13 Daily Self-Care Habits That Help Me Stay Sane and Grounded Every Day
Staying sane and grounded can be difficult, but fortunately, some daily self-care habits can make life more simple .
Life is messy. Chaotic. Overwhelming. And some days, just existing feels like a struggle. I’ve learned that when I don’t invest time in grounding self-care practices, I get knocked off balance far too easily.
Over the years, I’ve collected little daily self-care habits and hacks that help me stay sane and grounded, and on which I can always rely on. No matter what happens in my life.
The activities listed below aren’t big or expensive activities. They’re just simple daily self-care habits that help make my life better in small ways.
If you’ve been feeling scattered, overwhelmed, disenchanted with life, or just out of touch with yourself, maybe one or two of these simple daily self-care habits could help you stay sane and grounded too.
1. My Nighttime Routine (Quiet, Slow, and Screen-Free)
My main daily self-care habit is my bedtime routine. A slow nighttime routine is how I counterbalance all the rush and chaos of life.
Evenings are my quiet time. I always try my best to keep them as slow and soothing as possible, especially after a particularly rough or taxing day. I turn off all screens. No notifications, no endless scrolling, no additional stress (as much as I can control it, at least). Just a full digital detox at the end of the day and quiet time to nurture myself.
Then I do something soothing and slow. The focus being on slow, to balance the stress and rush of the day. Sometimes that means making myself a hot chocolate, with a soft playlist in the background, then maybe a bit of reading, or simply sitting in silence and letting myself be. This way I’m slowing down, the world outside gets muted, and I can finally relax and unclench.
And by the time I go to bed, my mind is no longer wired, and I sleep much better and wake up feeling more well-rested.
If you’re interested in creating an evening routine: 5 Simple Steps For A Calming Bedtime Self-Care Routine
2. Writing
I like to write, especially as a nighttime ritual. Sometimes it’s going to be a reflection of my day, sometimes it’s going to be things I’ve discovered, or just whatever’s floating around in my head that I feel like getting out. And I always do it by hand.
I don’t know if it’s just me, but pen to paper feels different than typing; it’s more intimate, sensorial, and it makes me feel like I literally get my thoughts out of my head in a physical way.
Writing also helps me feel more connected to myself, balanced, and in tune with what’s going on under the surface that I don’t notice or pay attention to until I sit down and take the time to reflect and write it down.
3. Slow Reading
Slow reading is such an underrated activity!
If you’re a reader, you’ve probably noticed how most of the online book communities revolve about how many books you read, how many a month or a year, reading challenges, etc…
It’s all metric. Number-based. As if it’s a competition to see how much you can manage. The focus is very much on how much…instead of how deep and how well.
But more doesn’t mean better.
I dived headfirst into this years ago. Then I noticed that my enjoyment decreased, and pressure increased. Reading became more a performance than an experience to savour.
This approach sucked all my joy from reading. So I took a step back and slowed down. Instead of trying to read many books, I focused instead on being deliberately slow with a few. Reading more deeply and attentively.
With slow reading, all my joy and pleasure rushed back in. I also noticed how my retention of information increased, my immersion, how better my brain felt when I set my book down. Calmer and settled, as if it’d gotten a luxurious brain massage.
Now I simply focus on my enjoyment of my current book. No numbered list. No reading challenges. No rushing. I don’t know how much I’ve read this year, and I don’t care. But the books I’ve read, I’ve been one hundred percent engaged with.
Less books but more attention and enjoyment.
4. Reading Middle-Grade Books
Yes, this one has to do with reading as well, but it focuses on a different point so it deserves its own mention.
I know many people sneer at middle grade books, and they’re missing out. So much. There’s a particular joy in reading these stories that is hard to find anywhere else.
Middle grade books can be hugs for the soul. They are perfect to add whimsy and awe and heartwarming stories to your life. They remind you that life can be charming and magical, even when everything feels heavy and difficult.
Childlike wonder is one of life’s more precious treasures, and middle grade books are a fantastic way to cultivate it and keep it alive.
And if you sneer at middle grade books, please reconsider. These books can be just as rich and enriching as other genres, and many of them are written with so much kindness and hope.
A good middle-grade can kindle a joy for living, a curiosity, and a way to look at life again with pure childlike enchantment and wonder.
5. Jump Rope
Jump rope has been transformative for me.
