooler night!
Is there anything cozier than sitting in front of a roaring fire??
Since many of us don’t have fireplaces in our homes (me included now) a great alternative to a fire is some cozy candlelight!
Real or electric, the more the merrier!
Fill your room with a soft glow and simply sit and enjoy the atmosphere for awhile! (A hot drink is always a great addition too!)
7. Make a “cozy” list
Make a list of things that make you feel cozy!
It can be anything, a book, dessert, movie, fuzzy slippers, cuddling your cat, whatever it is that makes you feel the coziest!
I just made my own list recently, and it included things like:
- The smell of fresh baked bread
- Sitting in front of a hot fireplace
- Listening to the Harry Potter audiobooks
- Green tea with creamer
- Falling asleep watching cartoons with my kids
- Fresh mountain air
If you start to think about it you can probably come up with a pretty long list of your own personal cozy things!
Once you’ve made your list, try to find ways that you can fit in some of your favorite cozy things throughout the month!
8. Nap
Yep, in case you needed it, I am absolutely giving you permission to take an afternoon nap!
And not just any ordinary nap, I’m talking about a windows open, cool autumn breeze and cozy blankets kind of nap!
Put on your favorite relaxing playlist, cozy show, or even just listen to the sounds drifting in from outside!
Give yourself complete permission to put everything off for an hour or two and don’t worry about any of it until your nap is over!
And if you have kids, don’t worry!
You can always time your nap to be at the same time as theirs!
9. Enjoy your morning beverage outside
I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not a big fan of waking up an hour earlier for anything.
But even I love the slowness of a quiet morning watching the sunrise with a warm drink before my toddler is up and ready to start the day!
Find your coziest sweater and take your morning coffee or tea outside to breathe in some crisp morning air!
10. Embrace hygge
For those who’ve never heard of hygge (pronounced hyoo·guh), it’s the Danish art of coziness and living well!
It’s actually considered to be a defining characteristic of Danish culture.
Essentially, hygge means creating a warm atmosphere and enjoying the good things in life with good people.
Togetherness, comfort, and contentedness.
Trust me you’ll know hygge when you feel it!
You can bring more hygge into your home by adding cozy textures, warm pillows and blankets, as well as soft lighting and delicious scents.
Take time to appreciate a good moment and enjoy the simple pleasures in life!
11. Try a new soup or smoothie
Apple pie, pumpkin pie, pecan pie, cherry pie…and the list goes on!
With the big day of feasting coming up, a great way to show your body some love this month is to mix up a healthy treat like a green smoothie, or a vegetable filled soup!
There are an endless number of delicious recipes out there and many that are even great for people who have a hard time eating vegetables.
Many green smoothies include fruit that disguises the taste of healthy greens like spinach and kale!
And good combinations of spices and seasoning in soups can make even your least favorite vegetables taste amazing!
I hope these 11 self care ideas for fall helped inspire you to start incorporating more self care into your life this month!
Good self care habits really can be life changing!
What are some of your favorite fall themed self care activities?
Be sure to let me know in the comments below!
