Self-care can be simply described as the right and responsibility to take care of your physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing.

Care that is provided for you – by you. It is only when we care for and help ourselves that we’re able to care for and help others more effectively. Women especially tend to struggle with balancing the stress of daily life with activities that bring a sense of peace and wellbeing to both their bodies and minds. By practicing daily self-care, you will not only improve your happiness and sense of self-worth, but you set yourself up to approach the rest of your day with a more positive attitude and increased energy.

Self-care is the necessary act of engaging in something that is supportive and looks after your own needs on a daily basis – whether physical, mental, emotional and/or spiritual. Daily exercise, a hot epsom salt bath, and taking high-quality supplements like CanPrev’s Adrenal-Pro and Synergy B are some simple ways to not only ensure your needs are met, but that will also allow you to feel nurtured.

25 ways to begin a daily self-care practice

Take a 5-minute break, wherever you are. Close the door, close your eyes, breathe deeply and just be. Sometimes, just five minutes of “me time” is all it takes.

Go outside and just feel the sunshine (or the rain or the snow) on your face. Connecting with nature is such a good way to decompress.
Move your body – dance, go for a walk, do yoga, skip around your house like a school kid, run on the spot (with leg-warmers on, Flashdance-style) – whatever feels good for your body in that moment.
Turn your computer and other devices off. Un-plugfor an hour or even for a day to see how it feels. Think you could you survive a whole weekend?
Read a book – an actual book with pages in it, not on your Kindle or e-reader. Doesn’t matter if it’s the latest romance novel, vampire series or a volume of poetry.
Pick up the phone and call (rather than text) your best friend or a family member and get some “voice time” in.
Hug your child, your partner, your best friend or your dog – not your cat though, they’re not really the hugging type.
Be grateful. Say thank you. And say thank you again…then say it again.
Write a letter to your younger self and celebrate how much you’ve done and how far you’ve come. Or simply start writing in a journal. Let your mind free-flow, be honest with yourself and see what comes out – and perhaps what you’re able to let go of.
Own it. Few things are as empowering and powerful as being honest and upfront with yourself…and with others!
Name three things that you love and accept about yourself at this point in your life. They do not have to be physical attributes.
Light your favourite candle or burn a stick of incense – make the space you are in welcoming and perhaps sacred, to you. Try meditation or some form of self-contemplation.
Experiment with different essential oils: lavender, clove, clary sage, bergamot, eucalyptus, citrus blends – the list goes on. Put a few drops in your bath, in your favourite natural beauty products or in a diffuser. Relax and breathe.
Give yourself an at-home spa day: take a hot bath, shave your legs, paint your toenails, put on a mud (or DIY avocado) mask.
Brew a mug of herbal tea (maybe a variety you’ve never tried) or treat yourself to your favourite fruit and veggie smoothie. Amuse your senses with different tastes, flavours and textures.
Take yourself out to dinner. Try a new restaurant. Dress up…or down!
Put on your favorite comfy pants and spend an evening watching your guiltiest pleasure show or perhaps just The Notebook again. Yoga pants permitted!
If a Netflix binge isn’t really your thing, just sit quietly and breathe, really breathe. Ever tried alternate nostril breathing?
Kiss your partner. Perhaps not while you’re practicing nostril breathing though.
Go to sleep earlier than usual. Let yourself rest – really rest. There’s truth in the old saying that “every hour of sleep you get before midnight is worth 2 hours after midnight”. [source]
Get creative – paint, take photographs, scrapbook, cook or bake, rearrange furniture or re-organize the closets!
Take a mental health day – play hooky from work, rest, recharge and renew.
Try yoga…but just one pose. Own that asana…om.
Say “yes” more to yourself, and “no” more to others. Learn to set boundaries with those that are closest to you
Recognize all the ways you take care of others (even write them down), and that it’s a beautiful and necessary thing to take care of yourself, too.

Self-care is really part of self-love. The two are so intimately connected that they fall into each other, such that when you’re taking care of yourself – you’re showing yourself love.

“Self-care isn’t selfish. It’s mandatory. Fuel your soul so you can give your best to your people. We need all of YOU!” ~ Dr. Sara Gottfried MD, Author of The Hormone Cure