10 Self-Care Ideas To Boost Your Mental & Emotional Health

If your mental and emotional health could use a pick-me-up, this list of self-care ideas will do the trick.

Symptoms of decline in emotional and mental health can range from anxiety and depression to apathy or total burnout.

While you might not be able to change or control the circumstances that are draining you, you can partake in a few self-care practices that will help you understand and soothe your emotions so you can bounce back re-energized!

Keep reading to learn more about the 10 self-care ideas to try when you need to reset.

10 Self Care Ideas When You’re Emotionally Burnt Out

1. Recite Positive Affirmations

Often, when you’re feeling emotionally drained you feel down on yourself. Even useless at times. Cynical and jaded about seemingly everything. 

Don’t be too hard on yourself! These feelings are common and expected when you’re running on fumes. It’s hard to find any ounce of positivity — something that’s needed in times like these.

So, if you’re having a hard time finding any positivity in your current situation, then work extra hard to inject some into your life. Turning to positive affirmations is a great way to do exactly that. 

Create a list of positive mantras to look at every day. Use this list of mantras to get started or explore the affirmation cards below. The little act of repeating an uplifting phrase can help you think more positively throughout your day! 

2. Take a Relaxing Bath

Having a relaxing bath after a particularly difficult day is a great self-care idea. When you’re feeling burnt out, it’s common to feel very overwhelmed about everything.

A long, soothing bath where you can just relax and breathe is a hugely beneficial act of self-care. 

Baths are especially comforting because they mimic the womb: warm, safe, and tucked away from the chaos and demands of the busy world right outside. Add a relaxing cup of tea, a favorite read, and some bubbles to add the luxury of your mental and physical getaway.

If you can, leave your phone outside the bathroom so you don’t get sucked into consuming mindless content on your screen.

3. Revisit Your Inner Creative

Intentionally seeking out creativity is a healing self-care idea when you’re feeling drained. You can do this by practicing a favorite craft or exploring a new one.

The goal is to bring yourself into a centered, grounded state of being. Creative outlets can naturally help do this, as they’re also an active form of meditation (think painting, where you can just zone out and focus on the colors you’re working with).

Even if you’re trying something brand new, try to abandon perfectionism and your inner critic. This should be an enjoyable activity, free from judgment, that puts you at ease.

4. Learn How To Meditate

Discovering more stillness and quiet through meditation can restore your energy faster than you might think.

So, following a guided or self-managed meditation practice is one of the best self-care ideas when you feel particularly overwhelmed.

Meditation is also known for decreasing anxiety naturally. A fulfilling meditation session will help you relax, breathe, and get in tune with yourself. Set aside 10 minutes a day to sit with self and you’ll likely see a big shift in your energy within the week.

Get tips for meditation starters in the book below.

5. Write in a Journal

Journaling is a tried-and-true practice that can help you work through your emotions, process your feelings, and purge everything that weighs you down onto a few pages.

Whether done as needed or as part of a daily routine, journaling can be a healing, cathartic experience.

It’s also a nice way to honor your vulnerability: by providing a safe, non-judgmental place where you can share anything that comes to your mind.

If you’re stumped and not comfortable freewriting, start by making a list of everything that’s been negatively impacting you lately (rage on a page).

Then, follow up with a gratitude list and incorporate some of your positive affirmations.

6. Get In Touch With Nature

There’s a reason poets for centuries have talked about the beauty of nature and how inspiring nature is: it’s a wonderful, healing escape. And it’s completely free and accessible to you at any time.

Make an effort to spend more mindful time (no podcasts or screens to distract you) outside. Discover new picnic spots, dog parks, or short hikes nearby. Getting outside more often throughout your day or week is shown to have a positive impact on your mental health.

If you’re going to practice any of the self-care ideas on this list, it really should be this one. Plus, the extra vitamin D will do your mind and body good.

Pay attention to your surroundings — the birds, the clouds, the squirrels running around.

Be present, mindful, and open to all the beauty around you! 

7. Move Your Body

Moving around and being active is likely not highest on your list of things to do when you’re feeling tapped out.

But that endorphin high is worth chasing because it works.

You don’t have to do anything too crazy or outside of your comfort zone to benefit from movement. You don’t even have to break a sweat if you’re not feeling it.

Start with short ten-minute walks, or easy yoga videos online. Regularly exercising can help combat anxiety and depression, as it helps release those precious, high-inducing endorphins.

A few hours of body movement a week is a good commitment to aim for. Be easy on yourself, the goal is to destress, not make life more stressful.

8. Dive Into Introspection

While reading on its own can be a blissful escape when you’re feeling low, finding the right books can really change your outlook on your life and your future.

Update your nightstand or desk with books that reinforce a grounded existence and help you align with your true center.

Some of the best books are those that can be ready slowly over time, with every page packed with inspiration and motivation to learn more about yourself.

Try to set aside 10-15 minutes a day as part of your morning or bedtime routine to read as a way to decompress and get closer to you.

9. Feel What You Need to Feel

If you’re feeling drained, pay attention to that feeling. Rather than suppressing your emotions, acknowledge them, as dismissing them often just exacerbates feelings of anxiety and stress.

Allow yourself the space to feel what you need to feel. Consider dedicating time at the end of each day to unwind and navigate your emotions.

This self-care idea should be achievable as it allows you to incorporate the other suggestions on this list.

The guides and workbooks in the Female Mind Unleashed Shop will help you unpack some of your baggage so you can focus on a positive, bright future ahead!

10. Practice Mindful Breathing

You might’ve noticed that many of these self-care ideas call for you to breathe.

Breathing deeply and meaningfully is something so small, yet so beneficial.

There are many breathing exercises you can do to help fight feelings of anxiety, stress, or depression. Start by just taking time out of your day to breathe deeply for about five to ten minutes. 

There’s a reason why breathing exercises are recommended when people are feeling stressed: they work!

So, if you’re feeling burnt out, conscious and deep breathing for a few moments every single day will help.

In Conclusion

There are many self-care ideas you can try to help feelings of unease, anxiety, and stress. The first step is to commit to yourself and try the practices above.

You can also prevent yourself by slipping back into a state of emotional burn out by keeping a lookout for the warning signs that you’re skipping self-care.

Once you make yourself a priority, you’ll find it easier to create positive habits that help you destress and unwind. 

You’re worth the time investment and commitment!