creating a self care sanctuary at home
Self care is the practice of improving your wellbeing and self love through actions and activities that promote personal wellness. It can be physical, creative, emotional, etc.
There are many ways to practice self love, and self care is one of my favorite ways to spend quality time with myself and encourage a healthier and more positive outlook on my life.
When it comes to self care, there are so many things you can do, but you won’t always have the luxury of going out to the spa or taking yourself out for a nice meal. Taking part in self care activities at home is a great routine to start because it calms you down and improves your mood in the luxury of your own home.
creating the foundation of your self care space
Let’s start with the foundation for your self love sanctuary. Creating a space that you feel comfortable in is very important, so let’s dive in to some ways we can start.
Clean & declutter
Who wants a messy place when they’re trying to relax and enjoy your favorite activities? Sometimes cleaning your place is self care.
I can be lazy and allow my room to get messy to a point where I don’t feel comfortable. Even worse, I often won’t deep clean my apartment unless someone is coming over. But I like to remind myself that I deserve a clean space to live in. I deserve to feel comfortable and happy in my own apartment.
Once I feel like the space around me is put together, I feel more put together. Starting with a clean space that you feel comfortable in is the first step of creating a self love sanctuary.
Scent your sanctuary
I love a nice smelling candle or escent. It makes me feel relaxed and fresh. There's also sprays, plug in refreshers and much more that you can use to fill your self care sanctuary into something you want to melt into.
My favorite scents are cinnamon spiced vanilla and lavender. I love for my place to smell warm and cozy when I’m relaxing or just on a daily basis. I also love the clean, fresh scents when I’m cleaning up or wanting to feel more productive.
Tailor your scents to your mood, or keep your go-to scents stocked up to set the mood for your self care space.
Make space in your home for your self care activities
Include a space for your hobbies
Lately, I’ve been trying to stretch more. I want to get more flexible, so I like to keep a little space by my living room mirror with my yoga mat and blocks. It’s my little space to do some weekly stretching and to be in tune with myself.
I also love to read and journal, so I dedicated a large shelf in my home for my books and journals. It’s aesthetically pleasing and shows who I am, while also being convenient for when I’m in the mood to do some self care through reading and writing.
Whatever your hobby is, embrace a section in your home for it. Be creative and allow yourself to welcome what makes you happy, while you’re in your home.
Home activity spaces
Going off of including your hobbies, I think it’s a great idea to dedicate a room or nook in your home for activities you often do, such as creating a home gym or home spa.
If exercise or beauty self care makes you happy and contributes to a more positive outlook on life, I encourage you to bring it into your home and embrace the space you could have.
You don’t always have to go to the gym, especially on the days you don’t feel like leaving the house. And you don’t always need to go to the spa, especially if you want to save money. Be creative and think of what your home could be missing that could encourage more self care in your life.
Breathe life into your space through plants
I love plants. I keep them at my desk at work, and I love to feel like there’s life in my personal sanctuary. I also am learning to love to have flowers in my place. It makes me smile and I like to smell them when I pass by.
Plants and flowers can make you feel warm and lively in your self care sanctuary. You can also be creative and decorate your apartment to whatever theme you’re going for.
You could maybe even set up a home garden. I’ve had friends who have really enjoyed doing that and get excited when their plants are blossoming.
Revamping typical home spaces
Kitchen & cooking
If you like to cook, create a space in your kitchen where you feel happy and excited to try a new recipe or cook your favorite meal. I need a clean kitchen with wiped down countertops and an empty sink.
I also love to look into new appliances and storage products. I love cute things and fun colors, so cooking with new pots and pans (or whatever I decide to get!) is always a good time.
Choose comfortable furniture
I get almost too cozy on my couch after a long day at work. I’m obsessed with how comfortable it is and how I can nap, work on this blog, do work for my job, couch rot, talk to people on FaceTime, etc. on my comfy couch.
I encourage you to choose furniture and bedding that make you feel comfortable. It’s underrated how important nice sheets, cozy pillows and your preference on mattresses is for enhancing your space and creating a self care sanctuary.
Self care activity ideas in your sanctuary
Whether it’s beauty self care ideas or fun activities, I got you covered with the best ideas to try in your revamped self care sanctuary.
Spa day at home: Bring out the face masks, steamers and a cozy robe to treat yourself with an at-home spa day. Go all out with your essentials and set your phone on DND to really take a trip away from reality.
Bubble bath & a candle: Set the mood with one of your favorite candles and maybe even a bath bomb or bubbles. Relax and soak in the moment with a de-stressing and unwinding bubble bath.
Learn something creative: Try painting, pottery or dancing. There are so many creative hobbies you can pick up in the comfort of your own home.
Plant: Become a plant mom. Whether you have a garden where you can grow all kinds of exotic plants, or if you want to grow a house plant for your place, give planting a try.
Movement that feels good: Do a physical activity that makes you feel good when you wake up, right before you go to sleep or any time. Yoga, stretching, walking, pilates and barre are great options.
Eat nourishing foods: Putting good food in your body is a form of self care. Show your body some love with healthy, nourishing food and make sure it’s food that you actually enjoy and makes you happy.
read more ideas here: self care activities for grown women
