Self-care

25 Self-Care Ideas to Help You Through a Bad Day

Self love sign in front of a chair

Feeling down? Check out these 25 self-care ideas that can help you get through a bad day.

Now and then, we all have them. Bad days.

You know, those days when nothing is going right, and all you want to do is to curl up in a ball and start the day fresh again tomorrow?

Whether you’re feeling a bit down, are going through a rough patch or are just having one of those ‘blah’ days, here are 25 self-care ideas to help you through.

You’ve got this!

25 Self-Care Ideas to Help You Through a Bad Day
  1. Take a mental health day
  2. Head outside for a long walk. Tune into your surroundings, be it the birds in the sky, the clouds, the trees, the breeze or the people you meet along the way
  3. Allow yourself to sleep in and wake up naturally.
  4. Dress up for the day – rock your fave outfit!
  5. Spend time with animals
  6. Treat yo’ self – retail therapy, your comfort food of choice, a massage, a mani or pedi, hire a babysitter and go see a movie … whatever you classify as a treat
  7. Nourish your body by eating and drinking healthily for a day or two
  8. Take a step back and meditate for a bit
  9. Call a friend
  10. Schedule in some me-time doing whatever the hell you want (even if it’s nothing)
  11. Sink your teeth into a good book
  12. Luxuriate in a long, hot shower as you exfoliate your skin, and wash and deep condition your hair. Afterwards, take time to moisturise your body, pop on a face mask, and wrap your hair in a towel to let it dry naturally (or if that thought stresses you out, take the time to blow dry your hair for that ‘salon’ feel)
  13. Write your thoughts out in your journal
  14. Declare a couch day (I 💓 couch days!)
  15. Write down how you are feeling – get it all out of your head onto some paper!
  16. Watch your favourite show or movie
  17. Exercise your way – don’t like running, do some yoga. Bored of traditional exercise? Hit up the local rock climbing venue!
  18. Book in to get your hair done
  19. Get artsy or crafty. Colour in, draw, paint, sew, knit or crochet. Give it a go! Personally I love mindful colouring
  20. Go see a movie on the big screen
  21. Spend time with someone under the age of 6 or over the age of 60
  22. Do some gardening (if you are so much inclined)
  23. Burn scented candles or incense, switch on the fairy lights, turn your home into a sparkly place of solace
  24. Unplug from EVERYTHING! I know it’s hard, but it’s worth it.
  25. Take a nap.

What’s your go-to self-care idea when you’re having a bad day? Tell me about it in the comments below.

Whether you’re feeling a bit down, are going through a bit of a rough patch or are just having one of those 'blah' days, here's 25 self-care ideas to help you through.

Here are a few other self-care articles to inspire you to look after yourself:

46 Lists to Make When Life Gets Overwhelming

3 Self-Care Hacks to Help You Feel Less Overwhelmed

5 Ways to Make Life Easier When It Feels Like Bad News surrounds you