37 Realistic Self-Care Habits To Become Your Best Self

It can be so easy to forget to add self-care into our busy lives, but what if it was already a natural part of your daily routine? By creating realistic self-care habits, you will effortlessly improve your well-being and be your best self!

Our lives are completely shaped and determined by our habits. By embracing these healthy self-care rituals, you will gain the discipline and structure needed to live your best life!

After learning about these self-care habits, you will be able to easily add them into your daily routine, leading to a more balanced and fulfilling life. These habits will help you create a positive mindset, boost your motivation, and help you fully embrace your wellness journey.

This post is all about self-care habits that will guide you to become your best self.

37 Realistic Self-Care Habits:

1. Wake up early

Creating a self-care habit of waking up early will completely transform your daily routine. Waking up early will allow you to do a slow morning routine and incorporate self-care before even starting your day. It will give you enough time to plan your day, set your goals, and be your best self!

2. Practice the 5 second rule

If you haven’t already read the 5 Second Rule by Mel Robbins, you NEED to. This will enhance your self-care habits immensely. Any time you need to complete a task, you count down from 5 and then take action immediately. This leaves no room for procrastination and is an incredible habit to form.

Benefits of the 5 second rule:

Reduces procrastination
Improves focus and positivity
Boosts confidence
Increases productivity

3. Get out of bed right away

Get out of bed the second your alarm goes off. Don’t give yourself enough time to procrastinate and waste more of your morning. Get into the habit of simply getting out of bed right when you wake up.

4. Don’t scroll on your phone first thing

Getting out of the habit of scrolling on your phone in bed right when you wake up will change your life. Even if you are going to scroll on your phone, get out of bed and get on the treadmill and then scroll on your phone while moving your body. You WILL thank yourself and you will improve your well-being.

5. Make your bed

Making your bed is the best self-care habit to form. You will instantly feel more tidy and organized first thing in the morning. By simply making your bed you will be more disciplined, more in a routine, and more productive. As a side bonus, you won’t be temped to get back into bed!

6. Hydrate

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! It truly does become a habit and part of your routine to stay hydrated. This habit will improve your mental and physical health SO much. Find a water bottle that will encourage you to stay hydrated, like this one with time markers or this beautiful tumbler.

Benefits to staying hydrated:

Boosts energy
Decreases brain fog
Improves your skin and hair
Improves your mood

7. Take your vitamins

Once you get into a habit of taking your vitamins daily, it will become so easy. It’s one of those simple tasks that you just don’t think about doing but it is so essential. Find a time that you know you will remember to take your vitamins and get into the habit of doing it every single day. Set reminders or use a self-care tracker to help you!

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8. Open the curtains to allow sunlight in

Make it a simple self-care habit to open your blinds or curtains and allow sunlight into your home! Even if you are working from home or having a cozy at-home day, you WILL feel so much better, positive, and energized if you allow sunlight into your day.

9. Go for a walk / hit your step goal

Creating the habit of going for daily walks and making sure you hit your step goals will absolutely transform your live. Walking is an incredible way to boost your mood, improve your physical healthy, increases productivity, and improve your overall wellness.

10. Do a breathing exercise

It’s essential to your well-being that you start the self-care habit of doing daily breathing exercises. It takes no time at all to do this but will significantly improve your mental well-being. Use apps like The Breathing App or Insight Timer to find easy breathing exercises.

11. Get at least a little bit ready for the day

You need to get at least a little bit put together and ready for your day, if you want to feel your best self and improve your daily routine. By getting ready or at least putting a nice outfit on, you will feel way more confident, motivated, and inspired.

12. Wear an outfit that makes you feel confident

Put on an outfit every single day that makes you feel confident! Whether that’s a nice dress, cozy lounge wear, jeans and a t-shirt – get dressed in something that makes you feel amazing. You WILL get more done and you will be more productive.

13. Track your self-care habits

You MUST track your self-care habits if you want to transform your daily routine. It’s so hard to get off track or forget the habits you are trying to form. That’s why it’s essential that you use a notebook, an app, or a calendar to track the habits you complete each day.

14. Eat nourishing foods

It’s way too easy to order or pick up food that’s not good for us because it’s so accessible and fast. BUT by doing this, you are not providing yourself with nourishing foods your body needs for energy and you’re making yourself feel worse by eating bad food. Get into the habit of cooking at home and eating food that will actually nourish your body.

15. Limit your caffeine intake

This self-care habit completely turned my life around. I got into the habit of NOT having caffeine every time i craved it because you aren’t actually more productive if you are over-caffeinated. Having too much caffeine will make it harder to sleep, it will increase anxiety, and it will dehydrate you. Get into the habit of only having the proper amount of caffeine that actually helps you.

16. Follow your skincare routine

Follow your skincare routine, every single day. Your skincare should not be a routine that you only do once in a while, it needs to become a habit so that it’s part of your daily routine. You will feel so much more refreshed, clean, and positive after completing your skincare routine.

