25+ Ultimate Self Care Weekend Ideas for Unwinding

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Last Updated on May 15, 2023

After a hectic, jam-packed week, it’s more important than ever to prioritize taking care of yourself. If you’re able to find some free time during the weekend, you should definitely take advantage of these ultimate self care weekend ideas!

When’s the last time you did something good for yourself? And because you wanted to, not because you had to? 

If you can find a time to regularly implement self care into your routine, you’ll be well on your way to improving your mental health. 

Studies show that practicing self care includes effects like improved wellbeing, lower mortality, and lower healthcare costs. 

Sounds pretty beneficial, right? Let’s get started on those self care weekend ideas!

This post is all about self care weekend ideas.

What is self-care, really? 

A common misconception is that self-care is all about feel-good, soothing activities, but this isn’t always the case. Many people confuse self-care for self-soothing (see here for information on self-soothing).

And while there is some overlap, self-care involves activities that aren’t always necessarily what you want, but what you need for your physical, emotional, and mental health. 

For example, working out doesn’t always feel good in the moment (and certainly not soothing or comforting), but it promotes physical and mental wellbeing. 

Keeping that in mind, these self care weekend ideas include physical, mental, emotional, and social activities!

Mental Self Care Weekend Ideas

1. Meditate to clear your mind

You’ve probably heard plenty by now about the amazing mental health benefits meditation has on our brains. 

If you don’t really practice meditation, or have maybe never tried, an excellent tool to help you with getting started is the Muse Meditation Headband.

Muse headbands are a multi-sensor meditation device, providing feedback in real-time on your brain activity, heart rate, and breathing. This builds a consistent meditation practice that’s tailored just for you!

You’ll definitely want to check these out if you’re looking to include meditation into your routine.

2. Put on relaxing background music as you go about your day

Writing this out just reminded me to turn on my favorite “Lofi Beats” Spotify playlist. Let this serve as a reminder for you to turn on some relaxing background music too! 

I love searching for keywords like “lofi beats,” “chill vibes,” and “spa” when finding relaxing playlists!

3. Make a vision board

So, what exactly is a vision board? It’s simply printing out photos or making a collage online, with the purpose being to manifest a certain mood, goal, or idea. 

For example, put together a collage of positive photos–people smiling, warm vacation destinations, your favorite foods, cute clothes, bright colors. Whatever feels good for you!

4. Spend some time in silence 

Silence can actually be a good thing. Did you know that noise can have harmful effects on our cognition and mental health?

So take some time to just sit in a quiet room if you can, bask in the lack of noise, and simply relax.

5. Read a book outside 

Instead of reading my books in the living room where I normally do, I decided yesterday that I would lay out on my balcony and read instead. It truly put me in a completely different head space. I highly recommend it!

Need some book recommendations? Here are my latest favorites!

Emotional Self Care Weekend Ideas

6. Start off the weekend with positive affirmations in the morning

This will set the tone for your whole day (and hopefully the whole weekend!) and help you feel your best emotionally.

Remind yourself of your strengths and other qualities that you most like about yourself. Are you capable? Intelligent? Empathetic? Intuitive? Take a moment to appreciate all the good in you! Here are 50+ Daily Positive Affirmations for Motivation and Confidence.

7. Listen to an uplifting podcast

I love to listen to personal development podcasts where I can learn a thing or two while also feeling empowered. 

Find a podcast that helps you learn about yourself through others’ experiences, or anything that inspires personal growth. 

Hey, are you struggling with your mental health? Or just want to get better at tackling life’s daily stressors? Talking to an online therapist can really help you out. It helped me tremendously! I always recommend Online Therapy because it’s a comprehensive, effective online therapy toolkit based on CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy–the leading standard in psychotherapy) at an affordable monthly cost.

8. Do some journaling

Journaling helps reduce anxiety, manage stress, and helps you cope with depression. Journaling lets you clarify your emotions and better understand your thoughts and feelings. 

It is a must for your emotional health! There are so many excellent journal prompts out there, you just gotta get started!

Did you know that I offer a printable mental health journal?

As someone who’s always looking for ways to manage stress, I knew just how important it was to create a resource that will actually help you understand and improve your stress levels and coping habits.

Go check it out and add the printable mental health journal to your self care list!

{RELATED: 60 Journal Prompts for Self Care When You’re Struggling}

9. Do something creative

There are SO many creative outlets to pursue these days. Even if you don’t consider yourself a creative person, there’s something out there for you if you just do some searching!

You can try drawing, painting, dancing, graphic design, coloring…the list goes on!

Adult coloring books are always a good choice when you don’t want to pour a lot of energy or focus into a creative project. Go try one out! 

This City Scapes one really grabs my attention!