I’ve been jumping rope for years now, and honestly? It’s my forever favorite self-care hack. I wouldn’t change it for anything else in the world. I can always count on my trust rope. Always. Whenever I’m feeling down, need an energy boost, want to have some fun or just challenge myself.
In need of a focus boost? Jump rope. Feeling down? Jump rope. Not feeling good about myself? Well you guessed it – jump rope again!
It is fun. It is free. It is accessible. You can jump almost anywhere. It’s great cardio, good for the heart, good for the lungs, great for the mind. Kind to the joints too! You can even bring your rope with you on vacations.
If you’re looking for a fun physical activity, then I really recommend that you give jump rope a try. And it’s cheap! You only need a rope (there are really cheap ones out there) and a pair of sneakers – so you don’t injure your feet. That’s it. Nothing else.
6. Embracing Yourself
This is the most important life lesson I’ve learned: Your life doesn’t have to make sense to other people. It has to make sense to you. And so does your happiness. So don’t try to please other people. Embrace yourself instead.
It’s not always easy to stop pleasing everyone and start embracing who you are – sometimes people won’t get it. But the happiness and freedom is one hundred percent worth it.
When you embrace who you are – things improve. It opens a door to a greater opportunity for happiness and joy. Fully embracing who you are is more liberating and rewarding and fulfilling than anything else in life. And in my experience, being authentic also fills the inner void and creates a sense of inner harmony – as if things are finally the way they’re supposed to be.
If you look around, the most interesting people are often those who fully incarnate their own uniqueness. They stand out. As if there’s an art about being yourself and they’ve mastered it.
Yes, some people won’t get it, won’t understand, and won’t even try. Some might even be downright unpleasant about it. But it is a small price to pay for how liberating it is to live a life that makes sense to you. It’s also an effective way to recognise the toxic people in your life.
Remember, you’re the one living your life, not them.
7. Daily Small Joys
Daily small joys are lifesavers.
It’s crucial to make time for small joys every single day. It is! This is one of the most essential daily self-care habits to keep enjoying living life.
Tiny pleasures should never be optional. Simple life enjoyment is essential to live a happy life, and small joys are how you do it. And as the name implies, these are small joys I’m talking about, not grand gestures or big purchases.
Small joys are great because they’re small and thus easy to sneak into everyday life. It can be a favorite coffee, or drinking from a favourite mug, a song you keep replaying, or a moment sitting on a bench in the sunlight, or reading in bed while it’s pouring outside — these small happy moments are key to balancing out the difficulties of life.
And with these small daily joys, you always have something nice to look forward to! Who doesn’t like that?
8. Early Morning Walks
Early morning is my favourite time to be in the world, when everything is still quiet and serene.
Whenever I can, I go out for an early walk, and sometimes with the intention to look for interesting things: shapes in the clouds, the way the early light hits the buildings, pretty birds and flowers, just some tiny details I might otherwise miss if I wasn’t looking. My inner child likes to see this as a quiet kind of treasure hunt before the day begins.
This is a great way to notice the world around you. Yes, things can feel ugly, and some are. But not all of them! All the onslaught of constant terrible news gives us a depressing view of life, but life is still beautiful. People are still being kind, flowers are still blooming, clouds are still forming lovely shapes, birds are still singing in the morning.
Life can still be beautiful and magical if you look for it.
9. Listening to My Needs
We should always listen to our needs. Ignoring them is always a bad idea.
I know that if I ignore my needs, I know I’ll pay the price later – every single time. I learned this the hard way from unpleasant experiences.
So now that I’ve learned my lesson, I make sure to check in with myself often, especially when I’ve been busy and put myself on the back burner. Am I tired? Hungry? Overstimulated? Needing movement? Am I growing snappy? Do I need some quiet, slow time to nurture myself and recharge?
And then I actually do something about it. Better than burning out.
It’s always better to invest in the time now, rather than later when things will be more dire.
10. Silencing the Outside World
The world is so loud nowadays that silence has become a luxury. Especially inner silence.
I have to make an effort to actively silence the outside world. Both outside and within. Because whenever I don’t, I feel it right away, the endless background noise of constant chatter in my head. People’s opinions about things that don’t even necessarily matter.
So I turn off screens and phone, and take some time to slow down. This is the best way I’ve found to really avoid being swept away too often by all that is happening outside, as well as re-center with myself.
What I’ve noticed is that when I stop all the internet noise and online chatter, my mind quietens too, and I hear myself again. When I shush the outside world, I get my inner voice back, which I easily lose in all the constant noise.
