6 Self-Care Routine Ideas to Try in the New Year

May this be the year you give yourself some love by trying out some of these self-care routine ideas.

The new year is often when many are open to adopting new practices with the intention of improving their health.

It’s easy for those habits to lose their appeal quickly, so it’s important to find ways to make them sustainable in your life. These changes should be upgrades to your lifestyle without making it difficult to keep up with.

The solution? Establish a self-care routine.

It can be difficult to find time for yourself in your busy everyday life. Your days are filled with obligations and responsibility. However, you deserve self-care, and more importantly, you need it.

Trade in your New Year’s resolution for New Year self-care: Why New Year Self-Care is the New Resolution

Self-care is taking time for yourself to enhance your overall health both physically and mentally. Self-care is not another list of all the things you should be doing.

When it comes to prioritizing your time, instead of telling yourself “I don’t have time”, flip it to “I have XX minutes”.

Once you have a specific timeframe, you can make a call on what self-care routine or part of it you can do.

To get a handle on what self-care activities are best for you, you should create a self-care routine that allows you to take time for yourself on a regular basis.

That means thinking about what and how much time you regularly have available.

It can also mean reflecting on how much time you need to free up by removing something else that doesn’t bring you as much value.

By choosing to utilize a self-care routine, you are choosing to invest in your overall wellbeing so you can be a better, happier you.

Do not feel limited to the new year to start or try any of these self-care routine ideas. Anytime is the right moment to give yourself self-care.

This post is all about self-care routine ideas you can try in the new year or whenever you are ready to prioritize your wellbeing.

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Self-Care Routine Ideas

1. Morning Self-Care Routine

Starting the day positively by giving yourself care sets the tone for a good day.

Try this example routine for your mornings:

• Wake slowly and stretch to gently prepare your body to start the day
• Do digital detox – avoid using your phone or other devices until after you’ve completed your routine
• Take a few minutes for mindful meditation
• Journal by writing a few bullet points about how you are feeling and your intentions for the day
• Eat a nourishing breakfast and drink hot, herbal tea
• Perform a morning skincare routine, such as:
  1. Cleanse
  2. Toner
  3. Serum
  4. Eye cream
  5. Moisturizer for face and lips
  6. Sunscreen

Gentle Face Cleanser

Vanicream

A non-drying, fragrance-free cleanser gentle enough to be used daily for all skin types, even the most sensitive.

Pore Perfecting Toner

Dickinson’s

This super simple formula has 100% organic witch hazel and fragrance-free so it won’t irritate your skin.

Vitamin C Facial Serum

TruSkin

This is like vitamins for your skin that will nourish you and turn up your glow by brightening.

Hydrating Eye Cream

Derma-E

Start your day with this depuffing and hydrating eye cream, thanks to hyaluronic acid.

Hydro Boost Moisturizer

Neutrogena

This gel-like cream goes on smoothly and instantly plumps your skin while helping lock in moisture.

Lip Repair Ointment

Aquaphor

Your lips need love too and this healing ointment is effective for smoothing chapped lips.

Facial Sunscreen with Zinc Oxide

Elta MD

If there is one step you don’t want to skip, it’s protecting your skin from the sun’s harmful rays and this physical sunscreen with added hyaluronic acid is the best way to do that.

2. Physical Self-Care Routine

How you feel internally can manifest into your physical appearance. To help bring balance, engage in a physical self-care routine.

There are so many benefits to giving attention to your physical body that all lead to living a healthier, happier, and longer life.

Examples include: lower stress and anxiety, more energy, a better outlook and attitude, higher confidence, improved overall health, and the list goes on.

Your physical self-care routine can include:

• Exercise on a regular basis and create a schedule to keep yourself accountable
• Eat nutritious meals and drink enough water
  • How much water should you be drinking? At least half an ounce for each pound you weigh.
• Make sure you’re getting enough sleep – at least 7 hours a night
• Stay on top of regular check-ups – medical, dental, and vision
• Pamper yourself regularly with a massage, bath, or other spa or salon services.

