We live in stressful times, which is why it's so important to take some time to look after yourself. Self-care looks different for everyone, but finding habits that work for you can do wonders for your mental, spiritual physical health.
From unwinding in the evening with a hot bath, curling up with your favourite book or eating food that nourishes your body, taking time to incorporate these small routines into your daily routine can instantly reduce your stress levels and improve your quality of life.
Looking for inspiration? We've rounded up tried and tested habits from self-care champions, like Gwyneth Paltrow and Oprah Winfrey. From reducing your alcohol intake to trying a digital detox, these are all ideas anyone can do - even without an A-list budget.
32 self-care habits that are celebrity approved
Prioritising your mental health
Despite being the queen of pop music and a general superstar, Beyoncé is also a prime example of how self-care is nothing if it is not rooted in mental well-being and a true appreciation for yourself and your body. In a 2021 interview with Harper's Bazaar, the megastar revealed how she has battled with diet culture and the extreme stress and impact on her body and mind from years of touring the world.
However, now, she prioritises her inner well-being and how she feels waking up in the morning, her peace of mind and “the number of times I smile”.
She continued, "Mental health is self-care too. I’m learning to break the cycle of poor health and neglect, focusing my energy on my body and taking note of the subtle signs that it gives me. Your body tells you everything you need to know, but I’ve had to learn to listen."
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Baths are always a good idea
Drawing a hot bath and using your favourite products is a habit many of us swear by. Harry Potter star Emma Watson revealed to Into the Gloss how she has a bath every day. "I have a bath every single day of my life. And if I can have two or three—amazing. Nothing terrible is going to happen in the bath, so I always find time for that," she shared.
For many of us, having a long bath is an important self-care ritual. If it works for you, creating your own bath time routine, from the products you use to what you do when relaxing in the water is key. We recommend using bath salts to soothe muscle pain and inflammation while repairing your skin's natural barrier. Or, opt for a luxurious bubble bath or oil for a decadent spa-like experience.
Staying hydrated
Water is, of course, a necessity in everyday life. And yet, so many of us admit to being terrible at drinking a good amount of it every day, consequently giving us headaches, low energy and skin trouble. But staying hydrated is key in so many celebrities' self-care routines. In an interview with Elle, actress Tracee Ellis Ross revealed how her self-care involves staying on top of two important habits: getting plenty of sleep and drinking lots of water (always out of a glass, "not plastic"!)
Water is beneficial to us in a myriad of ways, mainly getting rid of waste in our bodies, regulating our body temperature and maintaining normal bowel function. So take this as a friendly reminder to go drink a glass of water or refill your water bottle!
Playing games to switch off
We might think of playing games on consoles as a reserve for the younger generation. But it’s also the much-loved self-care habit of tennis royalty Serena Williams, who uses a portable Nintendo gaming console as a way to switch off from her daily tasks - from competing in international tennis competitions to being a mother.
She told Harper's Bazaar how a “gaming break” is a form of relaxation and a way to get away from daily stressors. She also describes how gaming is a fond memory of her childhood, which means the habit is one rooted in happy memories and prioritising creating time for yourself and the things you want to do to feel good. "[Gaming] definitely helps me relax and just kind of takes my mind off of things. Sometimes when you're in the middle of a huge Grand Slam, you just need to not think about the moment in a way and just get away from it all," she shared.
Getting into gardening
So, this tip isn't exactly said directly by a celebrity, but we do know it is a well-known hobby of TV chef Martha Stewart. Gardening and being immersed in nature is a simple and completely free way to improve wellbeing.
According to her website, her passion for being in the garden began when her father showed her how to pull out a weed in their back garden in New Jersey. Before long, she had cleared the whole garden of weeds and began a lifelong love affair with being in the outdoors, growing produce and cultivating what she calls "paradise" in her homes over the years that has made her who she is today. The act of nurturing cuttings and experimenting with what you grow is known to boost well-being and give you a sense of purpose, so it's no wonder Martha is such a big fan.
A simple daily walk
Self-care doesn’t need to be heavy cardio or intense workout routines. Sometimes, it is something as simple as a daily walk around the neighbourhood. Kate Winslet is a lover of a good daily walk, saying that getting out into nature and being with her loved ones makes her appreciate the little things in life we often take for granted. "The countryside, particularly, is very good for my head. I love that I can go for a walk, pick blackberries and feed them to the baby as I go along," she told Harper's Bazaar in 2015.
A daily walk is a super easy self-care habit all of us can incorporate into our daily routines and is an instant mood-booster.
