25 Self-Care Weekend Ideas To Try + Free Self-Care Checklist

How to have the ultimate self-care weekend – 25 ideas you’ll love

You’ve had a stressful, long week at work. Even just thinking about the following week makes you feel dread to repeat the cycle all over again.

That’s why it’s so important to incorporate self-care into your routine because it can prevent burn out and actually make life a lot more manageable.

These self-care weekend ideas will inspire you to feel rejuvenated, instead of dreading your days. It’s time to start prioritizing yourself, so that you can prioritize other areas of your life.

Ready to start prioritizing yourself and stop the cycle of stress and burnout? These self-care ideas will help you get started!

What is self-care & common misconceptions

Self-care is the act of taking care of your mind, body, and soul with kindness, care, and love.

There are several common misconceptions about self-care. Often times, when we hear the word ‘self care,’ we might think about pamper activities like putting on a facial mask, giving ourselves a bubble bath, or putting cucumbers on our eyes, lol.

Let me just be clear that there is absolutely nothing wrong with pampering. Although, I think Hollywood movies and social media have portrayed this as the ideal way of self-care.

Another misconception is that self-care is selfish and self-focused. It’s important to note that self-care, if anything, is not selfish at all.

By taking care of yourself, you will eventually have more of a mental and physical capacity to take care of others. For example, if you’re stressed and burnt out from work, it’d be draining and difficult to give your time and energy to help others.

But if you practice self-care, you’ll know how to handle stress and prevent burn out, which will enable you to intentionally serve your community better.

So with that said, self-care is not selfish. And it certainly isn’t just about pampering yourself. In this post, I’ll share with you many ways to practice self-care for your mind, body, and soul.

How often should you self-care?

Although this post is about self-care weekend ideas, the goal eventually is to able to practice self-care throughout your week.

There is no right and wrong way to practice self-care. You could implement a few self-care activities throughout the week, and see how that feels for you.

Eventually, you could build a self-care routine that works for you. So to answer the question, I’d recommend at least doing 1-2 self-care activities every week.

Self-care Ideas for Your Mind

1. Give yourself a mindfulness break

A mindfulness break is a perfect way to relieve stress, anxiety, and overwhelm. You might be wondering what a mindfulness break even looks like?

Basically, a mindfulness break can be anything that positively re-energizes your mind by taking a simple break!

Whether you only have 5 minutes or an hour during your day, here are some mindfulness break ideas you can do at anytime:

Let out a loud sigh (like literally say AHHHH and let it out)
Watch the stars
Sit in the sun
Sing
Play an instrument
Dance to a song
Smile at yourself in the mirror
Take photos
Stretch
Hang out with your pet (if you have one)
Listen to the radio

2. Write in a journal

I used to journal so much as a kid, and fast forward to college, I rarely did. It wasn’t until last year when I started picking up the habit of journaling again, and I forgot how stress relieving it was.

Journaling has been such an essential part of my morning routine. As someone who overthinks a LOT, I need a way to get my thoughts out, so I basically ‘brain dump’ in my journal.

It’s a great way to give your mental health a boost. So if you’re not really sure where to start, here are some great journaling prompts to get your thoughts turning!

3. Take a break from social media

Honestly, we all could use a social media break at times. I know that it’s so easy for me to go through a rabbit hole of watching Tiktok videos and Instagram reels.

Mental health experts have shown that social media can also negatively impact our self-esteem and mental state if we’re not careful with how much we’re consuming.

So why not take a break this weekend to focus on yourself, instead of seeing what everybody is up to! It’s seriously a healthy way to give your mind a break.

4. Do a self-compassion activity

Are you going through a rough time with your mental health right now? Is your inner critic louder than usual? I know how it feels.

Whenever I’m really in my head, I start to feel super stressed and get frustrated at myself. It’s no fun.

That’s why I created this post about helpful self-compassion activities you can do to quiet your inner critic.

These ideas and activities are literally what I personally do to work through my negative thoughts when they just seem to be so loud.

5. Dance to your favorite music

Jam out to your favorite music! Research has actually shown that dancing has so many benefits for your mental health (I’m talking about 20 benefits just by dancing).