The Best Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle – 32 Oz.

Simple Modern

Hit your water goals easily with this larger capacity, but not over the top, water bottle, that also has a sleek design and two options for drinking – open mouth or straw.

Detox Bath Salts

Better Bath Better Body

Take a soothing bath with these bath salts knowing you are removing impurities with simple and natural ingredients.

3. Emotional and Mental Self-Care Routine

Now, more than ever, there is greater awareness of the importance of your emotional and mental health. Take care of yourself by embracing a routine that addresses any challenges you are facing emotionally and/or mentally.

Some ways to practice emotional and mental self-care:

• Practice mindfulness and meditation
  • Try yogic breathing, which has been proven as an effective, evidence-based treatment for stress, anxiety, depression, and other illnesses.
• Keep a journal for emotional expression
• Seek therapy or counseling when needed
• Set boundaries and say no
  • Recognize when your plate is full and speak up when you are asked to do more than your capacity.
  • This goes for work and in your personal life.
• Surround yourself with a supportive social circle
  • If there are toxic people in your life, cut them out. You don’t need to put effort into a relationship that doesn’t reciprocate nor bring you peace.

The Five-Minute Journal

Intelligent Change

Journaling doesn’t have to be hard; take a few minutes in your day for self-reflection and gratitude.

4. Self-Care for Work-Life Balance

Although many companies advocate for “work-life balance”, they also encourage you to constantly go above and beyond. It’s also an underlying expectation so you naturally feel pressure to deliver. This is usually at the expense of your personal life.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to perform well at work. Just make sure you are giving yourself well-deserved breaks to maintain balance.

What does work-life balance self-care look like?

• Utilize time management techniques
  • Block your calendar for everything. Beyond meetings, block it to catch up on emails and personal affairs too.
    • Are you a nursing mom who needs to pump? Are you responsible for drop-off and/or pick-up for your children? Do you partake in your physical self-care by taking a walk at lunchtime? Put all of that on your calendar.
• Take regular breaks during work hours
  • You need breaks to avoid burnout and fatigue.
  • The ideal time to work is 52 minutes followed by a 17-minute break, according to data from top performers.
  • During your break time you should be totally disengaged from work to allow for a proper reset and productivity once you resume working.
  • Longer breaks do not necessarily equate to more benefit. If you feel pressed for time, at least incorporate a few micro-breaks (a few minutes long) throughout your day.
• Engage in hobbies and interests outside of work
• Spend your weekends dedicated to relaxation
• Disconnect from work-related devices after hours

5. Self-Care for Mind and Creativity

Self-care is not limited to taking care of your physical and emotional health by relaxing, eating healthy and exercising. It includes pouring yourself into your passions. By giving yourself creative freedom, you open your mind to new possibilities. Being creative can also be your way of expressing yourself and a way to create joy, especially when it seems difficult to find it.

Everyone has creativity within them. Here are some ideas for how you can practice self-care while expressing your creative side:

• Create art – paint, draw, or take photographs are just a few examples
• Learn a new skill or hobby – crochet, make pottery, learn a new language, or explore the cuisine of another culture
• Read and try new genres that you may not have taken interest in before to possibly unlock a new interest
• Listen to or create music
• Write – songs, poems, or journal
• Walk in nature and take in your surroundings
• Practice mindfulness and gratitude with focus on positive thinking

6. Nightly Self-Care Routine

Your days are filled with responsibilities, obligations, and stress. At the end of the day, you are probably exhausted. It’s vital that you allow yourself to slow down at night so you can shut your mind off and fully rest.

