Complaining might be a natural response to many situations, but it also stirs up a lot of negative energy. Holding it in can only make you feel worse.

Learn to express your frustration in a gentler way and move on. Being upbeat and having a positive attitude can help you avoid getting bogged down with too much negative energy.

Compliment
Compliment others when they deserve an accolade. A few kind words can go a long way. Give yourself a compliment now and then too.

Discard
Get rid of things that no longer serve you. Throw out old clothes and unused household items. Donate the items if somebody else can get use out of them.

This can also apply to feelings and attitudes. If something isn’t doing you any good, get rid of it. Try to remove any reminders of what you no longer benefit from.

Doctor
Even when you are doing your best for your self-care, there may be a need for something beyond what you can do for yourself. Do not hesitate to see a doctor, dentist or other professional when the need arises.

Eating
Try to keep a healthy balance in the foods you eat.

Be careful about emotional eating – that’s when you might overindulge as a way to deal with sadness or depression.

Educate Yourself
Learn the basics about self-care and well-being so that you can be at your best and get more out of life.

Escape
Escape by reading a book that takes you to a different world, away from stress, monotony or whatever.

Escape your usual routine by taking a drive in the country or the mountains.

Essential Oils
Essential oils have many uses outside of aromatherapy. Many people use them to scent their homes or freshen up things like laundry. They are also used in high-quality natural products.

Eyes
When you’re outside, it’s good to protect your eyes with sunglasses or transition lenses.

Use eye drops when your eyes are dry or irritated.

Feelings
You have feelings about this and that. Some might be negative, but hopefully most are positive. Don’t keep everything bottled up inside. Some feelings are good to share with a close friend or family member.

It often helps to understand where certain feelings came from and why that particular thing is on your mind.

Forgive Yourself and Others
Everybody messes up now and then. Forgive yourself and stop beating yourself up over things. Forgiving yourself allows you to move past the blame and guilt.

Forgive others when they have wronged you in some way. Keep in mind that you’re forgiving them more for your sake than for theirs.

Fresh Clothes
Even when you’re staying home, putting on fresh clothes can be a feel-good thing to do.

Friends
Good friends can have a positive impact on our mental health and our lives in general. Above all, be your own best friend.

Gardening
Gardening can be good for you in many ways: the physical activity, fresh air, taking care of plants and if it’s edible, providing a food source.

Gratitude
Gratitude is a good thing for you as well as the person you express appreciation to for something they did or said.

Habits
Good self-care usually isn’t just a one-time thing. It’s a series of things done daily, weekly or as often as needed to take good care of yourself.

As you do something a few times, it gets easier to make it a habit.

Hobbies
A hobby can be a great way to relax, learn about something new or to exercise your creativity. Also, a hobby can provide you with a sense of accomplishment.

Hydrate
This is important! Drink enough water to stay adequately hydrated.

Being dehydrated can have a negative impact on your digestion, your thought process and other aspects of your well-being.

Hygiene
Good hygiene can really slip when a person isn’t feeling well and that might make things even worse.

It’s good to shower or bathe on a regular basis and brush the teeth daily.

Other people will sometimes avoid a person with poor hygiene. Don’t let that happen to you.

Indulge
Give yourself permission to be spoiled or pampered now and then, whether you do it for yourself or your spouse/partner does it for you.

Inner Voice
It’s sometimes called our inner voice when we get thoughts or feelings that pop into our head. That inner voice might warn us, advise us or be self-critical.

Try to learn when to pay attention to your inner voice and take action. For example: my inner voice told me to be careful.

Journal
Keeping a journal can be a good thing. It allows you to express yourself and to be self-reflective about your deepest thoughts and feelings.

You can see what kind of thoughts and feelings you had 3 months ago or last year or whenever.

Joy
There is joy all around us, although it might not seem that way on certain days.

Look for the joy and happiness in you and around you and be pleased.

