Live Your Best Life With These Self Care Saturday Ideas
What are you doing this Saturday? How about planning a self-care Saturday to help you relax and focus on your physical, mental, and emotional health? The best thing that you can do when you start to feel overwhelmed and burned out is to take a time out. Here are some self-care Saturday ideas for the next time you have some free time to focus on your own needs. You can use this list of things to create the perfect self-care day for yourself.
These self care Saturday ideas are perfect and there’s something on this ultimate list for everybody.
Some links in this post may be affiliate links. If you click them and make a purchase, we earn a commission, but it won’t affect your purchase price or experience.
What is self-care?
Self-care is defined as the process of taking care of yourself and doing activities that promote your overall wellbeing. It is being mindful of your needs and doing more of the things that help you to be your best self. Everydayhealth.com defines self-care as “taking care of yourself so that you can be healthy, you can be well, you can do your job, you can help and care for others…”
If you search for the definition of self-care, you’ll get thousands and thousands of definitions. They all boil down to this: take care of yourself.
Why is self-care important?
Taking time for self-care is important for so many different reasons. If you truly want to live a healthy lifestyle, including self-care activities in your week is necessary. Studies have shown that people who practice self-care regularly have more positive health outcomes. That alone should convince you to prioritize your own self-care.
Why self-care Saturday?
Self-care doesn’t have to be reserved for a certain day of the week. However, most people are so busy throughout the week that it seems more doable to schedule a whole day of self-care on the weekend. These self-care ideas will work any day of the week, so don’t dismiss them if self-care Saturday doesn’t work for your schedule. Self-care Sundays are great, too.
And don’t shy away from doing self-care if you don’t have an entire day to dedicate to yourself. Use the time that you have to get in some self-care activities and then spend the rest of the day doing whatever other tasks that you have on your schedule. My motto is a little bit of self-care is better than no self-care. As little as 15 minutes of self-care can make a big difference in your life.
Read next: 15 Self-Care Activities that Take 15 Minutes or Less
Self Care Saturday Ideas
Enjoy a face mask
Face masks can be a simple way to slow down and take some time for yourself. Think about it, when you apply a face mask, you usually leave it on for 15 minutes or so. This is a great time
to slow down and relax a little, while enjoying the great things that face masks can do for your skin.
There are several different types of face masks that can address different skin issues. My favorite face mask is the Skinceuticals Clarifying Clay Masque, but you can choose the mask that’s perfect for your skin.
Not only does doing a mask give you some downtime, you also walk away with refreshed, smooth skin.
Pro Tip: If you can schedule a professional facial, that’s even more relaxing and you get some time away from the hustle and bustle of life.
Take a break from social media
Social media can be fun and informative, but if you spend too much time on it, it can be overwhelming and sometimes even toxic. If I’ve ever seen anything that can be a double-edged sword, it’s social media. When you feel yourself becoming frustrated with social media, take a break. Even a small break from social media can have positive outcomes.
Pro Tip: Clean up your social media so that you’re only following accounts that you genuinely love. You have the ability to control your social media experience. If you follow accounts that make you feel bad about yourself or that are excessively negative, mute them, hide them, delete them, or even block them. Do what you need to do to protect your mental health while you’re on social media!
Soak in a bubble bath
A warm bubble bath relaxes your mind, soothes sore muscles, and helps you sleep better. Make some time for a bubble bath on your next self-care Saturday. Town and Country Magazine lists 8 benefits of a hot bubble bath that will have you ready to hop in immediately.
Grab a great bubble bath, some candles, a bath pillow, some relaxing music, and a book or magazine and enjoy your bubble bath.
Pro Tip: I love grabbing a book or magazine for my bubble baths. I think of it as being a 2-for-1 when I can get in two self-care activities at one time.
Live in the present moment
It’s so easy to get stuck in the past and replay events in your mind. It’s also common to worry about the future. When you constantly review the past or worry about the future, you neglect present moments. When you find yourself drifting from one extreme to the next, try to draw your attention to the present moment.
