I Tried 4 Popular Self-Care Ideas: Here’s What Helped
July 10, 2025
What is Self-care?
Self-care can support your mental and physical health, supporting you in grounding, creative expression, and processing feelings and events such as stress or anxiety.
Every time I scroll social media, I see endless self-care recommendations. As someone who is interested in taking proactive steps to take better care of myself and supporting my wellbeing, this got me thinking: are they actually helpful, or are they just trendy posts that look good in a reel?
To find out, I decided to try four popular self-care practices I have seen online: getting morning sunlight, taking social media breaks, practising yoga, and exploring creative outlets. Here’s how it went, and what I honestly thought about each one. Before reading, it is also important to note that I did not complete all of these practices simultaneously or within the same period.
Morning Sunlight
Why do people recommend getting outside in the morning? Is there a real benefit to it?
The Research
We’ve all heard that getting a little sunshine in the morning is good for us, but what’s the science behind it? Research has found that sun exposure can increase happiness, suggesting it would be a great self-care practice. Sunlight helps your body produce serotonin, which is an important chemical that helps regulate mood, and can improve your sleep patterns by regulating your circadian rhythm.
My Experience
As someone who would rather stay inside than go outside, I knew this was the one I would struggle to implement the most. To make it easier, I didn’t make any huge changes, spending time outside with breakfast or by a window on hotter days. Here’s how it went:
Day 1: I had breakfast outside with no technology. I found this really peaceful, and enjoyed it more than I thought I would! It helped clear the “fog” from my brain, making me feel more awake and relaxed. It was also a nice change from diving into screens first thing in the morning.
Days 2 & 3: I was outside for around 5-10 minutes as it was a little too hot for me! I didn’t feel like it made that large of a difference, but I think it did wake me up a little bit.
Day 4: This was a hot day, so I sat by a window. This was a nice middle ground for me, I wasn’t outside in the head,t but I did get some sunlight in my eyes to wake up.
Day 5: I was outside in the morning for around 5-10 minutes. It was nice to take a step outside and get some fresh air.
Final Verdict
I want to continue trying this practice of getting morning sunlight, but I did find it hard to fit into my routine. Going outside as soon as I could after getting out of bed definitely helped me feel more awake. However, some days it felt more like a chore that I didn’t want to do rather than a self-care practice for myself, but I do know that sunlight has excellent benefits, so I do want to try more to find a way that works for me.
I want to continue trying to implement this practice, as I know I don’t prioritise sunlight and fresh air as much as I should. It is important to try to get sunlight in the morning when you can, prioritising natural light over artificial light, in order to support your well-being and circadian rhythm. But don’t treat it like a chore because then it takes away the benefit.
Social Media Break
Taking a break from social media is one of the most commonly recommended self-care practices, but does it work?
The Research
Social media can be fun and informative, but it can also lead to feelings of loneliness, anxiety, and poor sleep. Research has shown that taking a digital or social media detox can support overall well-being and reduce depressive symptoms.
My Experience
I’ve tried limiting my social media use before by setting app time limits, but this never worked for me, as I would just override them! I often use my phone to procrastinate, especially in the mornings when getting out of bed. This time, I tried something different: deleting the apps completely. Here’s how my experiment went:
Day 1: 24-hour social media break. For the first day, I wanted to do a “reset”, so I decided to immediately do 24 hours. I noticed that I often mindlessly reached for my phone without any thought. It felt refreshing not to be on my phone as much, and allowed me to do other things like creative activities and spending time with my family.
Day 2: 9-hour social media break. I realised that once I had gone an entire day without social media on my phone, I didn’t go to check it as often once I had redownloaded it!
Days 3 & 4: No social media after 4 pm. I decided to do no social media in the late afternoon and evening, as I know scrolling before bed can have negative impacts on sleep. Whilst I can’t necessarily report better sleep for those two nights, I did go to sleep with less on my mind.
Day 5: 12-hour social media break. This was probably one of the best days as I realised that I had gone over the 12 hours before remembering what I was even doing!
Day 6: 24-hour social media break. On busy days, I normally immediately reach for my phone to go on social media during my downtime. By being on a social media break, I reminded myself that it’s okay to sit in silence during breaks.
Day 7: 12-hour social media break. This felt like quite an ordinary day, and I didn’t think about the fact that I wasn’t going on social media.
Final Verdict
I have found that there are benefits to limiting social media use. It has made me a little bit more thoughtful of how I am spending my time and made me realise that social media isn’t as fun as it seems!
Here’s my plan moving forward:
- No social media between 8 pm-8 am to avoid bedtime and morning scrolling.
- Weekly 12-hour breaks between 8 am-8 pm, as this was my favourite balance.
- Weekly 24-hour breaks as a reset.
- I want to try a 48-hour break to see if I find it beneficial. I think it will be helpful, and if it is, I will do it once or twice a month.
Everyone responds differently. Some find that setting a time limit works really well, and others, such as myself, need to delete the apps entirely and take longer breaks. If you’re feeling drained or overwhelmed by social media, or think you are spending too much time on it, experimenting with breaks could be worth it.