10. Enjoy the present moment

We’re so wrapped up in anticipating the future and thinking ahead to what the upcoming week has in store for us. We forget to just take a deep breath and enjoy the present moment!

And especially on the weekend, that’s when we really should be savoring every moment and not stressing over the week ahead!

{RELATED POST: 11 Practical Tips for How to Live in the Present Moment}

Social Self Care Weekend Ideas

11. Unfollow toxic people or anything negative on social media

If you keep finding posts that frustrate you when you scroll through social media, you should probably reevaluate the accounts you follow! 

There’s no need for unnecessary stress, especially in your personal life. Do a social media or contact cleanup and say goodbye to the negativity!

12. Reach out to a friend you haven’t talked to in a while

Remember in middle and high school when we had friends we texted everyday? Well, now life gets in the way and it can be a lot more difficult to maintain tight-knit friendships. 

But since you’re thinking about it now, go ahead and reach out to a friend you miss chatting with. They’ll probably be happy to hear from you!

13. Treat yourself to a little shopping

Don’t break the bank by any means, but splurging a little bit occasionally, whether on a shopping trip alone (or even better, with friends!) isn’t such a bad idea! 

Shopping with your friends is a great way to treat yourself a little and to get some socialization in!

Physical Self Care Weekend Ideas

14. Take a bubble bath

When’s the last time you had a bubble bath? Whenever I hop into a bubble bath, I always think to myself “I need to do this more often!” 

Now this is definitely on the more purely feel-good side of self-care, but it’s so relaxing and always a good idea!

15. Do a face mask

Pairs perfectly with a bubble bath! 

Whether you like to make your own out of ingredients you already have in your house, or (if you’re a little more serious about skin care than me) and like to use real products, face masks are a great way to unwind!

Below is an exfoliating face mask I really like from Target!

16. Do some stretching or yoga

Stretching relieves muscle tightness and improves your range of motion, if done regularly. Very physically beneficial for your self care!

17. Cook your favorite food or bake your favorite dessert

Focusing your energy into something like cooking or baking is always a positive thing. It can feel so rewarding to make and enjoy something you love!

I spontaneously made an apple crisp the other night and I can confirm it was a good choice 😉

18. Work on something you wish you had more time for

If anything on this list will make you feel fulfilled afterward, this is it! We put off so many little projects and hobbies and things we wish we could work on, but never have the time to do.

Make it a point to make time for something you really want to accomplish on the weekend!

19. Paint your nails

Or, get them done at a nail salon if that’s your thing! It’s the little things that can make us feel good and put a little pep in our step. 

20. Take a long shower where you exfoliate, shave, deep condition, etc.

I definitely don’t do this often enough! 95% of my showers are just typical washing, but whenever I go the extra mile to exfoliate everything and shave, it feels like I unlocked a new level of feeling good. 

21. Do a light workout that genuinely feels good

Reserve your self care weekend time for a lighter workout with the goal to feel good–both in body and mind. 

Don’t exert yourself too hard, just push yourself enough to get your endorphins going!

Not sure where to start? Here’s my ultimate exercise routine for boosting mental health.

22. Go for a nature walk

A nature walk is another activity that is so beneficial for both the mind and body. Driving to a nature trail, or even just a nearby woodsy park is the perfect way to clear your mind and connect with the outdoors!

23. Declutter

This can be a room in your house, your desk, or what’s in your phone. Ridding yourself of physical clutter always helps improve your mental state!

I have the perfect checklist to help you declutter and hit the “reset” button on your life each month! Go grab my (free!) monthly reset routine checklist below and let’s create a clean environment for our wellbeing!

24. File away any papers scattered on your desk

If you need help with paper organization, get yourself an accordion file organizer! Getting one of those was such a game changer for me. Here’s the one I have!

25. Take a nap and don’t feel bad about it!

Seriously! I keep feeling like I have no time to take a nap, but we should all make time for a nap here and there without feeling like we’re losing time. I’m always glad I did!

26. Decorate a room in your home

Okay, this might not get accomplished in one weekend. But you can work on it slowly over several weekends. 

Revamping a room in your home can set a completely different vibe. It always makes me feel like I’m taking care of my space. Here are some super trendy modern home decor ideas if you need inspiration for your next revamp!

27. Diffuse essential oils

Having the scent of essential oils dispersed throughout your home is SO relaxing. Essential oils have great benefits for mental health, including potentially improving depressive symptoms.

Below is an A+ essential oil diffuser from Urban Outfitters you should be sure to check out!

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Don’t let another Sunday night roll around, looking back on the weekend and wishing you had done more with it!

Let these self care weekend ideas give you the inspiration to take care of yourself (physically, mentally, socially, and emotionally!). Truly make the most of your weekend. Create new habits now so that you can prioritize doing what’s best for you from here on out.

Take care!

Don’t forget your monthly reset checklist!

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