On your next Self-Care Saturday, take time to notice your surroundings. Try to focus on one thing at a time. Don’t let distractions keep you from paying attention to the people and things in front of you. Try not to think about other things that you have to do or appointments that you have. Take time to truly be grateful and content with what’s in front of you right now.
Read a good book
When is the last time that you’ve read a good book? Reading is one of my favorite self-care activities and is a perfect way to spend an hour or two on a lazy self-care Saturday. A great way to spend some extra time that you have is to cuddle up with a good book. Or, if you prefer, listen to books on Audible.
Pro Tip: Join a book club if you want to read and discuss a book with a group of people.
Plan a daily routine
Do you ever feel like there’s not enough time in the day to get things done? Did you know that having a daily routine can help you with that? Having a daily routine can help combat burnout. Making a habit of scheduling regular times for exercising, meal prepping, social media use, and even self-care can help you get your body and mind used to doing the things that are important for your overall well-being.
Take some time during your next self-care Saturday to plan a daily routine.
Catch up with an old friend
Friends are such an important part of our lives. I talk about the benefits of friendships in this article. If you have at least one person that you consider a true friend, you are blessed. Life can get so busy that you lose touch with friends. A great self-care Saturday idea is to call or text a friend that you haven’t spoken to in a while. One of the best ways to let someone know that you’re thinking about them is to pick up the phone and give them a quick call or text.
Pro-Tip: Send a card to an old friend you haven’t talked to in a while. It’ll be a pleasant surprise!
Diffuse some essential oils
Essential oils are known to have several benefits. Spend some time exploring all of the different essential oils to find the specific ones that you need. Diffusing essential oils helps me relax. I especially love diffusing lavender a few hours before bedtime. You can diffuse essential oils on your self-care day to help create a spa-like experience.
Create a morning routine
Are you someone who darts into your day or are you more of a morning routine kind of person? I hope the latter is true. That’s because having a morning routine helps to get your day off to a good start. Your morning routine could include meditation, exercise, sipping coffee, or doing a daily skincare regimen. A good idea for self-care Saturday is to establish a morning routine that you can do every single day to get your day started in a positive and calm way.
Schedule a spa day
A great ending to a hectic work week is spending the day at the spa. A spa day is a great form of self-care. You can get a professional massage, sit in the sauna or the quiet room, get your nails done, indulge in a facial or anything else that you desire. Before scheduling a spa day, take a look at all of the spas in your area and choose one that offers the services that you would like to make your spa day the ultimate self-care experience.
Make sure to book in advance so that you can book your preferred services.
Pro Tip: If you are in the Birmingham, Alabama area, The Retreat Day Spa is lovely!
Take some deep breaths
Breathing is something that we do without even thinking about it. But, did you know that taking time to take some deep breaths can have a tremendous impact on decreasing your stress levels? Taking some deep breaths is a great self-care idea.
Being intentional about taking some deep breaths can help relieve pain, increase energy, improve digestion, and even help improve immunity. Healthline.com goes into detail about all the health benefits of deep breathing.
Plan a mental health day
What are some things that help you decompress and get a good mental recharge? One of the main goals of a mental health day is to do the things that you need to do to relax. Think about the activities that help you to relax most and schedule them for your next self-care Saturday!
Have lunch with your best friend
If you are lucky enough to live close to your best friend, schedule a lunch date for the two of you. Catching up with a good friend is one of the best self-care ideas. It’s nice to be able to laugh and talk with your friend and enjoy a nice meal together.
Plan out your next week
A great way to end a self-care weekend is to plan out your next week. What meetings do you have scheduled? What major tasks do you need to complete? Being prepared for your week is great for self-care because it helps you to feel in control. Your week may seem less hectic if you have a good idea of what’s in front of you so that you can mentally prepare to tackle each task.
Enjoy your skincare routine
If you do your skincare routine in the mornings, it’s very likely that you’re rushing through it so that you can get out of the house on time. Use your self-care Saturday to slow down and enjoy your skincare routine. Grab those beauty tools that you’ve had in your beauty box for months and put them to good use. Self-care Saturday is the perfect time to use those jade rollers, facial scrubbers, face masks, and other products and tools that you’ve been intending to use.