Showing gratitude
It’s easy to think that those in the public eye who seem to have it all cope with the stresses of life better than we do. But, more and more celebrities have revealed that it's simply not the case. From Meghan Markle to pop royalty Lady Gaga, many celebrities have shared their mental health journey - and their self-care tips on social media and in interviews.
One of Gaga's top self-care tips to look after her mental health? Practicing gratitude. Speaking with Oprah Winfrey at a 2020 conference, she shared how gratitude and making a daily effort to appreciate the little things have helped her during her lowest moments.
A reliable skincare routine
The simple act of taking off the day’s make-up and pampering your skin is a form of self-care within itself. But it's important to couple that with a routine that genuinely works for you. There are endless celebrity skincare routines we could choose from, but keeping it simple and tailored to you is important. What fits into your lifestyle? And what works for your skin type?
For example, Nicole Kidman uses a simple 'cleanse, treat, hydrate and protect' routine to maintain her A-list glow. By not over-complicating what she uses and truly understanding what her skin needs, her skin is topped up with what it needs and less of what it doesn’t need. Not sure where to begin? There are lots of guides to help you work out the best approach to skincare to take, whatever your age.
Aromatherapy
Singer and mental health advocate Demi Lovato is a big fan of using aromatherapy and essential oils as a way to take time out of a busy daily schedule to boost wellbeing. Speaking to Zane Low on the New Music Daily podcast (per Billboard), she shared, "I do little things like self-care that seem really simple but add up over time.
"You know, things like meditation or even just taking, like, Epsom salt baths. You know, like aromatherapy, listening to music and crying, like getting your emotions out."
While the scientific benefits of aromatherapy and essential oils haven't been fully understood, some studies have shown that they are a useful tool to lower anxiety, lift your mood and help you drift off into a deep and restful sleep. Essential oils can be used in different ways - from using a diffuser or reed sticks to pulse-point oils on your body, they are a nice and quick way to encourage you to breathe deeper and pause for a moment.
Listening to your favourite music to boost your mood
Sometimes it can feel a little tough to get out of bed, but sticking on your favourite song can get your day off to a positive start. Priyanka Chopra Jonas swears by this method, telling Harper's Bazaar that "the first thing I do in the morning is put on music." - and we can see why.
Listening to anything, from your trusty upbeat playlist to calming classical music, can have a positive impact on your daily morning routine and set you up for your day.
Banning technology before bed
As we all know, using technology before bed is a huge self-care and general wellbeing no-no. While we are all hopelessly attached to our devices during the day, night-time is an integral part of the day to refrain from picking up your phone or laptop and mindlessly watching and scrolling. Queen of self-care Gwyneth Paltrow follows a great self-care habit of banning all forms of technology in the bedroom before bed. She even dedicated a chapter of her book, Goop: Clean Beauty, to the subject.
No phones, TVs or laptops is an important non-negotiable rule for the Goop founder, and we see why. Instead of scrolling or watching, try other habits such as meditating, reading or having a slow evening routine before getting into bed.
Try breathwork to ease stress
Breathwork is an amazing self-care habit that many celebrities swear by to ground themselves and ease the everyday stresses life can bring. Radio and TV presenter Ferne Cotton revealed to Red that she uses breathwork techniques to help her mental well-being and calm her once-frequent panic attacks.
She notes that taking a moment at various points of the day to check in with how we are breathing can help us to calm down and refocus during stressful situations. Perhaps the easiest method of self-care breathwork is ‘box breathing’ - breathing deeply in for four seconds, holding the breath for five seconds, then slowly breathing out for six seconds. Try it for yourself and see how it can instantly calm nerves and ground you in the present
Use facial rollers for an at-home facial
Ever wake up feeling your face is a bit puffier than you'd like? A little less sculpted? There's no need to splash out on fancy facials or work, simply reach for a facial roller.
This tip comes courtesy of Sex and the City star Sarah Jessica Parker. In an interview with Marie Claire, the actress shared how one of her easy-to-maintain everyday habits is keeping a jade roller in the fridge, taking a moment to massage and help both her skin and mental health feel refreshed. Finding a facial roller that works for you will help you get the best results.
Don’t overlook the power of manifestation
We all have goals we want to achieve - whether it's scoring that dream job, having a loving and stable relationship or achieving a personal goal we have always wanted to tick off our list. To achieve those, some people (including celebs) swear by 'manifestation.'
Manifestation is the simple art of visualising what you want and cultivating the image or feeling of it actually happening. Actress and star of The Office and The Mindy Project Mindy Kaling says one of her key self-care habits is manifesting. In an interview with Vogue, Mindy tells how making vision boards of what you want to achieve and how you will feel in the quest to achieve it is a great way to focus your energy on something you want to achieve or how you want to feel.
