How To Have the Perfect Self-Care Day

With burnout becoming an increasing issue among professionals, and hustle culture on the rise, taking time out of your busy schedule to rest and recuperate can be difficult. But the fact is, if we don’t carve out that time to put ourselves first, our body will demand it, often at the least opportune time.

We all need a little self-care from time to time, and this can look different to everyone. For some people, self-care is settling down with a new book or video game, for others, it’s trying out that new yoga studio or taking themselves out for a long lunch. Whatever your version of self-care looks like, ensuring you allow yourself the time to really take a break is essential for long-term physical and emotional well-being.

Find the Right Self-Care Plan for You

So you’ve decided to have a day that’s all about you, but you don’t know where to start? It can be easy to fall back on some of the tried and true methods that other people recommend, and while that may help, it might not be right for you. What one person finds relaxing, another person may hate.

A good place to start is to think about things you loved doing as a kid. Did you love painting or playing with playdough? See if there are any art or pottery classes near you. Maybe you used to be a voracious reader, but haven’t picked up a book since you started working full-time. Head to your local bookshop and spend some time browsing the shelves until something jumps out at you.

Reconnecting with who we were as children can help us get back in touch with the things we may still love, and doing something you love is sure to help you relax.

Turn Off Your Phone

How many hours of your downtime do you think you’ve spent scrolling on your phone? While mindless entertainment can give us those dopamine hits we crave, so often the content we consume also contains political content, news updates and an ever-increasing amount of rage bait, making phone time anything but relaxing.

Take your self-care time to the next level and really commit to unplugging. Turn your phone off, leave it in another room, and focus on the activity you’ve chosen. Really give yourself the chance to relax without the distraction of endless notifications and the temptation to open TikTok or Instagram.

Do Something a Little Luxe

If you’ve got a bit of extra cash lying around, why not consider doing something a little bit fancy and take your self-care day to the next level?

This could be almost anything: taking yourself out to dinner, booking a full-body relaxation massage, treating yourself to a hydrafacial in Melbourne, or spending the afternoon taking a soak and sauna at a bathhouse.

Treating yourself to something special every once in a while is not only a relaxing and enjoyable experience, it’s also a great way to give yourself something to look forward to in the lead-up. Plan ahead and book in advance, and let the anticipation build.

Spend Some Time Outside

Heading outdoors and getting some sun can be a great way to soothe a stressed mind. Research suggests that getting outside can have innumerable benefits on our physical, mental and emotional health, including improving certain mental abilities, reducing blood pressure, increasing vitamin D levels and helping to decrease instances of anxiety.

Depending on the activity you’ve chosen for your self-care day, consider pairing that with a day in the park or by the beach. Do some reading or take your sketch book and enjoy the sun and fresh air, and feel your stress melt away.

Bring a Friend

While spending your self-care day alone can be the perfect peace and quiet you need, getting a friend involved can take it to the next level.

Choose someone you feel safe and comfortable with. Someone with whom you can be vulnerable, or with whom you can enjoy their company in silence. Sharing your self-care day with your bestie doesn’t necessarily mean chatting the whole time. Being able to sit together in silence while sharing an activity can be the perfect balm for our stressful daily lives.

This is not a time to try to develop a budding friendship with a new acquaintance. Pick someone whom you love and trust and who feels the same about you.

Seek Mental Health Assistance

Sometimes a day in the sun or a massage isn’t quite enough to calm our minds. In these cases, reaching out to a mental health professional may be a necessary addition to your self-care toolkit.

While taking on therapy or meeting with a psychologist works best when it is consistent and done over a period of time, if you’re feeling an increasing sense of stress or burnout that is hard to shift no matter how many hours you spend away from your phone or chatting with friends, this may be the sign you need to start your mental health journey with a qualified practitioner.

In Australia, you can chat to your GP for a recommendation and to apply for a mental health care plan, which allows you to receive a rebate on your out-of-pocket costs for a certain number of appointments with a mental health practitioner.

The key to a good self-care day is paying attention to how you feel and what you need. It’s about tuning into yourself and really listening. Do your best to block out external noise, find something that truly calms you down and brings you joy, and if you need it, reach out to a professional to help ease the stress and pressure of your daily life. You deserve to take a break.