75 Acts of Self Care that Take 5 Minutes or Less

Acts of self care need to make it to the top of your to-do list — and if that sounds impossible, just know that I thought it did too, but keep reading. Usually when I think “acts of self care” I go right to the big things — a pedicure, a spa day, a kids-free weekend trip with the girls. But what stinks about the big things is that they happen infrequently. It’s not many times a year that I get out there and get myself a pedicure (when I do you better believe I spend the extra $8 to get a deluxe with leg massage). And it’s definitely not many times a year (or a decade) that I go on a girl’s trip. So how do we make acts of self care a sustainable, weekly, daily thing? Enlist the little, but powerful guys!

I was reminded of this last week when I got home from work feeling totally done. Hayes and I ended up having an impromptu, no judgement, dance your heart out dance party to a whatever Galantis song was up next on shuffle. We moved and we laughed, so hard. It totally loosened up the day, put a smile on my face, and made me a better me for the rest of the night.

That was self care.

It was small, but it was for me and my wellness. Small acts of self care are in good company. Have you ever thought about how incredibly small many of the “secrets to wellness” are?

Seriously.

Drink water. Move your body. Eat green things.

They aren’t complicated. They are small and simple. But they are a choice. The water isn’t going to drink itself, your body won’t move unless you tell it to, and the greens don’t make it to your house by accident. I want to make sure that small acts of self care are something you choose daily. Maybe off of this list! There’s 75 for you to choose from because I truly think you can find some tlc for yourself in the smallest of ways.

I can’t wait for you to try a few out — or maybe all of them — and let me know how it goes.

75 acts of self care

1. Do 20 squats
2. Listen to a pump up song
3. Do a 5 minute meditation on Headspace or Calm
4. Go to your go-to feel good IG account and soak it in
5. Go outside, take 10 deeeeep breaths in and out in the fresh air
6. Take a lap around the block (walk, jog, or bike — your choice!)
7. Wash your face
8. Put on Tula Rose Glow & Get It cooling & brightening eye balm
9. Brush your teeth
10. Put on your favorite pair of pants (Lululemon Align pants for this girl)
11. Give yourself a scalp massage
12. Lean against a tennis ball against the wall and get that stubborn shoulder knot out
13. Do some box breathing (inhale 4 seconds, hold 4 seconds, exhale 4 seconds, hold 4 seconds, repeat)
14. Massage your feet with lavender (or other nice smelling) lotion/oil
15. Breath in your favorite calming oil
16. Shut the door, turn off the lights, and just be
17. Pour yourself a glass of red wine!
18. Have a dance party!
19. Do 20 cat + cows
20. Paint your nails (I could only do clear in 5 minutes, but some people are magical with polish)
21. Do a 5-minute yoga flow on your BOD app, Peloton, or Yoga with Adrienne on YouTube
22. Do a few sun salutations
23. Do the Tony Robbin’s arm pump (hands up like you’re going to “raise the roof”, pump your arms up and down, while you breath in and out, fast and only through your nose — a dozen times in a row)
24. Lay in savasana
25. Write down whatever is on your mind, get it all out!
26. Drink 16 ounces of water (one full water bottle)
27. Get square of dark chocolate with sea salted caramel (or you know whatever lights you up like that does for me) and savor it for 5 whole minutes
28. Write in your Good Day notepad!!
29. Roll your feet on a tennis ball (oh my gosh it feels good)
30. Open up your window and breath in the fresh air
31. Buy yourself flowers
32. Try an affirmation
33. SMILE
34. Make yourself a hot drink
35. Light a candle
36. Right down 10 things you’re grateful for
37. Diffuse some essential oils
38. Change your bed sheets (so fresh and so clean, clean)
39. Send a voice text to a friend
40. Doodle or color
41. Listen to a few minutes of your favorite podcast
42. Stretch your arms up over your head and slowly draw them to your side (the act of making yourself bigger, actually boosts your mood!)
43. Send $5 to a friend on Venmo and just say “treat yo self just because.”
44. Write down whatever is bothering you. Get it out.
45. Write a Ta-Da list of all the things you’ve accomplished today!
46. Tidy your desk (or kitchen, wherever you are)
47. Turn off all screens
48. Write a bit in your journal
49. Take a second to ask yourself, “how are you feeling today?”, listen to your response
50. Make a smoothie full of goodness
51. Write a love letter to yourself
52. Order takeout for dinner
53. Watch the sunrise (or sunset)
54. Pay for the person behind you in the drive-thru line
55. Pinterest some positive, feel good quotes
56. Add some fresh fruit or herbs to your water
57. Read a devotional
58. Snuggle your pup!
59. Get some sun on your skin
60. Put on perfume
61. Vacuum (oddly satisfying to me)
62. Start getting ready for bed five minutes earlier
63. Go through your “funny” album of photos on your phone (or your honeymoon, kid photos, favorites, whatever makes it remember the love and light surrounding you)
64. Put on mascara, even if you’re not going anywhere
65. Hug someone…maybe yourself
66. Brush your hair
67. Make yourself a mocktail (or a cocktail!)
68. Clean your computer screen off
69. Throw all of the receipts out of your wallet, feel lighter
70. Facetime a friend, even the short Facetimes bring me joy
71. S-T-R-E-T-C-H
72. Give yourself a hand massage (100% underrated!)
73. Pick out a new book on Audible
74. Read a book
75. Do a mini workout circuit with lunges, push-ups, and mountain climbers — 10 each rotate, repeat

Phewwww. So many ideas and they are all five minutes or less. I hope you found something that sounds like a win to you. And I hope you try it out. Tomorrow! Make the choice to do something for you. Now that you know it can take just five minutes, what’s your excuse??

p.s. this list is begging to be added to. If you think of acts of self care that I have missed let me know! I want all of your brilliant ideas included.