Looking for the perfect daily self care checklist to use at work? In this post, we’ll share our favorite template and teach you how to make your own.

daily self care checklist

The internet is full of daily self care tips for supporting your wellbeing. But unless you have superpowers, it can be hard to keep up with healthy habits AND a full work schedule.

As young professionals, we constantly struggle to take good care of ourselves on workdays. If you’re anything like us, you know how it feels to realize it’s 3pm and you still haven’t eaten lunch.

Below, we share the simple self care checklist template that helps us keep track of our self care habits, even on busy workdays. We’ll also teach you the kind of activities every daily self care list should have, so you can make your own.

This post is all about the perfect daily self care checklist to help you remember and track your wellness habits on workdays.


WHY YOU NEED A DAILY SELF CARE CHECKLIST

We all know that jobs can be physically and emotionally exhausting. Most workplaces are dominated by grind culture, which conditions people to spend more time working and less time on rest and leisure. Workplace norms make workers feel less powerful than our employers, so we’re less likely to demand better working conditions and higher pay.

Maintaining healthy workplace habits is the best way to look out for our best interests at work. And while we’d like to believe we can keep up with our wellness activities AND focus on our work, studies show humans actually can’t do two things at once.

A daily self care list is a simple way to keep track of your wellness habits on workdays. 

WHAT ARE GOOD SELF CARE HABITS EVERY CHECKLIST SHOULD HAVE?

When you’re choosing the daily self care ideas for your checklist, you should consider the physical environment you work in, your work schedule, and your employer’s policies. You wouldn’t want to include two hour-long walks if you only get one 30-minute break. 

You should also think about your personal preferences. If you’re more comfortable with a structured plan, you might prefer a schedule where you do the same self care activities at the same time everyday. If you like more flexibility, consider choosing a menu-style list that lets you choose from a list of self care activities based on what you need on that particular day. [Our daily self care checklist pdf (linked below) has options for both types of people!]

Regardless of your personality, certain types of self care activities should be on every list. Even the most basic daily self care checklist should include activities from the following categories: 

1. Mental Health

Any list of self care checklist ideas should include habits that support a positive mood and mental state. Make sure your checklist has at least one activity like mindful breathing, focusing on positive affirmations, or listening to soothing music.

[RELATED POST: 7 Powerful Affirmations for Work to Help You Overcome Burnout]

2. Physical Health

Your checklist should also help you track habits that support your physical health. Be sure to include activities that help you with hydration, nutrition, and physical movement. You can even set measurable goals for things like how many cups of water you want to drink, how many fruits or vegetables you want to eat, and how many minutes of movement you want to accomplish. 

3. Rest

Every daily self care checklist should also help you incorporate restful habits like scheduled breaks and naps throughout the workday. Resting can help you manage stress and increase your mood. Taking a nap can also be powerful way to resist grind culture and prioritize your wellbeing.

[RELATED POST: What Is Grind Culture? | 5 Surprising Reasons You’re Burnt Out]

4. Boundaries

Setting heathy boundaries is one of the most impactful forms of self care in the workplace. Make sure your self care checklist includes reminders for habits like starting and ending work on time and taking full breaks away from your work area.

[RELATED POST: Avoid Burnout With These Examples of REAL Self Care]

THE ULTIMATE SELF CARE CHECKLIST TEMPLATE

It can be hard to create the perfect self care checklist. Luckily, we’ve done the hard work for you. Below, you can download our ultimate daily self care checklist, which incorporates the tips from this post and the lessons we’ve learned throughout our career.

If you’re ready to take your daily wellness to the next level, CLICK HERE FOR YOUR FREE DAILY SELF CARE CHECKLIST PDF.

free printable daily self care checklist

This post was about our must-have daily self care checklist template and our tips for creating your own.

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