Here are 10 men’s self-care ideas most guys don’t think of to help you take better care of yourself or the man in your life.
Isn’t that a girls’ thing?
That’s what most guys assume whenever they read anything about self-care.
If we’re being totally honest, who can blame them?
For the longest time, self-care has been targeted at women.
That’s why you usually see pictures of women in articles, blogs, books, magazines, ads, basically anything that has to do with self-care.
It’s thought of as being girly. As in, why do men have to even think about self-care? We’re tough and strong! Only females need taking care of!!
Before you accuse us of glorifying toxic masculinity, know we’re pointing that out only to prove how much men have been mistakenly neglecting ourselves just to uphold some outdated image of what we should be.
How great that things are changing now. Having discovered its many benefits, a growing number of men now practice self-care.
But since it’s a fairly new concept for us, lots of guys still don’t know how to do self-care.
If you need help to figure out what self-care routine would work for you or your special man, here are 10 self-care ideas for men most guys miss.
Start Using Facial Masks
More commonly called face masks, facial masks are applied to the face to smoothen the skin. They’re made of a cream or thick paste that solidifies into a translucent film after being rubbed on that can be easily peeled off. They contain nourishing vitamins, minerals and fruit extracts (ex: cucumber and cactus).
There are facial masks now made for men. Not only will you look great once the one you choose makes your face silky smooth by getting all the impurities out. You’ll also get better shaves from then on, making you feel great as well.
Have Spa Days
Since they’ve been at it longer than us, men ought to take a page from the women’s playbook when it comes to self-care. One thing we should really start getting into is having spa days regularly.
A spa day typically involves a body massage, a foot massage, a scalp massage, a facial, manicure/pedicure, and a body scrub/exfoliation.
All of this amounts to a day’s worth of getting pampered—just what the doctor ordered for some quality self-care.
Yoga
Yoga is an ancient practice that originated in India. It involves concentrating on performing very specific poses while doing deep breathing. It provides many health benefits, including improved flexibility, better balance, increased strength and stronger bones.
Aside from its positive effects on physical health, yoga also improves mental health by relieving stress, reducing anxiety, boosting cognitive functions and fighting off burnout.
There are many different types of yoga. Choose the one that best suits you to enjoy its benefits.
Journaling
Journaling is simply writing down your thoughts and feelings. People usually do this to record all the memorable events in their life, keep secrets or vent about bad days.
Since it’s a way to express ourselves, journaling is great for our well-being.
If you write about a great day you had, you’ll feel even better by reliving it through your writing and remembering it whenever you want by reading what you wrote.
If you use it to keep a secret, you get to talk about it without being judged.
If you vent about a bad day you had, you’re essentially relieving yourself of stress, making you feel a whole lot better.
Make Art
An even more profound way of expressing ourselves than journaling is making art.
Whether it’s a drawing, painting, or sculpture, a piece of art is a physical, mental and emotional release. It’s physically stimulating because you’ll need your body in order to create it. It’s mentally stimulating because it starts out as an idea in your mind. It’s emotionally stimulating because it’s a manifestation of how you felt at the time you made it.
It doesn’t have to mean anything. Nobody else has to see it. As long as you feel good about it, it would have achieved its purpose.
Take a “Manly” Class
If the men’s self-care ideas we’ve provided are too “feminine” for you, you can take a class intended for men instead.
Common examples of “manly” classes include woodworking, auto repair and blacksmithing. Any of these lets you learn a skill in line with traditional male interests, boosting your confidence and self-esteem.
Do Outdoor Activities
If you’re more of an outdoorsy type, consider making an outdoor activity you particularly enjoy a habit.
Say you like to hike. It’s a great form of exercise as it lets you get a bit of sunshine and fresh air. But if you do it regularly, it will also boost your mental health.
Digital Detox
How will you find time to take classes and do outdoor activities? You can start by doing a digital detox.
A digital detox is an amount of time (ex: at least 24 hours) a person voluntarily avoids using his phone, computer and any other digital devices he owns.
We all know how stressful constantly being online can be, what with all the bad news, trolls and scams we could run into, so “unplugging” from time to time will be good for our mental health.
Volunteer
Self-care doesn’t need to be done alone for it to be effective. It will also have the same effect when done with other people.
A great example of this is volunteer work. Although it’s basically helping other people, doing it makes you feel good, contributing to your well-being.
Do Spiritual Self-Care
Spiritual self-care refers to any activity done to take care of yourself that can nourish you spiritually. Those include meditation, prayer or going to church.
Any of these has a deeply positive effect that no other type of activity can produce, able to make you a holistic self-care routine if added to yours.
References
- “35 self care Sunday ideas for men” by Keith Burton for Inside 5am
- “15 Self Care Ideas For Men” by James Hill for ManTripping
- “10 Self-Care Tips For Men To Boost Your Mental Health” by Thom Watson for Humānery