Free Printable Weekly Self-Care Checklist {Customizable}
A weekly self-care checklist is a super handy way to make sure you are taking better care of yourself on a daily basis! This checklist will keep you on track and motivated to start and continue healthy habits. With these checklists (digital download), you can track your self-care activities daily, weekly, and monthly–you’ll also get 30 simple self-care ideas to get you started!
Easily make self-care part of your daily routine!
Download the weekly and monthly printable self-care checklist (PDF format) and get on your way to taking care of YOU! Bonus: 30 simple self-care ideas!
The importance of self care
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, self-care is:
“ …taking the time to do things that help you live well and improve both your physical health and mental health.”
It sounds easy, doesn’t it? But with our busy schedules and high stress levels, it can be so difficult to establish healthy habits.
We put so much into our work, our families, and a zillion other things, and it leaves little time to take care of US. Establishing a self-care routine is a great way to get us out of this rut and allow us to take care of our own needs…even if it’s just a LITTLE each day (or week!).
Types of self-care
There are many different types of self care, but here are the main ones:
Physical: When I think of physical self care, I think of the cliche doctors say about how to stay healthy and live a long life: “Eat healthy and exercise.”
It’s SO freaking simple, but TRUE, isn’t it?!! It’s incredible how difficult these two things are!! At LEAST one physical self-care activity should be on your list every single day.
These activities can include: exercising, taking a walk to get fresh air, taking a yoga class, prepping healthy lunches, stretching, trying a new healthy recipe, or even wearing sunscreen!
Getting enough sleep is also a huge part of how our body operates physically, so don’t forget that one! You might not be able to get the recommended 8 hours of sleep per night and that’s OK. Start with trying to go to bed one hour earlier or sleeping in a bit one day if you can.
Emotional: Emotional self-care is a bit more difficult to pinpoint, but it has to do with balancing and regulating your emotional health and emotional well-being (AKA: regulating stress!). This can be done through different, often creative-type activities. These would be things like journaling, yoga, doing a calming craft, reading, calming breathing techniques (taking deep breaths), or even taking a bubble bath.
Social: Even if you are an introvert, social connection is a super important part of self-care. This doesn’t have to mean big parties or forcing yourself to attend an uncomfortable social event.
Taking care of your social well-being can be as simple as calling a friend/relative, writing a letter or note to someone, catching up with a friend over text or email, or spending time with your family. How you do it doesn’t matter. The most important thing is that you maintain connections and relationships in your life.
It can ALSO mean taking a break from social media! This can affect your emotional health as well!
30 Self-Care Ideas
In order to start incorporating self-care into your daily life, the first thing you need are some ideas. Below I have listed 30 ideas to get you started, but there is a space to add your own ideas, too!
You can download the printable PDF here. Or feel free to Pin this to Pinterest for later (Pin It button is on the top left of the photo when you hover over it)!
What is a self-care checklist?
Once you have your self-care ideas, a checklist will just give you a good visual reminder to stay on track and establish a consistent self-care routine.
How to use this weekly self-care checklist
- Print: Print out the weekly self-care checklist (download and print here).
- Decide: Decide on 3-6 self-care behaviors you want to start practicing. They can be daily or weekly behaviors.
- Write: Write them down on the weekly self care checklist. Put a W for weekly behavior and a D for daily behavior.
- Check off: Every time you practice your self-care activity, check it off! See if you can be consistent for one whole week in your daily habits!
You can use the monthly tracker to check off each day you did AT LEAST ONE self-care activity.
For best results, post your self-care checklist in plain sight and somewhere easy to see. You can even laminate it and use a dry-erase marker to check off your completed tasks at the end of each day.
Tips for creating a self-care plan
- Choose activities you enjoy: If you hate running, DON’T choose that for your exercise. If you find activities you actually enjoy, you are MUCH more likely to stick with it!
- Start small: Don’t try to do toooo much at first. Start with 3 small things…and they don’t all have to be DAILY activities. For example: Take a yoga class 1x/week. You can gradually add!
- Don’t be afraid to step outside your comfort zone: Try something new! For the longest time, I thought yoga was NOT my thing! But then I tried a class for a few weeks (stuck with it!) and now I love it!
- Be flexible and give yourself grace: Life isn’t perfect. Things happen. If you don’t get to an activity, that’s OK. Just keep trying to get better every day.
- Celebrate your success: Checked off all your boxes for the week? Celebrate! Take the time to acknowledge your progress and celebrate even small wins. This will help you stay motivated!
I hope this printable self care checklist gives you a solid starting point in your self-care journey. Play around with what works for you and don’t expect it to be perfect the first time. Reevaluate at the end of the week or month and see what’s working for you and what’s not. Never be afraid to try new things, too…even if it’s a little outside your comfort zone!
