8 Ways to Prioritize Self-Care (at Any Age)

Looking back at my life, I realize there have been countless aspects I took for granted, and I wish I had been more mindful of them. One significant area was self-care; I didn’t fully appreciate its importance until recently. Thankfully, it’s never too late to prioritize self-care!

If I could speak to my twenty-something self, I would share the numerous ways self-care can enhance one’s life.

I’ve compiled a list of practices I wish I had embraced in my 20s and committed to consistently. Just think of the skills and well-being I could have cultivated over the past three decades!

However, the good news is that even though I didn’t establish those habits back then, I’m actively working on them now.

It’s always the right time to invest in healthy self-care habits.

As I reflect on my life, I can imagine my future 80-something self offering advice to my current self in my 50s. She would say,

“Now is the perfect time to prioritize your well-being.”

So, if you’re a young adult, here are some vital self-care habits to adopt now. If you commit to these practices over the years, your future self will be grateful.

And if you’re not in your twenties, that’s perfectly fine—begin wherever you are.

Start today.

Those of us over 50 also need self-care, and we can begin this journey right now.

It’s never too late to take care of yourself!

1. Prioritize Self-Care: Take Care of Your Skin

Your skin is your largest organ, and in today’s chemical-laden world, it takes a beating! 

Do everything in your power to feed and nurture your skin.  Your skin’s health will directly impact every other part of your body, so caring for it really is essential. 

How can you best care for your skin? 

• Keep it clean – Use the most natural products you can find that do the job. Remove all makeup before going to sleep – every night. Develop a consistent cleansing routine. Products take time, so consistency is more important than any one type of product. Find what works for you and your skin type.

• Keep it hydrated – Moisturizer, Eye Cream, and Night Cream are your friends. Even oily skin needs hydration.

• Keep it protected – Sunscreen, every day. Again, you will have to put a little time in to find the brand and delivery method that works best for you.

Try out various products and be open to exploring new techniques that you might not be familiar with. Consider incorporating options like Retinol, Vitamin C, Dry Brushing, MicroNeedling, and Facials as a starting point.

Most importantly, prioritize drinking plenty of water, maintaining a balanced diet, and ensuring you get enough sleep to support your body.

No amount of skincare products can substitute for these three essential elements in achieving and maintaining healthy skin.

2. Prioritize Self-Care: Get Appropriate Medical Care

Even if you feel you’re in peak health, wellness visits are crucial for building a strong doctor-patient relationship, assessing your baseline health metrics, and receiving personalized medical advice and recommendations.

There are many subtle health issues that only medical testing can uncover.

At a minimum, you should schedule annual check-ups with your general practitioner and bi-annual visits to the dentist. Depending on your individual needs, you may also need to see specialists such as dermatologists, gastroenterologists, naturopaths, or other healthcare providers.

Preventative care is always easier to manage than treatment after the fact.

Don’t leave your health to chance—follow the guidance of your medical professionals.

3. Prioritize Self-Care: Work on Your Balance and Posture

Balance and posture are essential skills that you either maintain or lose, and losing them can be quite frustrating.

The great news is that dedicating just a few minutes each day to these areas can help you keep them in check. You can learn some simple balance exercises, practice yoga, or follow a daily YouTube video.

While it’s important to consider long-term issues like limited mobility and falls, focusing on balance and posture will also provide immediate benefits.

Who wouldn’t want that, regardless of age?

Improving these skills will strengthen your core, enhance muscle tone, and give you a taller, slimmer, and more confident appearance.

4. Prioritize Self-Care: Find a Sport and a Hobby You Love

You likely engaged in sports and clubs quite actively during high school and possibly college. However, as you transitioned into adulthood and faced various responsibilities, those activities may have taken a back seat.

It might have been years since you jogged, played baseball, crocheted, or penned a poem.

Now is the time to revive your sports and hobbies!

Participating in sports keeps you active, mobile, and healthy. They also provide a wonderful opportunity to strengthen friendships and serve as a great source of stress relief. The specific sport you choose is less important than making the time to get involved.

Consider joining a kickball team, taking golf lessons, swimming at a local pool, or trying out pickleball.

If you don’t have a favorite sport yet, why not learn a new one? It’s perfectly fine to start without knowing the rules or having any prior experience. You’ll pick it up as you go.

Similarly, there are countless hobbies waiting for you to explore. Take the time to experiment with different activities.

Try your hand at photography, weaving, watercolor painting, hiking, or geocaching.

Some hobbies can be enjoyed solo, while others are better in a group setting. Find something that resonates with you and make it a regular part of your life.

Hobbies can enhance your creativity, boost self-confidence, introduce you to new people, and provide relaxation.

