You need at least a day to recover, re-energize and recharge. Make this special by doing something nice for yourself, whether it's a long walk, a visit with a friend or family, reading a book, taking a nap, or simply doing nothing and enjoying the silence.
Today, we're sharing some of our favorite ideas for Self-Care Sundays. So if it's been a while since you've taken some time for yourself, here are some simple ways to get in a little extra R&R.
But first, what exactly does self-care look like?
What is Self-Care?
Self-care goes beyond meeting our basic physical needs (like food, water, and shelter) and starts addressing ways to deal with the build-up of stress and tension. A little bit of stress can be healthy, but if it's allowed to go unchecked, it can get overwhelming.
Enter: self-care with a focus on mental health.
By finding healthy outlets, we can help alleviate some of the long-term impacts of stress and anxiety. This might be doing things we enjoy, like reading, knitting, or other hobbies. Or, it could involve a bit of physical activity or finding social support from friends and family.
Regardless of what self-care looks like for you, meeting our physical needs is only part of the picture. The activities we're talking about today will help address the other part!
Self-Care Sunday Ideas From Our Community
Ultimately, self-care is going to look a little different for everyone. But it comes down to what helps you wind down and relax, releasing the build-up of stress and tension from the week.
Here are a few ideas from the Plum Deluxe community:
Tea Time on the Porch
My favorite tea time is first thing in the morning either on the front porch or in my chair looking out the front window at dog walkers, bike riders, and joggers. If it’s sunny I want Meadow Walk, or if cloudy or rainy, Buttery Shortbread or Toasted Nut Brûlée Oolong with a dollop of cream. Then I swing into action for the day! —Pam A.
Teatime Rituals
Every morning, I brew a cuppa that I drink as I get dressed and possibly do my makeup. Every night I take a cuppa to my bedroom to settle in for the night. I drink it as I wash my face, moisturize, and breathe. Throughout the day I drink also, but I always have a cold brew with dinner. No special tea in particular because I love so many and change it up daily...but these are my rituals. —Misti D.
Tea with a Book
I love my dark chocolate. The tea is iced and would be one of my brews such as Fog Cutter or Pomegranate Sage...and of course a good book. Finishing up the Count of Monte Cristo. —Maggie W.
Sketching with Tea
I love having a full teapot to myself (if in the morning, black or green tea, or if in the evening, rooibos or other herbal tea), a good book, and maybe my sketchbook for doodling. Peaceful and relaxing. —Victoria M.
Routine Tea
I keep a hectic work schedule, so every day at 3 PM, I walk away from the computer, light one of my lovely incense burners, and have a little meditation time while my tea steeps. Then I ask Alexa to play my book (currently listening to "The Night Swim") while I sip my tea and prepare for the second half of my day. —Misty M.
Other Ideas for Self-Care Sundays
There are endless ideas for what could do for self-care. For me, sometimes it’s as simple as enjoying a walk across the complex to the mailbox, looking for that familiar purple envelope that comes around every month! Or, it might look like setting aside some time to finish up an old knitting project or just sitting in silence and enjoying the outdoor scenery.
The most important part is to do what works best for you. What do you find relaxing? What helps you wind down? What do you enjoy doing so much that everyday worries just melt away?
We’ve written about lots of self-care ideas, from self-care soaks to journal prompts for reflection and getting clear on what you want.
Here are some more ideas:
1. Make your own bath tea.
Beneficial to both your skin and your mental health, bath tea is a wonderful way to refresh yourself in the morning or wind down in the evening. You can make a bath tea bag with your favorite tea and other additions like salt, oatmeal, or other beneficial soaks. You might even add milk like you would in tea!
2. Cool off with self-care spritzers.
Krista has some wonderful recipes for spritzers that involve white wine, sparkling water, and the addition of your favorite flavors. This Elderberry Spritzer is a keeper.