Inner voices are a murmur in a shouting world.
And I need silence and stillness to hear mine properly. When the small voice gets clear again, this is when I know what I actually want, and I am not just being influenced by the outside world. (I’m always surprised at the gaping chasm between both. Between what I think I want vs what I really want.)
I don’t know if this is just me – so please, if you have any thoughts or experience about this, share them in the comment below, I’m really curious about this. I’ve talked about this with other people and most seem to agree with this, and I’m curious if this is the case for anyone else.
11. Exploring New Things
Exploration is important for life to remain fresh and fun and surprising. To stay inspired by the wonderful experience that is living.
Years ago, I read a post on Tumblr about how humans are not zoo animals, and this stuck with me ever since. I never forgot about it, and it shifted my whole approach to life in the most helpful and inspiring manner.
Because this is true: we are not meant to be zoo animals.
If I get restless, bored, numb because I’ve been stuck doing the same things, I’ll stop. I’ll think of myself as an animal that needs enrichment. And enrich myself.
I will try new hobbies, new foods, new places, new ideas even… All of these keep life from feeling like a cage, and are fantastic to add joy and fun, as well as cultivate a sense of curiosity and wonder for all the wonderful things around us.
12. Treating Time Like Currency
Time is the most precious resource we have. More so, even, than money. (Yes, I am one hundred percent serious about this. I know money is essential – but time is an even more limited resource.)
If you think about it, if you lose or waste money, you can always get it back (even if it might be difficult). But time? All the time you lose or waste is time you can never get back. No matter what you do and try. This has been a huge, world-altering realization for me.
Now I treat time as the invaluable currency that it is.
I try to spend it where it actually matters (just as I would with money). If I wouldn’t value the time or memory later, or what I gain from this experience, I probably shouldn’t be giving it my time now.
This has changed my life in the most amazing way. No exaggeration here. It has elevated all my social interactions and my general life experience, because I’ve been spending time on things that matters to me, way more than I used to before I started approaching time as a resource.
Ask yourself:
Would you pay for this? Would it be worth your money? You’re paying with your time – of which you only have a limited quantity that you can never replenish. Everyday it dwindles. So better spend it on what actually matters to you.
13. Breaking the Binge-Watching Habit
I used to watch whole seasons in a weekend (I mean, who hasn’t?) But I rarely gained anything from it except mindless, empty distraction.
Now, I make it a slow-watching experience instead. I take it slow and pace myself — no more than one episode a day, two at most. I rarely go for more, even when I’m left on the edge of my seat. Especially then.
Pacing myself this way brings back the anticipation and the excitement. Waiting also makes the watching experience itself feel richer. And what I’m watching stays with me for a longer period of time, as it has time to really sink in.
What I binge-watched rarely stuck with me once I was done with it, maybe for the next day but rarely beyond that. Why? Because there was already something else to watch demanding my attention. And the lack of time between episodes didn’t allow for much analysis and thinking about what I just watched.
I like to see it as an investment of attention and intention. And just like slow reading did, slow watching brought back the full enjoyment of the experience. Not just a mindless distraction, but something I’m intentionally spending my time and attention on.
Final Thoughts on Staying Sane and Grounded
Life is a constant race nowadays, and staying sane and grounded gets difficult. But why are we racing for exactly?
Life is here and now, not later. So it’s important we find ways to slow down and enjoy life. When you do, you notice more things, you become present and live more.
You stop thinking about later, or rushing. Instead, you live in the present moment, and all these daily self-care habits are simple yet effective tools for this.
These daily self-care habits don’t make life perfect – but they help me stay sane and grounded, and not get disenchanted with life, which is just as important.
So that’s it about the daily self-care habits that help me stay sane and grounded.
I hope you’ve found at least one interesting idea in all of these.
Do you have any self-care habit that helps you stay sane and grounded, and not knocked off-balance by life? If so, please don’t hesitate to share it in the comment below.
For more self-care ideas and tips, you can check out this guide How To Create The Perfect Self-Care Plan In 7 Easy Steps as well as The 7 Self-Care Pillars: A complete Guide and Checklist and Top 10 Common Self-Care Mistakes And How To Avoid Them to help you navigate self-care as easily and smoothly as possible.
And remember: be kind and gentle with yourself. Life might get messy and difficult, but supporting yourself when it does is essential. So give yourself a big hug, be patient, and remind yourself that whatever is happening, you’ve got this!