5. Prioritize Self-Care: Save for Retirement

While retirement may feel like it’s far off (though it probably isn’t), saving for retirement is just as much about cultivating good habits as it is about setting money aside for the future.

Currently, around 50% of women aged 55 to 66 have no personal retirement savings.

Many women in our age group still find financial planning to be intimidating.

Even if you can only set aside a dollar a week, that’s a great place to start. You can keep it in a shoebox in your closet or deposit it in a savings account. It may seem insignificant now, but it’s all about developing planning habits and setting long-term goals.

Consider taking a class or learning online about investing, IRAs, debt management, stocks, bonds, annuities, and more. If you’re starting from scratch, I highly recommend “The Ultimate Retirement Guide for 50+: Winning Strategies to Make Your Money Last a Lifetime” by Suze Orman for foundational knowledge.

Empower yourself with financial knowledge and apply it to your life.

6. Prioritize Self-Care: Keep Up With Family and Friends

During childhood and young adulthood, forming and maintaining friendships often comes easily. However, as adulthood sweeps in, it can be all too simple to lose touch with those who matter to you.

Making new friends after 50 can be challenging.

Friendships—and even family relationships—require effort to nurture.

It’s natural for people to go their separate ways and lose contact, but if there are individuals you want to keep in your life, you need to work at it.

Consider making it a routine to email your sister once a month.

Send a text to your best friend every few days.

Plan an annual weekend gathering with your college friends.

These individuals are part of your history; don’t let them fade due to a lack of effort.

7. Prioritize Self-Care: Travel as Much as Possible

Find a way, find a time, and just go.

If you have to choose between travel and material possessions, travel is almost always the better option. Why? Because the experiences you gain will bring you more happiness than any object ever could.

Remember, the definition of travel is personal. If you’re an adventurous spirit, you might want to spend time living in a foreign country. Others may find fulfillment in exploring a new city within their own state.

Traveling, especially solo, can be daunting for many people. (I used to feel that way, but not anymore!)

Go anyway.

Embrace the intimidation.

Experience the thrill of overcoming your fears and enjoy the journey.

Think of travel as a muscle—the more you use it, the stronger and more capable it becomes.

No matter what else you pursue in life, you will never regret the experiences that travel provides.

Pinky swear.

8. Prioritize Self-Care: Get Comfortable Being Alone

Everyone experiences time alone, but not everyone feels comfortable with it.

Life presents us with challenges at every turn, and the one person you can always count on to be there for you is yourself.

Take the time to truly understand who you are. Delve into what makes you tick. Are you an extrovert or an introvert? Do you thrive in social settings, prefer quiet moments, enjoy singing in the shower, or love working with children? What are your core values? Where do you set boundaries in your relationships? How important is honesty to you? How do you like to spend your free time?

Learn to manage—or accept—your annoying habits, addictions, and quirks. Discover what makes you unique, as well as the commonalities you share with others.

Remember, there are no wrong answers—embrace your individuality.

Once you feel comfortable with yourself in solitude, venture out alone as often as needed until it becomes second nature. Enjoy a meal at a restaurant, have a drink at your local pub, watch a movie, or go shopping.

Whatever you choose to do, build your confidence in doing it solo.

Read More About Self-Care Basics:

• The 8 Pillars of Self-Care: Shape a Better Life After 50
• Self-Care for Beginners: Simple Tips to Start Your Journey
• How to Create a Self-Care Plan: A Simple Guide (with Example)
• Why is Self-Care Important – Especially After 50?
• Progress Over Perfection: Achieving Your Self-Care Goals
• Self-Care, Self-Indulgence, and Selfishness: What’s the Difference?

Final Thoughts on 8 Ways to Prioritize Self-Care (at any age)

In conclusion, self-care is not the same as self-indulgence.

Engaging in these activities means prioritizing your well-being and addressing your unique needs. Remember, you are a complete individual, and it’s essential to nurture all the special aspects that make you who you are.

I encourage you to carve out time in your life for each of these self-care practices, as your future self will undoubtedly appreciate the effort!

Lori Roach

Lori is an energetic woman in her early 60s, dedicated to living life fully through self-awareness and self-care. Inspired by her own transformative journey toward confidence, self-love, and positivity, she writes with genuine passion and authenticity.
With degrees in Psychology, Education, and Nonprofit Management, Lori’s diverse career has spanned education administration, counseling, teaching, conference planning, and the rewarding chaos of full-time motherhood. What ties these experiences together is her steadfast commitment to uplifting others.
Today, Lori focuses her energy on empowering mature women, advocating for the vital role of self-care in building confidence and joy. She firmly believes that every woman in midlife deserves to feel capable, radiant, and fulfilled. Join Lori as she shares insights and inspiration to help you live your best life!