Are you struggling to make time for self-care every day? This daily self-care checklist makes it easy to keep track of your essential self-care activities with 17 simple daily habits and a free printable PDF to help you stay on track.
In today’s fast-paced world, it’s so important to incorporate self-care into your daily routine – but at times it can feel nearly impossible to make the time!
We all know how essential self-care is to our mental and physical well-being but it can often take a backseat to our priorities like work, family, and daily responsibilities.
But neglecting to take care of yourself can lead to stress, burnout, and mental fatigue.
Keeping a basic self-care checklist can help you take better care of yourself by prioritizing your mental, physical, and emotional health – without feeling totally overwhelmed.
If making time for yourself feels like a struggle, this daily self-care checklist will help you incorporate small self-care habits into your daily life in a way that’s fun and manageable. Plus, you can download our free printable self-care checklist to keep track of your progress on a daily basis!
Table of Contents
- What is Self-Care?
- Why Is Self-Care Important?
- Daily Self-Care Checklist
- How to Stick to Your Daily Self-Care Checklist
- Download Your Free Printable Daily Self-Care Checklist
- Bonus: 7-Day Self-Care Challenge!
What is Self-Care?
When it comes to self-care you might immediately think of elaborate skincare routines or bubble baths but it’s so much more than that.
Self-care is all about spending time showing yourself some love – and that can take so many different forms. There are 5 main types of self-care:
- Intellectual Self-Care – Working on our own personal growth and keeping our minds constantly challenged is key to long-term health.
- Physical Self-Care – Things like eating healthy, getting daily movement, and high-quality sleep are all important elements of taking care of your physical health.
- Emotional Self-Care – Taking time to feel and process your emotions in a healthy way is incredibly important for your long-term mental health.
- Spiritual Self-Care – If you consider yourself a person of faith, nurture your spiritual work through meditation, gratitude, and faith-based practices.
- Social Self-Care – Whether you’re an extrovert or introvert, we all have social needs. Building healthy relationships and staying connected to the people around us is essential for our well-being.
RELATED POST: 31 Healing Emotional Self-Care Practices Every Woman Should Know
Why Is Self-Care Important?
It’s hard to overstate the importance of self-care. From your emotional well-being to your interpersonal relationships, and overall health, self-care is a powerful force in your personal life.
You can’t pour from an empty cup. That’s why meeting your own needs through a daily self-care routine is essential for many aspects of daily life.
By establishing a daily self-care routine, you can make sure you’re operating at your best so you can spread love to your friends, family, and co-workers.
Your Daily Self-Care Checklist
After a long day, sometimes the last thing you want is another long checklist of to-dos. That’s why we’ve boiled this daily self-care checklist down to the essentials, making it easy and sustainable in the long run.
We’ve included a customizable PDF so you can make changes or add your own items.
🌞 Morning Self-Care Routine
Starting your day with a little self-care can help to set a positive tone for the rest of the day, giving you a sense of accomplishment for a productive day ahead.
- Drink a Glass of Water 💧 – Hydration is one of the foundational elements of physical health and helps with mental clarity. If you struggle to keep track of your water consumption, we love this smart water bottle that tracks how many ounces you consume each day.
- Stretch or Do Light Exercise 🏃♀️ – Getting a little movement in the morning helps to get the blood flowing and boosts energy levels. Plus, regular exercise is key for long-term health.
- Practice Daily Affirmations ✨ – Taking 5 minutes to repeat some positive morning affirmations while you do your morning skincare routine can have a powerful impact on your mental health and confidence.
- Eat a Healthy Breakfast 🥑 – Starting the day by fueling your body with a high-protein breakfast is a great way to balance blood sugar levels and give yourself a boost of energy.
- Follow a Skincare & Hygiene Routine 🧴 – Feeling clean on the outside can help us feel clear and focused on the inside. Start your day with some personal hygiene to feel clean and confident.
- Plan Your Day & Set Intentions 📝 – If you find yourself stressing about the day to come, take 5 minutes to do a brain dump and put your top priorities into a to-do list. Or you can try this simple 20-minute morning journaling template.
💼 Midday Self-Care Routine (For Busy Lives)
Even on your busiest of days, finding 5 to 10 minutes for a mid-day reset can be great for boosting productivity and making you feel all-around great. Here are some of our top suggestions.
