How To Create A Self-Care Menu + Free Printable Template

Have you ever felt overwhelmed with the busy pace of life and the constant demands on your time? Taking care of yourself might not always be a priority, but it should be. Self-care is essential for maintaining good mental and physical health. We all have unique needs when it comes to self-care, which is why creating your personalised self-care menu is the perfect way of maintaining a self-care habit.

Find out what a self-care menu is, and how to create one. You can even use my sample self-care menu to help get you started, and of course, the free printable self-care menu template to create your own.

Why Self-Care Matters

Self-care is essential to maintaining good mental health and physical health. After all, you can’t pour from an empty cup!

It means reducing the impact of burnout by constantly being busy and on the go. We live in a world now where being busy is almost a status symbol, but it doesn’t mean you need to subscribe to that!

By taking the time to look after ourselves, we can reduce stress and feel more relaxed and energised.

Self-care also helps us to build resilience, improve coping skills, and strengthen our relationships with others. However, when we’re busy, it can be challenging to make self-care a priority.

That’s why having your own menu of self-care habits is a great option!

What Is A Self Care Menu?

A self-care menu is a list of self-care activities that you enjoy, sorted by the time commitment they require.

It’s like a menu in a restaurant, but instead of food, you’re creating a list of things that help you feel your best.

If you’ve only got a small amount of time, you can choose a snack or starter. If you’ve got more time to spare, head straight for a main dish or dessert.

Creating a self-care menu helps us to create a list of self-care ideas that we enjoy, so we can ditch the overwhelm of trying to decide what activities to choose.

It makes it more fun, while reminding ourselves to engage in good habits to be our best selves.

How To Create Your Own Self-Care Menu

Creating your self-care menu is easy. Here is how you can create your own self-care menu:

Step One – Brainstorm

Set aside time to think about the self-care activities you enjoy. Ask yourself what makes you feel good, what helps you relax, and what nourishes your soul. Brainstorm as many ideas as you can and add them to a list of self-care ideas.

Remember, there’s no right or wrong answer, and what works for you might not work for someone else.

That’s why this is your personal self-care menu, specifically with things you love to do.

Step Two – Categorise Into ‘Meals’

Once you have a list of self-care activities, it’s time to organise them into categories.

To do this, first choose your menu headings. For example, Healthy Snacks, Starters, Main Course, Dessert, Buffet.

Here are my examples for each course of your menu:

Drinks – This can be quite literal, such as actual snacks and drinks that nourish your body.
Starters – These are self-care activities that typically take under 15 minutes
Main Course – The main dish items are longer activities that take a couple of hours
Dessert – These are activities that aren’t quite as quick as starters but something you can do with a spare half hour.
Banquet – This is a full-day or extended activity to nourish you completely.

Alternative Idea: Some people prefer to set up their self-care menu instead as the forms of self-care, such as physical self-care, emotional or mental self-care, social self-care. If this is what works best for you, do this instead!

Step Three – Create Your Menu

Now it’s time to create a visual representation of your self-care menu.

This can be a printable template, such as the free printable self-care template I have created for you.

Or you can create your own version in your journal, planner or on a whiteboard.

You can also create a digital version using various apps and tools on your phone or computer – such as your phone’s notes app or a free program such as Canva.

The important thing is to make sure it’s readily accessible whenever you need it.

Having this visual on display not only makes it easy to refer to, but also serves as a reminder to take regular care of yourself!

Step Four – Use Your Menu

Now that you have your self-care menu ready, it’s time to put it into action.

Make a conscious effort to incorporate at least one activity from each course into your daily or weekly self-care routine.

When it comes to choosing from your Snacks and Starters menu, these are quick self-care activities that don’t require much time or forward planning.

This makes them perfect for your daily routine!

Sample Self-Care Menu

Here’s a sample self-care menu to give you some inspiration. Feel free to use this exact self-care menu if the activities included are the type of self-care activities you enjoy.

Otherwise, use this sample menu to put together your own version with the free template, adding self-care options that make YOU feel good!

Drinks

Eat a healthy snack
Drink a green smoothie
Enjoy a herbal tea
Drink a glass of water in a comfy chair
Eat your favourite treat

Starters

Write in your journal
Read a chapter of a book
Do some gentle stretches
Identify 3 things you are grateful for right now
Dance around the house
Find some self-care affirmations to display
Spend 5 minutes in the sunshine getting some vitamin D
Put on skin lotion
Do some colouring in
Play with your pet
Do a brain dump or to-do list to free up space in your mind
Take some deep breaths

Main Course

Get a massage
Go for a swim
Watch a movie
Cook yourself a nourishing meal
Catch up with a friend or family member
Plan your dream vacation
Play video games or board games
Try an online class
Get a facial
Get your nails done
Take a nap
Visit a museum or art gallery
Take yourself on a solo date

Dessert

Take a relaxing bubble bath
Go for a walk in nature
Practice yoga or meditation
Talk to a friend on the phone
What an episode of a show you love
Have an indulgent dessert
Do a fitness class
Paint your nails
Take a long shower
Declutter or organise a space in your home
Listen to a podcast

Banquet

Indulge in a spa day
Go on a weekend away
Have a sleepover with your bestie
Go on a hike
Attend a social event
Volunteer in your community
Plan a staycation
Attend a wellness retreat
Take a day trip somewhere new
Schedule a mental health day off work

Free Printable Self-Care Menu Template

To help you get started with creating your own self-care menu, I have created a free printable self-care menu template. You can download it and fill in the sections with the activities you love:

Creating your own self-care menu not only helps you identify the care activities that nourish you, mind, body and soul, but it also helps keep you more accountable by having it on display somewhere that you can refer to it often.

This is especially a great idea of you’re someone who often doesn’t make time for yourself as much as you know you should, so plan your menu and choose your next course of healthy habits! And if you want to really step up your self-care, check out my 30-day self-care challenge with free printable!

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