So pull out your favorite Spotify playlist and move your body!

Dance like nobody’s watching and most of all, have fun.

6. Light a candle

Spending the night in? Light this lavender-scented candle and spend the night chilling in bed.

A relaxing self-care day could look like cozying up in bed and reading your favorite book with a scented candle!

7. Draw or paint

Do you like to draw or paint, but you just never really had the chance to do so? If you used to draw and paint as a kid, this is a perfect opportunity to pick up a paintbrush or color pencil and start doodling away!

Check out this beautiful drawing kit. Or if you want to paint, you’ll love this painting set.

Let your inner child color and paint away!

8. Go to the beach

I don’t know about you but there’s something so calming about sitting at the beach.

It’s such a therapeutic activity, and to be honest, I wish I lived closer to the beach. I would be going everyday if so, lol.

If you’ve been craving to just get out of your house, I’d suggest taking a drive to the beach and just spend time there. You won’t regret it.

9. Call a friend

Has it been a while since you’ve caught up with a friend? This is the perfect time to call them up and ask how they’re doing.

Human connection is so important, and sometimes, we might think we’re better off just doing our own thing. I know I’ve been guilty of thinking that.

But calling a friend or loved one can actually boost your mood and relieve your anxiety. It’d be a great self-care idea to schedule in for your weekend.

10. Tidy up your place

Raise your hand if your room is a mess. I would totally raise my hand if I wasn’t typing this, lol.

Do you ever just wait until your clothes start to pile up on the bathroom counter or dishes start to fill up in the kitchen sink… and that’s when you realize ‘dang, I need to clean.’

Yep, that’s literally me, haha. That’s why I find that self-care also looks like tidying and cleaning up your place.

By doing so, you’re also cleaning up your mental space. The more cluttered our environment looks, the more we feel mentally cluttered. Crazy how the mind works, but it’s true.

So go clean your room!

11. Watch the sunrise or sunset

I’m more of a sunset type of girl, haha. Buttt if you’re a super early riser, why not catch the sunrise and go out for a walk?

Chances are you’ll be amazed by just how beautiful and calming it is to spend your mornings and evenings outdoors.

So if you’ve been finding yourself cooped up in your house more often than not, decide to watch the sunrise or sunset tomorrow!

Self-care Ideas for Your Body

12. Go for an outdoor walk

Outdoor walks are my FAVORITE. I make it a goal to go outside to walk on the daily. Honestly, if walking outdoors was a job, I’d take it asap, lol.

It’s just such a therapeutic activity. Maybe I’m biased because I’m from SoCal, and the only unbearable weather is the summer heat.

But girls, trust me, going on a nature walk is so good for your body. It doesn’t have to be an hour – it could literally be 10 minutes. It’s a great, free self-care idea!

13. Do some light stretching

Stretching not only improves your flexibility, but it also just makes daily life activities easier.

I’m trying to stretch more since I have scoliosis, which has been a real pain, not gonna lie.

I’ve been having to push myself to do cool down stretches after my workouts because I used to skip them. Now, I’ve learned the hard way, lol. So I make it a point to stretch after every workout.

It’s interesting, but since I’ve been stretching a lot lately, I feel like my body can sense that it’s being taken care of. Stretching can definitely be an act of self-care!

14. Hike on a nature trail

Aside from an outdoor walk, why not hike along a beautiful nature trail?

Find the closest one or a challenging one (whichever your preference), and just have fun with it!

Invite a hiking buddy with you or go solo hiking! I promise you won’t regret taking care of your body by staying active.

15. Drink more water

A great way to practice self-care as well is also to stay hydrated… meaning drink more water!!

If you find yourself having a hard time drinking water, set a goal for yourself.

I love using this 64 oz water bottle that keeps me hydrated all day long. I also love that it has line marks to keep me motivated and determined to reach my water goal.

PSSST…want a free self-care checklist?

get your free self-care checklist here!

16. Visit a park

Have you been wanting to visit a park? Check to see if there’s any nearby parks around you, and go take a stroll there!