Here is an example nighttime routine you can try:

• Disconnect from screens before bedtime
• Drink an herbal tea to help you sleep and bring you warmth, especially if it’s a cool evening
• Perform a skincare routine for pampering like this one you deserve to indulge in:
  1. Double cleanse – once to remove make-up, sunscreen, and any dirt from the day, and a second time to remove anything left from the first round
  2. Toner
  3. Mask twice a week (optional)
  4. Essence (optional)
  5. Serum
  6. Eye cream
  7. Moisturizer for face and lips
• Journal what you are grateful for and reflect on your day
• Meditate for relaxation to help yourself drift off to a restful sleep
  • Here’s an example of how:
    1. Eliminate noise or distractions, lay down in your bed comfortably, and close your eyes
    2. Take three deep breaths in through your nose and out your mouth letting go of any tension, stress, and frustration from your day.
    3. Notice how your breath moves through your body by paying attention to how your chest and belly expands with each inhale and falls with each exhale
    4. Bring awareness and focus to each part of your body starting from your feet to your head. At each part, imagine it growing heavy and sinking down into the ground. If any other feelings or sensations come up, acknowledge them and continue on.
    5. Return your attention to your breath and if you find your mind wandering at any point, disrupt it by focusing on your inhaling and exhaling.
    6. Thank yourself for all the good you do for yourself and others.

Rice Water Foaming Cleanser

The Face Shop

Remove make-up, SPF, and dead skin with this skin-softening cleanser.

Acne Foaming Wash

PanOxyl

Clear up breakouts and prevent new ones with this effective 10% benzoyl peroxide foaming cleanser.

Microdermabrasion Scrub and Mask

Drmtlgy

Use this exfoliating but gentle scrub and mask 2-3 times a week to reduce the size of your pores and improve your skin’s texture.

Snail Mucin Repairing Essence

COSRX

There’s a reason 44,000+ people gave this a five-star rating, which is largely due to its impactful hydrating and skin-improving power.

Lip Sleeping Mask

Laneige

This holy grail lip mask instantly makes your lips feel buttery, smooth, and heals while you sleep, though it’s great for anytime your lips need a hydrating boost.

The Importance of Consistency

Taking part in a self-care routine is not meant to be short-term. It shouldn’t be something you try to achieve as a New Year resolution only to forget about it the next year.

By making a self-care routine part of your daily life, your are making a commitment to the betterment of you.

You don’t need to do all the routines mentioned to make a positive impact. Start where you are by choosing what you believe would bring you the most value and/or is the easiest for you.

Over time, you will notice positive impacts as a result of your consistency. There are so many benefits such as: lower stress and anxiety, more energy, a better outlook and attitude, higher confidence, and improved overall health, just to name a few.

You owe it to yourself to prioritize a self-care routine in your life. So whatever you decide to do for your self-care routine, make it something you can be consistent with.

Conclusion

With the start of each new year, you have a chance to start anew. Treat yourself by making lifestyle changes to enhance the rest of your life. You can do this by incorporating one or more of the self-care routine ideas from this post.

Remember, you have the power to dictate how your days go. They are filled with obligations and responsibility, but try to adopt a new mindset around time when it comes to your self-care routine.

Rather than saying “I don’t have time”, consider what you do have time for – “I have XX minutes”.

Given that parameter, you can assess what self-care routine, or part of it, you can do.

Choose to focus on the area that brings the most worth to your life or is the easiest for you to achieve right now.

Such as a:

• Morning Self-Care Routine
• Physical Self-Care Routine
• Emotional and Mental Self-Care Routine
• Self-Care for Work-Life Balance
• Self-Care for Mind and Creativity
• Nightly Self-Care Routine

Select a routine you can stick with and continue to take part in consistently.

You can do this at the start of a new year, now, or whenever you’re ready to invest in your wellbeing.

Self-care is a personal journey. With that, choose what and when works best for you.

What are your favorite self-care routines? Have you had any self-care routines you have stuck with or plan to in the new year? Please share in the comments.

This post was filled with a variety of self-care routine ideas you can start in the new year or anytime to help you be a better, healthier, happier you.