5 of the Coolest Self-Care Ideas We’ve Heard

It’s no secret that we at CMHA LOVE self-care. It’s vital to maintaining optimal mental health and coping with challenges effectively. And we’ve heard tons of great self-care ideas from our clients as well as people who take our courses and workshops.

Here is a selection of five cool and unique ideas for self-care that we’ve heard:

“I cleaned the snow off of two strangers’ cars when I went out last night”.

Doing nice things for others really can make us feel good about ourselves! And that’s some of the best self-care there is.

“I went to class”.

We weren’t sure this really sounded like self-care when we first heard it. But the person explained that she was taking a class in something she enjoyed just for herself – not for a grade, not for anyone else. It was time for herself that she really valued.

“I watched TV”.

Again, not what we would usually think of as self-care. But, it was a show that the person had recorded and had been excited to watch for a long time but never had the time. So, he carved out an hour to have a healthy snack and enjoy the time to himself.

“I let my partner take me out for dinner”.

This woman said that she always preferred her own cooking to going out. But, when her partner suggested going to a restaurant, she thought of not having a kitchen to tidy or dishes to do and went for it. Time saved on clean-up, a good meal, and conversation with her partner? Now, that’s self-care!

“I didn’t spend any money”.

This person found that her usual self-care ideas were things that cost money – pedicures, massages, and shopping. So, she decided to push herself to try something new. She took her dog for a long walk and then curled up with a good book instead of her regular go-tos. Now, she has an even fuller self-care toolbox to access. We think that’s amazing!

We’ve certainly learned lots about self-care from people we meet each and every day. Give some of these a try!