But don't stop there! Self-care is about you, after all. So play around with your favorite tea, fruit juice, frozen fruit, or any other additions you think might go well in a drink like this and put a twist on it that's uniquely you.
3. Go for a walk.
With everything going on in the world, we tend to spend a lot of time indoors. If you're like me and already don't get out much, you might find yourself itching to get outside from time to time.
Even if you don't notice it, a walk outside can do wonders to clear your head. Take a break from everything and go hiking with your partner or a friend. If you're walking a bit closer to home, this might be your alone time where you can just have some quiet time to yourself.
4. Visit the farmers market.
Even if you can't go in person, many people are offering drive-in services at the local farmers' markets. And nothing quite beats the locally-grown produce, especially if you live in areas with lots of smaller community farms and gardens.
Let's be honest—it just feels different and they taste amazing. It also gives you an alternative to the grocery store and a way to support local growers who might really need it right now. (Here are some other summer self-care practices, perfect for that summer-to-autumn transition.)
5. Make the seasonal transition with these self-care tips.
Speaking of changing seasons, those periods can have a lot more of an impact than we realize. Slow down, take a moment to see how these changes might affect you. If you have a regular journaling practice, you probably already have some clues.
This article covers some great cold-weather transitions like slowing down, staying warm, taking a break from screen-time, and even adjusting the lighting in your home. You might even keep a seasonal journal of how these changes help and see what helps the most, so you can do more of that the next go-around.
6. Make a tea care package for yourself (and a friend).
If you find yourself craving a connection, put together a couple of tea care packages to order for yourself and a friend that you'd like to have virtual tea with.
We have a few blends to fit the purpose of self-care:
- Be Well, a blend of orange and elderberry
- Daily Love, a herbal tea that features tulsi and sea buckthorn berry
- The Self Care Blend, a deliciously fruity blend of elderberry and apricot
- No Obligations, a warm blend with hazelnut, almond, cinnamon, and vanilla.
- Fog Cutter, a lemony breakfast tea to cut through mental fog and clutter.
7. Spend more quality time with friends and family.
Our "space" might look a little different these days, but even when our connections are mostly virtual, they can be just as powerful. We've seen a lot of that in our little corner of the internet, where a shared love of tea introduces us to the most amazing new friends.
Andy has an article for carving out meaningful time with our loved ones and suggests creating space (both in your calendar and wherever you're meeting!), setting the intention, having fun, and most importantly, being grateful. If we've learned anything the past few years, it's how powerful our connections with those closest to us are. Read more about carving out this much-needed time here.
8. Take a breather.
All you need is 15 minutes. Set aside 15 minutes for yourself to meditate, breathe, take a herbal bath, or even just give yourself a quick massage.
It's easy to skip out on these routines, but the more we remember to carve out the time for us, the less we'll have to worry about ourselves in the long run.
9. Take a self-care day.
Whether you want to call it a mental health day or a self-care day, we have a guide for that!
I'll be honest—I do have those times when I spend so much time worrying about other people, projects, or all manner of other things, and I catch myself saying, "You're insane. You don't have time for a break. You need to get this all done yesterday."
But the truth is, if you can't take care of yourself, you can't truly be present for those other pieces of your life. It's harder to give your full attention to projects and to be there for other people when they need you. By the time they actually need something, you're tired, worn out, and while you can try to help, you might not entirely be there.
At that point, it's as much about respecting other people's time as it is respecting your own time. Taking the time you need to recover will ensure that you can be at your best in other areas of your life, whether that's for friends, family, or the people you work with.
What does self-care look like for you?
If you're looking for more resources, we have a resources page for the community here. We have mindfulness meditations, a wonderfully crackly yule log for the holiday season, coloring pages, music, recipes, and more.
We'd love to hear from you about your own self-care practices. Or, if you haven't quite made the time in that area, share your challenges and what you'd like to focus on in the future. Join the conversation with us on Facebook or Instagram.