Kindness
Be kind to yourself, be kind to other people, be kind to animals and be kind to Mother Earth.

Know Yourself
A lot of self-care is rooted in knowing yourself and understanding your needs.

To know yourself better, ask yourself a few questions:
• What are your likes and dislikes?
• What are your strengths and weaknesses?
• What are your habits (good or bad)?

Let It Out
It is far better to release negative feelings and emotions rather than having them swirl around inside you.

For some people, “letting it go” might involve having a hearty cry, watching a movie or reading a book. For other people, drawing, painting or playing a musical instrument works best.

Listen
• Listen to your favorite songs
• Listen to children laughing
• Listen to the sounds of nature

Loving Yourself
Loving yourself isn’t vanity, it’s sanity.

It just makes sense to love yourself. If you can love yourself, it makes it easier for others to love you too!

Manage Your Expectations
You could end up disappointed if you have unreasonable expectations. It helps to have a realistic timeframe. For example, losing weight or learning a new skill doesn’t just happen overnight. Break a major goal down into steps or milestones and manage you expectations accordingly.

Massage
A good massage can do wonders for your physical AND mental well-being.

Meditate
Meditation can be good for you in many ways. It can help you to relax and reduce stress or anxiety.

Never Give Up
There are bound to be setbacks now and then, but never give up!

Try not to dwell on the setbacks or whatever caused them, but focus on your dreams and goals. It doesn’t always matter how slow you’re going, as long as you keep going in the right direction.

No
There are times when you just have to say no. An apology isn’t always needed when you say no. You can be polite, but stand up for yourself.

Nostalgia
People often find comfort in old songs, movies or books. It’s good to catch up with an old friend. Make your favorite comfort food that you enjoyed in your childhood.

Organize
If you have a bit of disorganization around your house, you’re nor alone. Everybody I know has at least one drawer or closet that should be better organized.

Being organized can be a good feeling. People that are not well organized might be stressed, embarrassed or even feel guilty about it.

To get organized, start by getting rid of things you don’t use. Then, group like things together. As my mother used to say, “A place for everything and everything in its place,”

Own Your Mistakes
We all make mistakes from time to time. When it happens, go ahead and own up to it.

If you lie about it or try to cover it up, you might make things even worse.

Pamper
Pamper yourself now and then. The same goes for your spouse or partner, your children and your pets.

Don’t overdo it, just do something special for you or a loved one.

Plan
Making a few plans about things in your life gives you a better chance of getting the result you want. A diet, learning a new skill and many other things often go much better when you have an outline and a plan.

Play
Play with a pet. Play with a child or grandchild. This is a feel-good activity we should do on a regular basis.

Here’s a good quote from George Bernard Shaw: “We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.”

Quiet
It’s good to have some quiet time now and then, a time with no distractions.

Quotes
A good quote can convey a powerful message with just a few words.

A good quote can speak to the heart, inspire your soul or motivate you in some way.

Reach Out
Contact a friend or loved one. It will probably be good for both of you.

Also, reach out to a doctor, dentist or other professional when your self-care just isn’t enough in one or more areas of your well-being.

Read
Whether it’s the newspaper, a novel or a comic book, reading should be one of your regular activities.

You can read to learn, read to relax or simply read for the fun of it.

Routine
Many people take comfort in having a routine, especially when they created it for themselves and it has benefits for their well-being. A routine can help a person get more done and make better use of their time.

Even when following a routine, it’s good to take a break from it now and do something unstructured.

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Spirituality
There are many ways you can be a spiritual person. Perhaps, it’s about bringing creativity, curiosity or wisdom into your life. Maybe, it’s about strengthening your relationship with yourself or the world around you. It could even be about finding some higher guiding path to make life a little easier or more meaningful. Whether it’s religion, doing rituals, meditating or something else that speaks to you, spirituality gives you a way to tap into something beyond yourself.

Spruce Up
Spruce up your wardrobe, your house or whatever makes you feel good.