Making your bed every morning like you're in a posh hotel
A lot of us roll out of bed in the morning and quickly get on with our days. But one simple way to practise self-care and feel a little pampered is to make your bed. A quick and easy way to not only keep your space from feeling cluttered, Davina McCall revealed to Get the Gloss how making the bed is an “amazing act of self-love” that makes you feel good about your space and excited to cosy up when it's time for bed.
Take it one step further and learn how to make your bed like a hotel housekeeper (fancy sheets included). You'll love falling back into it at the end of a busy day.
Indulge in the things you love
While this list is mainly about healthy habits, a balanced lifestyle is all about moderation, so don't restrict yourself from indulging in the things you love, either. For example, actress and wellbeing advocate Kate Hudson is a lover of the odd tipple as a treat and the perfect way to relax. For the How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days star, her slice of indulgence is a vodka martini from her own Vodka line, King St. Vodka.
However, indulgence can take many other forms, too, from treating yourself to a sweet dessert or watching your favourite reality TV programme. They are all simple ways that (in moderation) you can feel good without having to overhaul your entire life.
Regulating your alcohol intake
Relaxing after a long day or meeting up with friends is the perfect reason to indulge in your favourite tipple. But as we know, drinking excessive amounts of alcohol is damaging to us in a variety of ways. Enter the self-care practice many celebrities now swear by - mindful drinking, where you are conscious of how much alcohol you consume and why. Supermodel and businesswoman Bella Hadid is a proud supporter of mindful drinking and has regularly spoken about her decision to give up alcohol for good. To that end, she's even launched her own brand of non-alcoholic canned drinks.
Prioritising sleep
Sleep is one thing all of us know is important to our well-being. But, so many of us regularly spend excessive amounts of time scrolling on our phones or watching TV shows and movies in bed instead of winding down for the day. While many celebrities will tell you sleep is an integral part of self-care, no one quite embraces the ritual more than actress Dakota Johnson, who recently divulged in an interview with Vogue that she struggles if she gets less than ten hours of sleep a night.
While we know it's not easy to fit in that many hours of sleep, ensuring you get a full night's kip is important for your physical and mental well-being. Knowing what type of sleeper you are is an easy way to create a routine that is specific to you, and helps you to maximise your beauty sleep.
The power of affirmations
With busy daily lives and endless commitments, it’s sometimes hard to put into words how you feel or how you hope to feel in the future.
In an interview with POPSUGAR, entrepreneur and model Ashley Graham revealed how affirmations are an important part of her self-care ritual. Despite it sometimes feeling “weird” or “awkward” to pay yourself compliments, Graham revealed how affirmations that are personal and simple can have the most power. Phrases that inspire confidence such as ‘I am enough’ and ‘I am comfortable in my own skin’ are excellent when said out loud and repeated and will slowly make their way into your psyche and begin to positively impact how you see yourself daily.
Starting self-care in the morning (aka avoiding screens!)
Friends star Jennifer Anniston believes self-care starts from the moment you wake up. In an interview, the actress revealed in an interview with Forbes how self-care for her is linked to not immediately immersing herself in screens, social media and the outside world and picking up her phone until she is done with her routine of walking the dogs, meditating, journaling and making that all-important morning cup of coffee. Then, she says she feels ready with a “clear head” to “go into the world, so to speak”.
Dinner time without phones
For the Goop founder and self-professed wellness guru, Gwyneth Paltrow, self-care is more than just taking vitamins and physical exercise. Speaking to Harper's Bazaar, self-care for her is family time and “having family dinner every night with no phones at the table”. We couldn’t agree more with this idea, as self-care is also about nourishing inside as well as outside. Being with the ones you love is truly a habit that everyone can benefit from as it keeps us grounded and connected. Even if you live alone, spending time away from your phone while you eat really allows you to be present in the moment (and enjoy your meal!)
Stretching with yoga
As we know, stretching and exercising in a slow, thoughtful way is an amazing way to strengthen not only our bodies but also our minds. Speaking to woman&home, television presenter and author Fern Britton swears by the “wonderful” practice of yoga. Doing it for “my mind and my body”, Fern swears by yoga as a way to not only practise self-care for her mind but also to remedy those little aches and pains that come with age. Trying yoga for beginners is an easy way to settle into this practice, whatever your age or fitness level.
Pilates of any kind
Pilates is a form of exercise with endless benefits, and it's an excellent way to practise self-care. The slightly more intense cousin of yoga, pilates focuses more on muscle toning and core-strengthening rather than flexibility and the broader muscle groups.
