Whether you are 18 or 25, between struggling with your studies or work, there’s absolutely just not enough time for yourself. Don’t worry – I feel you! On top of our main priorities, you also have a social life, which means taking care of your friend’s feelings and not rejecting them if they want to hang out with you (even when you don’t want to!). We are generally so used to putting other priorities first instead of ourselves. We have to learn how to take care of ourselves first!

I don’t want to bore you with general self-care ideas, so I’ve listed a couple of practical self-care tips you could do, all at the comfort of your own home.

1. Put on a face mask

This isn’t just for females – there are plenty of males that do this as well! You can get a couple of cheap face masks by either ordering them online or purchase them from any pharmacy.

You have no idea how relaxing it is to put a cooling face mask (with this humid weather), either watch a show or simply just closing your eyes while listening to some soft music. Not only are you taking care of your skin, but you’ll also feel much calmer after.

2. Read a self-development book 

The greatest investment you can make for yourself is by purchasing a couple of self-help or self-development books. You don’t even have to spend on expensive ones, there are books below RM50 which can help shape you into a better person and improve yourself and your life.

The self-development books I highly recommend are:

• The 13 Habits That Mentally Strong People Don’t Do
• The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A F***
• A CEO, An Entrepreneur, A Tourist, And The Monk

3. Get an adult colouring book 

An adult colouring book is not an 18+ book with explicit scenes to colour on (sorry if anyone got a lil’ excited!). There are actually books that are proven to reduce your stress and anxiety, on top of helping you achieve the state of mindfulness. 

You can purchase any of these books online, such as this website or head over to the nearest MPH or Popular bookstores, and buy some colouring pencils if you don’t have one already. These books do come with various types of unique, beautiful designs to pick from. 

4. Perform some HIIT exercises

Of course, exercising is definitely a must when it comes to self-care. Plus point – you don’t have to go to the gym to do them, all you need is a spacious area in your home! You can find these HIIT exercises either on an app or youtube. If you want to, you can get yourself a weighted dumbbell or a kettlebell to make it even more challenging. 

HIIT exercises are workouts that are performed in short intervals, while also being one of the best workout routines to follow if you are pressed on time – these exercises are usually 15 to 20 minutes! Though it’s short, you are able to burn x2 more calories as compared to just running on a treadmill for half an hour.

5. Cook yourself a healthy, nutritious meal

There is nothing more satisfying than being able to cook a delicious meal all on your own. Taking care of yourself also means you have to get the right food in your tummy. With all the available recipes online, just find for one that you would love to eat yourself, get the necessary ingredients, and get cookin’! Don’t cook something that you wouldn’t like though, that wouldn’t be self-care now would it? It should be something that you love to eat! 

Self-care doesn’t need to be something that is too time-consuming or expensive. You can take at least 30 minutes out of your day to put yourself first and ensure you are well taken care of.