Welcome to Part 3 of this series on self-care for the heart, soul, mind, and strength:
Part 1 – 25 Self-care Ideas for the Heart: for singles, widows, married people, and everyone
Part 2 – 25 Self-care Ideas for the Soul: for students, ministry people, and everyone
Part 3 – 25 Self-care Ideas for the Mind: for intellectual and mental health (below)
Part 4 – to come next week!
There are plenty of options for the mind below: some free, some not; some apparent opposites because for some of us self-care might mean taking a screen sabbath, and for others of us self-care might mean learning to use our screens more effectively.
The most surprising entry on the list might be “Take a leadership role,” which emerged from one group discussion on self-care. I hadn’t thought of that before as a form of self-care for the mind, but it immediately made sense to me, because taking a leadership role might well include changing your routine, reading, and learning something new. These appear separately on the list below, but taking a leadership role combines them in a beautiful way.
What does self-care for the mind mean to you? If you have an idea to add, please feel free to leave it in the comments below.
25 Self-care Ideas for the Mind
- Remove disruptive notifications from your phone
- Add helpful apps to your phone
- Take a screen sabbath
- Browse new books in the library
- Browse old books at a used bookstore
- Set up a free library
- Listen to a podcast/radio show
- Reconcile your bank statement
- Read one chapter of a book
- Read the newspaper
- Do a crossword puzzle
- Do a jigsaw puzzle
- Do Sudoku or KenKen
- Do something imperfectly
- Watch a documentary movie
- Learn something new
- Take a class
- Daydream
- Practice single-tasking
- Slow down
- Change your routine
- Turn negative thoughts into positive ones
- Start or join a writing group
- Remember, record, and share family stories
- Take a leadership role
Helpful Related Links
Brain Dump Exercise for Psychological Self-care
Psychological self care caters to your mind; your mental health. It involves activities that help you keep a clear head and a positive mindset, and work to decrease stress. So doing a brain dump exercise is a perfect tool for psychological self care.
This blog series is based on my book—information, links to purchase, endorsements, and free study guide available here: Four Gifts: Seeking Self-Care for Heart, Soul, Mind, and Strength.
Writing/Reflection Prompt
What self-care ideas for the mind can you add to this list?