Better yet, invite a friend and have a picnic or walk around and admire the peace and quiet.

17. Make a delicious recipe

One of the best self-care weekend ideas is making food that you love, lol (at least for me). I’m definitely not the best cook or baker, but if you give me a yummy recipe to follow, you bet I’ll get straight to it.

If you haven’t taken time lately to yourself to just enjoy the process of cooking and baking, then take this weekend to just have fun!

Find a delicious recipe that ‘speaks’ to you and enjoy the outcome, haha.

18. Take an active rest day

Are you pushing yourself too hard, lately? Sometimes, the best thing we can do to practice self-care towards our body is taking an active rest day.

Our bodies are actually really intuitive and can alert us when we are pushing ourselves too hard. It can look like feeling tired, stressed, tense, or just plain exhausted.

Often times, we tend to neglect the signals our bodies are sending to us. Instead, we ignore them and try to push ourselves to keep going, even though we’re really low on energy.

So spend the day just relaxing by taking a short walk, getting a massage, or taking an afternoon nap.

Self-care Ideas for Your Soul

19. Go out for coffee

I don’t know why I put this down because I literally go almost everyday (oops), haha. Buttt if you don’t really go out for coffee, then treat yourself to a cute coffee shop date!

The best thing about going out to coffee is finding a really aesthetic coffee shop that just makes the whole environment such a vibe.

20. Do a puzzle

Ah, making puzzles is such a great self-care idea for your soul! It really gets my inner child to come out because I used to build puzzles so much as a kid.

I think puzzles are such a great way to bond with friends and also just have fun by yourself.

Check out this awesome 1000 piece fantasy puzzle. Even just talking about puzzles makes me want to start one right now!

21. Create a bucket list

Are you a fan of creating lists? If yes, why not create a bucket list!!

There’s so many bucket list ideas that you could make. You could create a ‘things I want to do before I turn ___’ or ‘my ultimate bucket list.’

If you want more inspiration and ideas, check out my summer bucket list ideas post, that has 80 amazing ideas you’ll love!

22. Order your favorite takeout food

Have a favorite takeout place that you’ve been missing? Treat yourself to it this weekend!

Self-care doesn’t have to look like going out all the time. It can also look like chilling at home, in your bed, and eating the best takeout food.

23. Take yourself on a solo date

When’s the last time you took yourself on a solo date? I know solo dates can be pretty intimidating for some, especially if you’ve never really done it before.

But there’s also something so exhilarating and fun about taking yourself on a date. It’s an act of self-care and self-love that reminds us that we can enjoy and be comfortable by ourselves.

Maybe a solo date looks like grabbing breakfast, going to the bookstore, or watching a movie at the theaters. Have fun!

24. Have a cozy movie night

Who doesn’t love an indoor movie night, snuggled up on your couch and eating a yummy snack?!

When I think about movie nights, I always think about doing a Harry Potter movie marathon. Although that’d definitely lead to an all-nighter (or maybe an entire day), lol.

Find a movie that you’ve been wanting to watch or re-watch, put on those pjs, and have a good time!

25. Let your inner child have fun

A great self-care activity is letting your inner child have fun. What do I mean by that?

Well, ask yourself what does your inner child want to do this weekend. By listening to what you truly want to do, you’re reconnecting with your inner child which sometimes we often neglect going into adulthood.

Does your inner child want to have fun at the park and go on the swings? Then go do that!

Or maybe your inner child wants to get a little creative and do some rainbow art!

Remember, self-care can look different for everyone, and there is no right and wrong. The most important aspect of self-care is to treat yourself with kindness and love!

Wait! Before you go, don’t forget your free printable self-care checklist!

Final thoughts about self-care weekend ideas

That wraps up this post about self-care weekend ideas!

You deserve to treat yourself with love, kindness, and care.

I hope you enjoyed reading this post and found it insightful and helpful. I really hope that this weekend… you can take one of these ideas and apply it to your self-care routine!

Get inspired and most of all, enjoy the journey of self-care.

Before you go, let me know in the comments below which self-care idea you would like to try this weekend!! I’d love to know!