17. Listen to a motivating podcast

Make it a self-care habit to listen to an inspiring podcast instead of your social media scrolling time. Podcasts are so beneficial to motivating you, providing new insight in your life, and teaching you new things.

18. Make a self-care vision board

Create a self-care vision board on Pinterest and save inspirational photos that make you feel uplifted. Your self-care board should include any photos that boost your mood and make you feel cozy and warm.

19. Try 5 minute yoga or stretching

There are so many simple, fast 5 minute yoga or stretching videos that you can easily make a habit of doing daily. By doing these 5 minute stretches, you will feel more awake, reduce tension, boost energy, improve posture, and reduce stress.

20. Take time to read or write

Take time as part of your morning or night routine and to read a book that will relax you or write out your thoughts. Use this time to calm your mind and reset for the day.

21. Practice gratitude

Practicing gratitude needs to become a part of your daily routine to improve your well-being. Make writing out 3 things you’re grateful for a self-care habit that you will do every single day. This will easily boost your mood, improve your mindset, and increase positivity.

22. Do an activity for yourself that makes you happy

Do something for yourself every day that makes YOU happy! Whether it’s having a warm bath, writing in your journal, listening to music – do one thing that makes you happy every single day.

23. Do a short meditation

Add a short meditation to your morning or night routine to instantly bring a sense of tranquillity to your day and you WILL be more productive. Don’t push yourself too far or burn yourself out without including some relaxation in your days. Doing a short meditation is the perfect way to include a moment of calm in your day.

24. Spend time outside and be mindful

Spend at least a few moments outside as part of your daily routine and be mindful about it. Pay attention to your senses and your feet touching the ground. This will enhance your mood, decrease anxiety, and ground yourself.

25. Do a quick tidy up of your home or work space

Take just a few moments to tidy up your home or your work space so you can have a clear mind when you do your work. This is an important self-care habit to form as you will feel so much more productive and better about yourself if your work area is tidy.

26. Set your daily goals

Reflect on your life and where you want to be and set daily goals that will actually get you where you want to be. Create realistic and small goals that will get you to your goals step-by-step. Creating small habits that will allow you to hit your goals will completely improve your life.

27. Go over your to do list for the day

Get into the habit of looking over your to do list throughout the day. This is the easiest way to complete your tasks and improve your life! By having to do lists and following up on those tasks you will get SO much more done and so much closer to your goals.

28. Use time blocking to get tasks and work done

Instead of just winging your days and working off and on at random times, use time blocking to be your most productive self. Time blocking is an incredible self-care habit to start as it will improve your mental health, productivity, and mindset. Divide your day into separate blocks of time and specify which tasks you will compete in those blocks and ONLY work on that task during that specific time block.

29. Work on your own hobbies

Working on your own hobbies and taking time for a hobby that uplifts you is SO important to our daily routines. Hobbies are the best way to improve our moods, bring joy to our days, and a sense of fulfilment.

30. Create a relaxing atmosphere

Create a habit of making a relaxing atmosphere in your home before you relax. Dim the lights, get comfortable, turn your heated blanket on and experience true relaxation to reduce your stress.

31. Spend time with positive people

You know how drained and exhausted you feel after spending time around negative people? It’s not worth it and it will NOT help you become your best self! Make it a self-care habit to pay attention to how you feel after you are with someone. Surround yourself with people that make you feel uplifted, positive, and inspired.

32. Get comfortable in cute lounge wear

Get cozy and comfortable in CUTE lounge wear. This will truly make you feel more at ease and relaxed. Before you start your night routine, get in comfy clothes and feel warm and cozy.

33. Take time to rest and do a self-care activity

Make it a habit to set time aside to relax and do a self-care activity every single day. By allowing yourself to truly relax and reset, you will become your best self.

Self-care activities to do daily:

Adult coloring books
A relaxing game on your phone
Journal or read
Baking
Take an everything shower
Work on your self-care vision board

34. Do a quick tidy up before getting ready for bed

Make it part of your routine to do a quick tidy up of your home before you get ready for bed. You will thank yourself in the morning and feel so proud of yourself. By tidying before bed you will be ready to go in the morning and you will be more organized.

35. No technology for 30 minutes before bed

This is a hard one.. I know! But use discipline and make it a habit to avoid technology 30 minutes before you go to sleep. Do something else before bed like reading a book, listening to a podcast, coloring, take a bath, or journal. You WILL sleep so much better and get one step closer to becoming your best self.

36. Do your calming night time routine

Do your calming night routine every day, make it a priority. Don’t rush your night routine, don’t skip all your self-care and just jump into bed. Make it a habit to complete your night routine and you will improve your mood, your sleep, and your mindset.

Night time routine ideas:

Do your skincare
Do a facial massage
Play relaxing music
Journal
Deep breathe

37. Write out your to do list for tomorrow

Take a few moments to write out your to do list for the next day. You will be SO organized in the morning and you will know exactly what you need to get done. To do lists are my FAVOURITE way to improve my well-being and become my best self.