Yoga
Yoga isn’t just about physical movement; it is about calming the mind and connecting to your breath and body.
The Research
Studies show that yoga can improve mood and decrease feelings of anxiety and depression by increasing GABA levels in the brain (a neurotransmitter that helps reduce anxiety and promotes relaxation), and it can also improve learning and memory. Yoga allows you to focus on your body and your breathing and encourages you to be present and mindful.
My Experience
I have tried yoga many times but have often struggled to be consistent. However, I really want it to become a regular practice in my life because I know that I often feel better after a yoga session, particularly an intense yoga class that gets me sweaty! Below is a table of my experiences:
Day 1: 20 minutes - “Yoga for Lizards” by Yoga with Adriene, and free movement yoga. It was nice to start yoga again, and I did it with one of my favourite yoga videos. Moving my body after sitting at my laptop for a long time was really relaxing, and being able to focus on my breathing was very relaxing.
Day 2: 20 minutes - “Morning Yoga” by Yoga with Adriene, and free movement yoga. I struggled with my yoga practice today because I had a lot of distractions, but a benefit of this was that it reminded me of an important part of yoga. This part is about being mindful of the present moment and how you are feeling; it reminded me to ground myself and focus on spending this time to be present.
Days 3 & 4: On both of these days, I did free movement yoga. These sessions are nice because they help me focus on what my body truly needs and what movements make me feel good.
Day 5: 30 minutes - “Healthy Body Yoga” by Yoga with Adriene, and free movement yoga. After focusing on free movement yoga, it was nice to follow an instructed yoga video. It challenged me, but I completed it, which made me feel great about following along with the video. I also had a mango and kiwi smoothie afterwards, which was a great addition to practising my self-care!
Final Verdict
I found that yoga continued to give me physical and well-being benefits, but I feel the physical benefits more than the mental well-being. However, I have felt the positive impact yoga has on my mental well-being. I intend to continue practising yoga, and I hope to make it a more regular practice in my life, and remind myself that I do not need to do anything fancy; I can do it in my pyjamas with my hair in a messy bun in the living room.
Creativity
It’s not just about art or the finished product; it’s about the creative and expressive process that can be done in any form. Creativity comes in all shapes and sizes.
The Research
Engaging in creative activities can reduce stress and increase energy. Being creative, whether that’s through dancing, painting, or writing, can improve our wellbeing, provide a connection, and provide us a platform to express our feelings. When we think of creativity, our mind may immediately think about the typical arts and crafts at school, of some paper, paint, and pencils; whilst this is one excellent form of creativity, there are many more! Dancing for fun can greatly improve mood, and visual art therapy can improve mental health and relationships, and you don’t need to be great at it, just need to embrace the present moment and have fun.
My Experience
I have always loved creative outlets and used to read, write, and draw loads as a young child, but over the years, I began to engage with these activities less until they essentially became non-existent in my life. Here’s how it went:
Day 1: Making brownies. This reminded me of how much I love baking, and it made me feel a lot calmer and relaxed.
Day 2: Making focaccia. I found this really relaxing, and I found the process of kneading the dough very calming.
Day 3: Creating different designs of a recipe book. The process of creating the design was fun and reminded me that I enjoy being expressive. I did occasionally find myself annoyed when something wasn’t working how I expected it to, but I think that helped me stay in the moment more and focus on my mindfulness.
Day 4: Making brownies. I was feeling quite tired and overwhelmed today, so I decided to get out of my head and have some fun making brownies. It helped me clear my head and relax.
Day 5: Dancing. I always feel better playing an upbeat song and dancing around to it. It made me feel happier, even if I also felt silly!
Day 6: This was a nice way for me to think about what I want and what my goals are, whilst being able to express myself through colour and drawing.
Final Verdict
I felt the benefits of engaging in creative outlets, the processes brought me joy, made me get out of my head, and getting to eat the chocolate brownies is always an extra plus! I intend to continue to engage in creative outlets, including baking, drawing, and clay; it brings me joy, which is beneficial for my mental wellbeing.
Final thoughts
This experiment reminded me how important it is to make time for myself, which is something I, and many others, often struggle with. However, engaging in activities I enjoy and making space for myself reminded me of the things I enjoy and how to best take care of myself, so this experiment did support my well-being.
Self-care is incredibly important, but it is equally important to remember that it doesn’t need to be perfect, and you don’t have to do it every single day. The goal is for your self-care practices to fit into your life easily, bringing happiness and not stress. They should feel like something that supports your well-being, not a chore or another task to tick off on your to-do list.
It is also important to keep in mind that everyone’s journey is different, and what works for one person might not work for another; it’s about finding what works for you. If you try to do every self-care tip every day, you might end up burning out, which is the exact opposite of our goal! The key is balance and being kind to yourself.
If you feel you are struggling with your well-being and would like extra support, Mindsum has mental health professionals who offer a free initial consultation for you to talk to.