Stretching
Stretching exercises can boost circulation, aid digestion, and help ease back pain. No matter your age and overall condition, there are stretches that can benefit you.

When you stretch, ease your body into position and hold for 10 to 25 seconds. Breathe deeply to help your body move oxygen-rich blood to the muscles. Do not bounce or force yourself into an uncomfortable position.

Support
Self-care is what you do on your own to maintain or improve your well-being. Sometimes we need something more. That’s when it’s good to have support, whether from a trusted friend or a professional care provider.

Talk
Sometimes it can be hard to open about your feelings, but talking about what’s on you mind can help to lighten the load.

Therapy
As mentioned elsewhere on this site, sometimes we need to go beyond self-care and getting therapy is a good example of that.

There are different types of therapy depending on what is being treated, an impairment, an injury, a disease or a disorder.

Unfollow / Unfriend
For people that use social media (especially Facebook), it might be a good thing to unfollow or unfriend somebody that adds too much negativity to the experience.

Unplug
Every so often, it can be good to unplug. Take a break from electronic devices. Instead, take a nap, read a book, go for a walk, take a long bath, or meditate.

Unwind
Unwind in a way that works for you. The same ideas above (unplug) apply here.

Visualize
Visualize what your life will be like when you reach each milestone of your goal(s). It can help to create a vision board with pictures that represent your dreams and goals.

Volunteer
When you volunteer, you are helping yourself by helping others in some way.

Work
Work is often more that a source of income. Work can mean be a way to socialize, express yourself and to do something meaningful.

Whatever type of work you do, it’s important to have a good balance between your work and the other parts of your life.

Write
Whether by letter or email, writing is a great way to stay in touch with the people you care about.

Write down your thoughts and feelings, as mentioned in the comments about keeping a journal.

XC Skiing
XC stands for cross-country. XC skiing is a great physical activity and you get to spend time in nature. There’s also XC mountain biking and XC running.

Xeriscape
Xeriscape refers to a method of landscaping that uses drought-resistant plants and special techniques to conserve water.

This type of gardening combines physical activity, fresh air and taking care of plants, all of which can be good for you.

Yes
Just as there are times when you should stand up for yourself and say no, there are times when you should be firm and say yes!

Part of self-care is being mindful and avoiding triggers, but it’s also important to say yes or no, depending on what’s in your best interest.

Yoga
Just like meditation, yoga is one of those things that many people swear by while other people have no interest in it.

Yoga can be good, both physically and mentally. Take a yoga class if you’re not sure how to do it.

ZZZ
The three Z’s represent sleep, just as you might see in cartoons.

Getting adequate sleep is one of the best things for your well-being and not getting enough sleep can cause a variety of problems.

Here are some tips about getting good sleep:

• Stick to a sleep schedule as much as you can. Go to bed at around the same time each night and get up around the same time each morning.

• Pay attention to what you eat and drink. Avoid large meals or spicy foods within a couple of hours of your bedtime. Be careful about caffeine later in the day. Although alcohol may make you feel sleepy, it can disrupt your sleep in the middle of the night.

• Create a restful environment. It’s usually best when your sleeping area is dark, quiet and at a comfortable temperature.

• Limit daytime naps. A nap can be a good thing, but sleeping too much during the day can sometimes make it hard to sleep at night.

• Include some sort of physical activity in your daily routine. This can help to promote better sleep. However, a lot of activity close to bedtime can sometimes be too stimulating.

• Try to resolve worries and concerns before going to bed. Try to work out any disagreement with your spouse or partner. If that can’t be done, write it down and set it aside for the next day. Stress management may be needed if stress or worries are overwhelming.

• If you have trouble sleeping, don’t continue to toss and turn. Get out of bed for a while and do something to calm yourself. Read or listen to soft music.

See a doctor if your sleeping problems happen frequently, especially if there is pain or discomfort involved.

I hope you found some ideas on the self-care a to z list that will benefit you.

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