10 Unconventional Self-Care Ideas

Self-care is about caring for yourself. But tending to your needs isn’t just about beautifying ourselves. Physical needs are a part of self-care but so is finding ways to attend our mental and emotional needs. Sometimes self-care can be about caring for and brightening our space or taking a moment for mental clarity. Here are 10 unconventional self-care ideas that will re-energize and lift your spirits.

Note: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through a link The Reluctant Cowgirl will receive a small commission, at no additional cost to you, used toward keeping this blog going. I only recommend products I appreciate and trust. Read all my disclosure here

Life is stressful. If all we do is work, work and then utilize draining “self-care” methods like scrolling through Facebook, watching Netflix and eating unhealthy food we are going to be at a deficit. It becomes harder to handle the challenges of life. So as we think about self-care let’s think about ideas that restore us and give back to us.

YOU ARE THE HEART OF YOUR HOME. Receive the Practical Advice You Need to Care for Yourself and the Ones You Love. JOIN The Reluctant Cowgirl

Here are some different ways of caring for ourselves! Brighten your day with these unconventional self-care routines that will only take around 30 minutes or less.

Clean Out Your Vehicle

What? It may sound odd to view cleaning out your vehicle as self-care, but don’t you always feel so much better when you get into a clean car? I love it after I have cleaned out my van. The next time I go to drive somewhere it is wonderful to open my van door and see a freshly tidied space. And yet, I don’t do it for myself enough!

So when you are stopped for gas, take a few minutes to clean any excess trash out of the vehicle. It couldn’t be easier with the trash cans right next to your car or van.

Once a month or so, stop and vacuum your car out. And treat yourself to a clean (or cleaner) space.

Buy Yourself Flowers

Aren’t fresh flowers so pretty? I actually received delivered flowers yesterday, which is a rare treat! And I didn’t even have to have a trip to the hospital:)

But you can purchase reasonably priced flowers for yourself! No need to wait for someone to bring you flowers. We have a local Kroger and Aldis grocery. Kroger marks their flowers down to $3 or $4 dollars, once a week or so. And Aldis has fresh flowers delivered twice a week that are under $5.

Clean Your Sheets

Isn’t that the best feeling crawling into bed at night sliding down into fresh clean sheets? I try to keep a spare set of sheets and rotate them. But to me, it is the ultimate in self-care if I use the sheets that have been just washed. So sometimes, I will even rewash clean sheets, if they have been sitting in the linen area.

And yes, you “should” be changing your sheets often. But instead of seeing it as something you HAVE to do, see it as a little something you do for yourself.

Sweep Your Porch

My mom always says that sweeping your porch is like powdering your nose. It just makes the space look better. And yeah, it is one more area to clean but it only takes 10-15 minutes to sweep your porch or walk and it has a big effect. When you come home next time you feel “welcomed”!

And sweeping your porch, gets you outside for a minute which is invigorating and healing. Unless, it was like our front walk this summer and fall. We had a bumper crop of acorns! It was almost dangerous to be in our immediate front yard for fear of the falling acorns!

Keep a Fun “Summer” Book Handy

With blogging, I read a ton of articles everyday! I am on various blogs, clicking through on Pinterest or from Facebook. I enjoy reading, and I also feel it is important to read anything I am pinning or posting so that I’m treating your time as valuable.

But come the end of the day, I just want to relax. At the beginning of the year, I had set the goal to get back to reading books as my first year of blogging cut into my reading time. But by mid year, I realized that I just needed to read for fun and enjoyment in the evenings, not to meet one more goal.

Whatever stage you are at, keep a few books on your bedside or on your kindle that feel “refreshing” or “fun” to you. You don’t have to be on vacation to enjoy a more light-hearted or less than scholarly read! I even find it centering rereading old favorites that I haven’t read in a while.

Clean out Your Purse

I don’t have little ones any more so you would think my purse would be slightly cleaner! But it isn’t.

Take a few minutes for yourself and clean that thing out! Remove old receipts, wrappers or expired coupons. Restock your purse with a few chocolates or mints if you have extra. Make sure you have an Emory board that is decent, nice smelling lotion and hand sanitizer. And don’t forget to add a few pens. Why is it that a purse seems to have 10 pens or none??

I love this Aveda hand lotion here! And these cute pocket notebooks make wonderful small gifts to fit in a purse!

Keep Your Annual Check-Ups

Going to the doctors or getting a mammogram might not be “fun”. But it is such a powerful way to tell yourself that you are important. And I always feel really great when I check that appointment off for the year!

And it gives you an opportunity to stop and reflect on how you have been doing physically. Are you sleeping well? Have you had a sudden weight gain or loss? Do you suddenly struggle with more headaches? Now is a great time to concentrate on your body and make any adjustments for your overall health!

Receive and Treasure a Compliment

When someone tells you that you look nice or they appreciate something you did, do you actually hear the compliment? I love to give compliments and I certainly enjoy receiving them. But sometimes I underplay what I did, thinking instead of everything I still need to do.

Don’t Forget to PIN and Share!

Maybe, we should stop and just treasure the sweet words for a moment. If you received a thank you card, reread what was written and appreciate the help or comfort you were able to bring to someone else!

Care for Yourself by Focusing On One Thing at a Time

Are you always trying to squeeze one more thing into your activities? Sometimes it is necessary or even fun. I enjoy listening to a podcast while I’m getting ready in the morning. Or I delete and clean out my inbox while my husband is driving us somewhere.

But every once in a while give yourself the luxury of just doing one thing at a time. Read a magazine…and just do that. Don’t try to text a friend at the same time. Or just listen to your kids for a few minutes before you start trying to cook supper simultaneously.

Give yourself the gift of singular focus!

YOU ARE THE HEART OF YOUR HOME. Receive the Practical Advice You Need to Care for Yourself and the Ones You Love. JOIN The Reluctant Cowgirl

Buy Comfy but Pretty Sleep Wear

Most of the cute Jammie sets out there have long sleeves. I would melt in about two seconds in those. So sometimes it’s just gets easier to grab an old comfy t-shirt.

Are you in the habit of just pulling on your old sleep wear clothes? Do you need an update? Pick out a cute set or two that are comfortable but also make you feel pretty. Having a few sleepwear pieces that are beautiful and still comfortable is a lovely way to end our day and begin to unwind!