50 Self-Care Ideas for Better Mental Health in Quarantine

My deteriorating mental health during the COVID-19 quarantine inspired me to create this list of 50 ideas for self-care. And since I’m not alone in my struggles (we never are), I thought you could benefit from it too.

And look… I hate it when people say “Turn this challenge into an opportunity”. Anxiety and depression don’t concede to dumb shit like that.

But in a way, hard times are opportunities to test our wellbeing practices. Embarking on a self-care journey may result in an entire lifestyle change for you but I propose the below list in as little pressure as possible.

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Go gently with yourself. Self-care happens in small steps every day. And give yourself a break if you choose to do nothing all day. It’s strange times so allow yourself some wiggle room with lots of compassion.

Do note that not all the below suggestions are free. But you’re online shopping anyway (that’s right, I see you), so might as well invest in your self-care. That, in itself, is the biggest self-care tip I have.

Without further ado, here are 50 self-care ideas to enhance your mental health and thrive in quarantine.

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50 Self-Care Ideas for Mental Health in Quarantine

The Basics

1. Get the right amount of sleep. If you need to, invest in a kickass pillow and some fancy sheets
2. Drink water (or tea). Make sure you’re hydrating well by drinking the recommended amount for your body weight
3. Exercise. I know you don’t want to but you’ll feel better. Start small with 10 minutes.
4. Do your laundry.
5. Clean your house.
6. Tackle a task you’ve been putting off for a while, like decluttering your closet or cleaning out your bookshelf.
7. Cuddle your pet, partner, or pillow. 

Food and Drink

8. Grab coffee from your favorite coffeehouse.
9. Learn a new recipe and cook yourself a nice meal. Experiment with a different diet for a week i.e. Mediterranean, Japanese, or (gasp!) veganism.
10. Bake. I know I already said cooking but baking is a different plane of satisfaction.
11. Buy a nice wine. If you have the budget, experiment and find the best one. Have a fancy night of wine-testing.
12. Make a smoothie according to your physical needs (i.e. for wakefulness, detox, gut health, etc).

Physical Self-Care

13. Go on a walk.
14. Do some stretching or yoga. Be present in your body with some deep breathing.
15. Buy some nice pampering products.
16. Then take a bath. If you don’t have a bath, take a long shower. Pamper yourself.
17. Research skincare. I recommend Skincare by Hyram on YouTube. He’s hilarious, full of positive vibes, and values skin health and affordability. And his content is very binge-able.
18. Once you’ve done your research, buy the products.
19. Exfoliate your body. Invest in a hard-bristle body brush and make it a ritual every shower.
20. Watch make-up tutorials and try something creative. If you’re a guy, learn how to groom your beard. Experiment.
21. Learn a dance through YouTube tutorials.
22. Or just dance freestyle. Naked.
23. Speaking of, look at your naked body every day and practice positive affirmations. Now’s the time to let go of false beliefs and practice positive body image.

Mental Self-Care

24. Set an intention every morning (for example, “today, I will do XYZ out of enjoyment, not anxiety” or “today, I will be more mindful of my stress levels and remember to breathe between tasks”).
25. Journal. Look up journal prompts (there’s plenty on Google and Pinterest) or just brain dump. Anything you need to get off your chest, write it down.
26. Meditate. Start small with 3 minutes every evening.
27. Keep a daily gratitude log.
28. Read a book, or a few.
29. Read them in candlelight.
30. Listen to a podcast. Take your time finding one you resonate with and isn’t about how the world is going to hell.
31. Go on a drive somewhere you haven’t been before.
32. FaceTime a loved one.
33. Sing. Memorize a challenging song. R&B is fun.
34. Play “Question of the Hour” through text with a friend. Every hour, take turns asking a question and give full answers.
35. Put on nature sounds (birds, rain, beach). There’s plenty on YouTube.
36. I won’t tell you to stay off social media because no one seems to take that advice. But mute the news and political channels. You can always unmute them later. For now, you don’t need that polarized onslaught of propaganda and fear-mongering in your life. If you have overly “rant-y” friends, mute them too. I did this a few weeks ago and it’s fantastic. My Instagram feed shows only travel and poetry and I stay away from Facebook.
37. Forgive the people that wronged you. This may seem odd but since you’ve been forced to slow down, now is the time for some investigative reflection on where bad blood sits in your life. We don’t have time for toxic energy, so cleanse your shit. Have that difficult conversation or dive inward and see what you can clear out. Meditation and journaling help.

For Creativity

38. Set out what skills you want to develop over the next year or so, and how you’ll achieve them. If future thinking stresses you out, stop immediately. For presence, refer to Self-Care Ideas #25 and #26.
39. Start a garden or a succulent collection. Learn how to care for plants.
40. Play with art and crafts, like painting, coloring, play-doh, sewing, knitting, paper mache, etc.
41. Do a large jigsaw puzzle, there’s plenty of cool ones on Amazon.
42. Do other mind puzzles (crossword, sudoku, Rubik’s cube if that’s your thing, etc.)
43. Learn photography. No, you don’t need a fancy camera and there’s tons of tutorials online. I recommend Peter McKinnon’s YouTube channel. If you’re into it, learn Lightroom and Photoshop. Edit some old photos.

Online Adventures

44. Take an online course.
45. Watch a RomCom. Don’t be proud, you need a break from the news. I see you, mom.
46. Game. This is controversial but fuck it, you’re stuck at home and a healthy dose of gaming is great for escapism. Stay away from the overly violent stuff as it can impact wellbeing. Pick something colorful, adventurous, and fantastical. Do it in moderation.
47. Take a virtual tour of a museum. Learn some shit.
48. Watch a renovation show. The mind reacts positively to things coming together and completing a project. I recommend “Fixer Upper” (of course) which is available on Hulu or “Restaurants on the Edge” on Netflix. Notice I didn’t say “watch a documentary” because many tend to be about how the world is fucked. Avoid those.
49. If you’re online shopping anyway, research your local businesses and support them. Small businesses are struggling at the moment and consider this your contribution to the local community.
50. Speaking of acts of service, donate. There are a lot of humanitarian causes that would benefit from your contribution. Beware not to venture too deep into the news or the world’s horrors. Donate then move on to another self-care activity.

You’ve got this. Sending you lots of love from my corner of the world.

Look after yourself,

P

Today’s Tunes: New Skin by VÉRITÉ

50 Self-Care Ideas for Mental Health in Quarantine