- Take a Break & Stretch 🧘♀️ – Sitting too long can actually increase stress levels. Break up your day with a quick stretch or walk.
- Step Outside for Fresh Air 🌿 – Sunlight is amazing for regulating your circadian rhythm and giving you a little mood boost.
- Eat a Nutrient-Rich Lunch 🥗 – Taking a moment to enjoy a delicious and healthy lunch helps reset the mind and fuel the body for a productive afternoon.
- Social Connection 📞 – Shooting off a quick text or making a call to a loved one can release endorphins and remind you that you are loved. Plus, it’s great for building strong interpersonal relationships.
- Practice Deep Breathing 🌬 – If you’re feeling particularly stressed, take 2 to 5 minutes to do some breathwork. You’ll be surprised how different you feel before and after.
- Do a Mental Check-In 🤔 – Take a moment to reflect on how you are feeling. A self-care journal can help track your emotions in the long term.
🌙 Evening Self-Care Routine
Carving out time to wind down with intentional self-care habits promotes better sleep and emotional self-care meaning you’ll feel better when you wake up and throughout the day ahead.
- Limit Screen Time 📵 – Reducing blue light exposure is super important for sleep and regulating your circadian rhythm.
- Journal Your Thoughts 📖 – Daily reflection promotes mental well-being and relieves stress. We love this 5-minute daily journal. It’s a great way to incorporate a daily check-in to ground the mind before sleep.
- Engage in a Relaxing Hobby 🎨 – Whether it’s reading, knitting, or painting taking a moment for you goes a long way. Looking for hobby ideas? We’ve put together a list of the 29 best self-care hobbies.
- Take a Warm Bath or Shower 🛀 – A classic self-care idea for a reason, taking a bubble bath or hot shower raises the body temperature and prepares you for bed.
- Sleep at a Regular Time 😴 – One of the secrets to waking up feeling rested is going to sleep at a consistent time each day. And getting enough sleep is vital to feeling good!
How to Stick to Your Daily Self-Care Checklist
If you feel like self-care is just another item on your neverending to-do list, try out these tips and tricks to make sticking to your daily self-care checklist a little bit easier.
✨ Start Small – Start with 2 to 3 small healthy habits and gradually add more as you gain momentum.
✨ Use Habit Stacking – Attach a new habit to something you already do. For example, practice affirmations while doing your morning skincare routine.
✨ Make It Enjoyable – Choose activities that genuinely make you feel happy and refreshed. Remember: it’s self-care so if you’re doing something that doesn’t make you feel cared for and loved, maybe it’s not right for you. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach.
✨ Track Your Progress – Use our printable daily self-care checklist to stay motivated and consistent.
Download Your Free Printable Daily Self-Care Checklist!
Looking for tips and tricks to stay on track with your self-care routine?
Download our free printable self-care checklist PDF and put it somewhere you’ll see it as a daily reminder to take a little time for you.
Plus, it’s super easy to customize your self-care plan so no matter what’s on your daily self-care checklist you can make it totally your own.
Bonus: 7-Day Self-Care Challenge!
If you’re new to daily self-care, try this 7-day challenge to build lasting habits. This short challenge might just be the little push you need on your self-care journey.
- Day 1: Spend 15 minutes on a mindful morning routine.
- Day 2: Take 15 minutes to move your body first thing in the morning.
- Day 3: Get creative and try something new (it could be a new food, walking route, or creative activity.)
- Day 4: Notice your connection to technology and social media. Mentally or physically note your screen time.
- Day 5: Do a mindful 15-minute digital detox.
- Day 6: Spend 15 minutes doing a creative activity.
- Day 7: Reflect on what you’re grateful for in a 15-minute journaling session.
Final Thoughts
Practicing self-care every day isn’t a luxury – it’s a necessity for mental health, emotional well-being, and physical wellness.
So whether you can dedicate 5 minutes or an hour to your daily self-care checklist, prioritizing yourself will help you show up as your best version in every area of your life.
Which item from the daily self-care checklist is most important to you? Let us know in the comments below.
Plus, don’t forget to download the free daily self-care checklist.
Sending love,
A small note to my readers – Over here at VLHhealth, we occasionally include affiliate links in our posts. This means that if you purchase using our links, we will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
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