Rhode founder and general wellness icon Hailey Bieber swears by Pilates as it is the best way to elongate and strengthen muscles. She's regularly snapped leaving Pilates classes and has spoken about her love for it in interviews. It's easy to get started with Pilates too, whether you want to work out at home or join a local class.
Learning to put yourself first
In our everyday lives, we can often neglect ourselves and our needs. What do we want? What do we need or want to achieve? Former First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama taught us a valuable self-care lesson is learning to put ourselves first.
Speaking at a Q&A during the Essence Music Festival in 2019, Michelle spoke about how many women find it hard to put themselves first. Her reply? In an Instagram post caption just after the event, she shared that her tip to prioritise yourself is to look inward and reflect on your experiences, and then share them with others to create a sense of community and shared experiences. "The good news is" she says, "we can make a change...I've seen it in my own life". We couldn't agree more with this idea, as connecting with people is an amazing way to learn more about yourself and what you want out of life.
Nourishing your soul (and body) with cooking
Food is one of the best and easiest ways to practise self-care. Actress Viola Davis told Refinery 29 that during the pandemic, she practised many everyday rituals that bring her a sense of well-being and calm - including cooking. There is something about taking the time to prepare your own meal that gives us a sense of appreciation for what we put in our bodies, whether that is alone and for ourselves or connecting with friends and family while we do it. It doesn’t need to be a restaurant-level plate of perfection, but anything that brings you comfort and a little joy.
A smoothie to set you up for the day
One self-care habit that is bound to help us feel nourished and ready to take on the day is a smoothie - an easy and fun way to get your greens in. Per Hello! Victoria Beckham is a big advocate of the power of smoothies, showing off her staple ‘green monster’ smoothie on Instagram. Consisting of apples, kiwi, lemon, spinach, broccoli and chia seeds, it's something of a nutritional powerhouse. And, it's one we can all easily try at home.
Taking a nap (yes, really!)
Feeling sluggish during the day? Selena Gomez’ self-care answer to this problem is simple… a nice nap! The Only Murders in the Building actress revealed in an interview with PEOPLE that her most trusted self-care tip is taking a nap when feeling low, as it can feel like a restart to the day. "Taking a nap when I'm feeling a little low is nice because I feel like I can start over," she shared.
Meditation
Even the royal family have weighed in on how they best take care of themselves. On more than one occasion, Prince Harry has openly discussed that meditation is an everyday practice he follows to look after himself and cope with online negativity. As we know, his wife Meghan Markle is herself a keen believer in daily rituals such as exercise and mindfulness to boost wellbeing, so it’s no wonder Harry may have picked up this positive habit since being married to the actress and entrepreneur. Truly a habit that we can all get behind!
Treating your skin to a face mask
Face masks are a sure-fire way to kickstart your self-care journey, whether you are a seasoned pro or a newbie. Per Oprah.com, Oprah Winfrey’s team swear by the power of a face mask, saying that it is not just a physical beauty treatment but also an internal beauty treatment, forcing you to stop, take time and pay attention to yourself. You don’t need to spend lots of money or have a large stash of jars and tubs, it is as simple as looking through the cupboard and fridge for ingredients that can be used to create a luxurious DIY spa treatment at home.
Embracing the chaos
Professional organiser Marie Kondo believes one major step to self-care is embracing the chaos that comes from tidying. Speaking in an interview with The Washington Post, she admitted to embracing the chaos and messiness that comes with everyday life. Being a busy mother and entrepreneur, Kondo admitted that while her home may be 'messy', it's 'right' for her right now.
"My home is messy, but the way I am spending my time is the right way for me at this time at this stage of my life. Up until now, I was a professional tidier, so I did my best to keep my home tidy at all times," she shared.
Waking up with ‘natural’ daylight
Daily doses of daylight early in the day is an excellent and completely free way to boost your mood.
TV presenter and all-around health enthusiast Davina McCall revealed to Get the Gloss that she uses a sunrise alarm clock to slowly and naturally wake up. By establishing a steady rhythm of light exposure, your body will get in the habit of consistent sleep and waking up times, which will create a better quality of sleep and in turn improve your daily routines as you wake up more nourished and rested. Such alarm clocks have even been claimed to help with banishing those winter blues during the darker, colder months.
Getting lost in a good book
Whether it’s a dramatic romance or a gripping thriller, reading is another great self-care habit - if you enjoy reading. Actress and self-proclaimed bookworm Reese Witherspoon is the best example of how reading is a true form of self-care. Owner of Reese’s Book Club, each month she brings new stories to its community with one main theme linking them all together - a woman at the centre of the plot. From joining a book club or just chatting about a novel with a friend, reading is a great way to ground ourselves and transport us away from our daily stresses.