Pro Tip: Keep all of your favorite self-care items in a self-care box so that everything is in the same place when you’re ready when you get to have a self-care Saturday.
Get some fresh air
Not all of your self-care Saturday ideas have to be a big activity. There are several small ways to get in some self-care without spending lots of time and money. One way is to get outside for some fresh air.
I especially love combining getting some fresh air with something like reading a book, listening to your favorite calming music or taking some deep breaths. Getting outside for some fresh air is the perfect opportunity to relax and get some much-needed self-care.
Visit an animal shelter
If you love animals, visiting the animal shelter is a great self-care Saturday idea. Go to your local animal shelter to take some food donations or spend some time cuddling with some of the animals. You might even decide to leave with a new pet that you can cuddle with any time you need some extra love.
Color in an adult coloring book
Coloring is known to have lots of mental health benefits. Beaumont.org lists reducing stress and anxiety as one of the many benefits of coloring. There are lots of fun coloring books available. Choose your favorite adult coloring book and color your stress away!
Read some inspirational quotes
Reading and reflecting on some inspirational quotes has positive effects. Search for some of your favorite quotes so that they are at your fingertips when you need a little motivation.
Listen to (or sing) your favorite songs
A self-care Saturday isn’t complete without a little music. Listening to and singing your favorite songs can improve your mood and it can be lots of fun.
Pro Tip: Create a playlist that includes your favorite songs so that you’re ready to go whenever you get a self-care day.
Spend some quality time with your family
One of my favorite self care activities is spending time with my family. Plan some time on your self-care Saturday to watch a movie, make crafts, cook, or anything else that you enjoy doing with your favorite people!
Plan a simple act of kindness
Have you ever realized how good you feel when you perform a simple act of kindness for someone else. Holding a door open, paying a toll for the car behind you, planting a tree, or simply letting someone with fewer items cut in front of you in the grocery store line are all simple ways that you can perform simple acts of kindness in your daily life.
Go on a nature walk
Going for a walk in nature is a great way to spend your self-care Saturday. You get the benefits of walking and you’re spending time outdoors getting some fresh air.
Enjoy a cup of tea
Tea has so many health benefits that it makes perfect sense for it to be a part of this self-care Saturday ideas list. Depending on the type that you select, tea can help boost your immune system, provide some extra minerals, encourage weight loss, and may possibly reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. Eatright.org lists several other benefits of tea.
Pro Tip: Choose a variety pack of tea so that you can try different ones and figure out which one you like best.
Write in your gratitude journal
When life is overwhelming, it can be tough to remember that you have so much to be grateful for. Writing in your gratitude journal helps you to reflect and record the things in your life that bring you the most joy. The nice thing about having a gratitude journal is that you can pull it out to read on the days when you feel hopeless or unsatisfied with your current situation. Your gratitude can be a source of joy as you enjoy your self-care Saturday!
If you need help getting started with journaling, check out this post where I share several benefits of keeping a journal.
Try a new hobby
Hobbies are a fun way to focus on something that you like to do! If you don’t have a hobby, a great self-care Saturday idea is to explore a new hobby. My list of hobbies that reduce stress is a great place to start if you’re unsure of what hobby to try! You just might have the best time trying out a new and exciting hobby!
Find (and cook) a new recipe
Self-care Saturday is the perfect day to find and cook a new recipe. Have you been bookmarking some delicious recipes that you want to try? Do you have some cookware or kitchen gadgets that you’ve been wanting to try out? Use your self-care day to have some fun in the kitchen if that’s something that you enjoy doing.
Final word about Self Care Saturday
Hopefully, this list has inspired you to plan your next self care day. If you’re lucky enough to have an entire self care Saturday, fill it with as many (or as few) things from this list that will refresh you and give you the satisfaction you need.
This is your day. Enjoy!
Let me know in the comments which activity you’re planning to do on your next self care Saturday.
