This article is an excerpt from the Shortform book guide to "No More Mr. Nice Guy" by Robert Glover. Shortform has the world's best summaries and analyses of books you should be reading.
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What are some easy self-care ideas for men? What are the benefits of taking the time to look after yourself?
Taking good care of yourself is necessary for good mental health and healthy self-esteem. Self-care can be as simple as drinking more water throughout your day or as elaborate as taking a dream vacation—but if you’re looking for some more ideas, this article can help.
Keep reading for the best self-care ideas for men.
Self-Care for Men Made Easy
Someone who doubts their self-worth will rarely do nice things for themselves. But taking good care of yourself is necessary to assert your value. Additionally, spending time with yourself gives you the opportunity to reflect on your wants, needs, feelings, and general life direction. Most importantly you make the decisions during this me-time. Ask yourself what care you need (or even want) in the moment. Our self-care ideas for men list is a great place to start if you want to look after yourself.
If you have low self-esteem, two dissonant ideas come together when you start caring for yourself:
- “I’m valuable.” (Asserted by the act of self-care)
- “I’m worthless.” (Asserted by old self-limiting beliefs)
But like anything, self-care is a matter of practice. The more you do it, the more often the little voice that says “You’re worth it!” will win out.
Making Time for Self-Care
A common myth about self-care is that we just don’t have time for it. But with your self-worth and well-being at stake, self-care should be a priority rather than a luxury.
Here are some tips for working regular self-care into your daily schedule:
- Just say no: Self-care doesn’t have to involve adding lots of activities on top of your already busy life. Sometimes you can simply refrain from things that cause you stress or negative emotions. For example, if you find social media to be a crutch or wasteful time-suck, deleting the social apps from your phone could be an instant act of self-care (and may even free up more of your time). Saying “no” to something that you can’t or don’t want to do is another act of self-care that only gives you more of your time back.
- Schedule it: Thinking of self-care as an if-I-get-to-it activity is a surefire way to make sure it doesn’t happen. This is why scheduling it, as you would any meeting or appointment, is essential. You don’t need to block out hours on end for self-care but find brief, regular moments to take for yourself. You could include a short walk outside during your lunch break. Or maybe you wake up 15 minutes earlier to start your day with a quick workout. Even five minutes of meditation can help break up your day. Making self-care part of your daily routine will help it become habit.
- Get some help: If you feel like your days are simply too busy to make any time for yourself, it’s time to utilize your resources. This might mean using technology or other services to optimize your time (like a meal delivery service to cut down on cooking). But it also includes asking those around you to help with your workload. Ask your neighbor to watch the kids for a night so you and your partner can have a date night. In the time it takes your roommate to do the dishes you could do a face mask and take a nice hot shower.
Simple Self-Care Ideas for Men
Embracing and caring for the power of your mind, body, and spirit doesn’t need to be difficult. Here are a few helpful self-care ideas for men:
Mind: Read a book, keep a journal, dive into a hobby, declutter your space, take a mental health day
Body: Eat healthy foods, get a good night’s sleep, get a massage, cut down on intoxicants, go to the doctor or dentist, drink more water
Spirit: Spend time with friends, treat yourself to a gift, enjoy music, relax (in nature, in the bath—whatever you need)
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Like what you just read? Read the rest of the world's best book summary and analysis of Robert Glover's "No More Mr. Nice Guy" at Shortform .
Here's what you'll find in our full No More Mr. Nice Guy summary :
- Why being a "Nice Guy" isn't actually a good thing
- Why Nice Guys miss out on a life of self-acceptance, empowerment, and satisfaction
- How to know if you are a Nice Guy and how to become an "Ideal Man" instead
