“To think is easy. To act is hard. But the hardest thing in the world is to act in accordance with your thinking.”
– Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
There are days — or even weeks — when life feels like everything is spinning out of control. Sometimes, we cannot change what’s happening around us, but we can always choose to take care of ourselves and shift our perspective.
In those difficult moments, self-care activities become essential. They can rebuild energy, restore mental clarity, and strengthen emotional resilience.
Here are five self-care practices I personally turn to when I need to build myself back up.
1. Get Back to the Present
When important goals turn into setbacks, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the future or weighed down by the past. To bring myself back into the present moment, I practice mindfulness.
To bring myself back into the present moment, I practice a simple grounding technique known as the 5-4-3-2-1 method.
It works like this:
• Notice five things you can see.
• Touch four things you can feel.
• Listen for three things you can hear.
• Identify two things you can smell.
• Focus on one thing you can taste.
You can either speak these out loud or write them down. Sitting comfortably, taking a few deep breaths, and grounding yourself in the present moment helps quiet spiralling thoughts and brings a sense of calm.
2. Get in Motion
Movement is a powerful tool for breaking mental loops. When I feel stuck in my head, I like to take small physical actions — going for a short walk, running simple errands, or tidying up my living space. Decluttering, even in small ways, can help. I focus on making my room appear cleaner: folding clothes, clearing off my desk, making my bed, and removing any visible trash or dishes.
It’s not about deep cleaning — it’s about creating a lighter, more organised environment to support a lighter mind.
3. Take a Refreshing Shower
Water has a naturally calming and refreshing effect, both physically and emotionally. Taking a nice shower, playing uplifting music, or even standing quietly under the water can do wonders for my mood. If I declutter my space before, I like to change my bedding afterward to amplify the feeling of freshness and comfort. This simple ritual helps me reset both my body and mind when life feels overwhelming.
4. Get Dressed to Go Out
When I’m feeling unproductive, getting dressed in outside clothes — as if I’m heading to work or university — creates a mental shift. By investing a few minutes into ironing my shirt or choosing a nice outfit, I instantly feel more in control. It becomes easier to sit down at my desk, check my to-do list, and take small steps toward regaining my momentum.
Dressing with intention reminds me that even if things aren’t perfect, I can show up for myself.
5. Journal for 10 Minutes
When my mind is racing with worries, journaling allows me to pull those thoughts out of my head and onto paper. Often, reading my anxious thoughts makes me realise how exaggerated they are — many of them don’t even feel like my true beliefs.
By journaling for just ten minutes, I can untangle emotional knots, release tension, and remind myself that setbacks do not define my worth or abilities. Writing helps me see that most “bad outcomes” are small compared to the many good things happening in my life — things I might overlook when I am overwhelmed.
Conclusion
No situation is ever set in stone.
Even when goals seem far away or life feels heavy, you can rebuild yourself through small, intentional actions. You are not the product of outcomes — you are the result of your courage to keep moving forward.
Take care of yourself. Start small. Keep building yourself up, even when it feels hard. You are doing more than enough.