While self-care is often used as just another buzzword with an abstract meaning behind it (are sheet masks, yoga, and water bottles swirling around in your brain at the very mention of the word?), putting self-care into actual practice is a game-changer for mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical wellness — and your favorite celebrities are some of the biggest advocates for the many ways you can practice self-care.
The aforementioned sheet masks, yoga, and water bottles (for drinking water, of course) are totally valid and fantastic ways to get your self-care on, but self-care can also be as simple as spending time with your pets, like Jonathan Van Ness, or giving yourself a compliment, like Ashley Graham.
And we’re calling BS on the stereotype that self-care is only for women. Snoop Dogg and Frank Ocean are two celebrities who encourage men to get into self-care, sharing how they like to take care of themselves as a way to normalize the practice for people of all genders. Both Snoop and Ocean cite beauty practices as their favorite forms of self-care, and we love that they’re both publicly pushing the boundaries of gender norms.
Whether you’re looking for ways to implement self-care into your own life or you’re simply curious about the practices your favorite celebrities do on the daily to boost their health and wellness, read on for insights from Beyoncé, Jennifer Aniston, Serena Williams, and more.
Naomi Osaka
In 2021, tennis star Naomi Osaka shared her self-care rituals with InStyle. She explained, “Self-care doesn’t need to be complicated; I try to not overthink it. It’s important to find ways to unwind. I like to practice meditation, even if it’s just a few minutes each day, because it helps center me.”
Osaka continued, “Music is also a great tool, which is why I’m almost always wearing my headphones. I like to listen to songs that help put me in the right frame of mind. During challenging times, I remind myself that everyone has good and bad days. All I can do is try to be the best that I can be.”
Ashley Graham
Ashley Graham shared her self-care practices with Bustle in 2021, explaining, “I do prayer daily; I try to stretch or do some sort of movement. I don’t have to get sweaty or go to a gym, but I try to move my body in some way.”
The model also spoke about how important affirmations are to her, saying, “My affirmations are very personal and can be so simple, like ‘I love you, I’m bold, I am brilliant, I am beautiful, I am worthy of all.'” Graham said that while she understands how uncomfortable it can be to give yourself compliments, she advises to “Just start with what is the biggest issue in your life [right now.]”
Beyoncé
“In the past, I spent too much time on diets, with the misconception that self-care meant exercising and being overly conscious of my body,” Beyoncé revealed during a 2021 Harper’s Bazaar interview. She continued, “My health, the way I feel when I wake up in the morning, my peace of mind, the number of times I smile, what I’m feeding my mind and my body – those are the things that I’ve been focusing on.”
Vanessa Hudgens
Vanessa Hudgens relies on meditation as a part of her self-care practice, but notes that she doesn’t do it as often as she’d like to. “I wish I could say I meditate more, but it really takes persistence to make that a part of your daily routine,” she told People in 2023.
That said, she’s “a big fan of an active meditation.” That includes yoga, which Hudgens said “is such an amazing form of an active meditation… there’s nothing better when you’re in your flow, your mind is clear.” Why does she love it? “You’re getting a sweat on. You just are super, super present. I feel like that’s the point. Whatever can take you out of your mind, and put you into the present is an active meditation.”
Oprah
“I always give myself Sundays as a spiritual base of renewal – a day when I do absolutely nothing,” Oprah wrote for O Magazine. “I sit in my jammies or take a walk, and I allow myself time to BE – capital B-E – with myself. When I don’t, I absolutely become stressed, irritable, anxiety-prone, and not the person I want to be in the world,” she explained.
Jonathan Van Ness
During a (pre-pandemic) 2020 Biossance event, per StyleCaster, Queer Eye‘s Jonathan Van Ness shared some of their favorite forms of self-care: “I love to spend time with my cats. I love figure skating. I love gymnastics. I love going to the gym, taking walks, and being at home — whether alone or with friends.”
They continued, “If I had the time [for an ultimate self-care session], I would take a vacation on a turquoise beach with lots of yoga, and baths, and meditation.”
Jennifer Lopez
Self-care starts with affirmations for Jennifer Lopez. The entertainment icon told Elle in 2020, “Every day, I say I am youthful and timeless at every age. I live a beautiful adventurous life with my children, and we’re all in perfect health, always. All of these great things you learn to say to yourself so there’s this positive self-talk in your head really does create a beautiful person on the inside who maintains a beautiful person on the outside.”
Jennifer Aniston
During a 2021 interview with Forbes, Jennifer Aniston divulged her self-care secrets, sharing, “My self-care is my morning routine. I don’t pick up my phone ’til I’m finished walking my dogs, feeding the dogs, meditating, journaling, making my coffee. You know, just having a nice clear head, and then I’ll go into the world, so to speak.”
Laverne Cox
During a 2019 interview with The Cut, Laverne Cox shared, “As soon as I wake up, I try to write down five things I’m grateful for. Then, I’ll do some transcendental meditation, at least 20 minutes. If I jump into the day without meditating or doing the gratitude list, then I have to do a catch-up at some point, to center myself in my body.”
Serena Williams
Speaking to Elle in 2018, Serena Williams explained, “I think self-care is very important to prioritize in life. When you make time for yourself, you feel like the best version of you and that extends into other facets of life.”
The tennis legend continued, “My self-care routine varies – whether I’m trying a new product or staying loyal to my feel-good classics like coconut oil, I always carve out moments to tend to myself and nurture my body.”
Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg loves a self-care moment, too. The rap icon told The Fader, “As males, we all have feminine ways, just like women have masculine ways, so it’s okay to tap into those inner ways. I’m a man that can tap into my feminine side and still know that I’m a masculine man with a manicure.”
Emma Watson
Baths and skincare are Emma Watson’s favorite forms of self-care. She told Into the Gloss, “No matter what, I always wash my face at night. I could get back from a shoot at 4 AM and still cleanse, tone, and moisturize before going to bed. People are amazed by this, but it’s just one of those self-care practices that I really enjoy.”
The beloved Harry Potter alum continued, “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. I’ll take phone conversations in the bath, anything.”
Kate Winslet
“I am in love with my Peloton bike,” Kate Winslet told Marie Claire in 2021. “My family and I all share it and sometimes fight over it. I found that when I was filming Mare of Easttown, that was almost the one thing I couldn’t have gone without, because of the way it helped me decompress.”
The beloved actress continued, “The sweat factor, the challenge of it, the great chat from the instructors. Sometimes I’d wail, I’d yell, or I’d cry on the bike; I can release so much.”
Selena Gomez
A little rest and relaxation is Selena Gomez’s favorite form of self care — the actress and singer told People in 2021, “A nap is my best bet, not gonna lie. Taking a nap when I’m feeling a little low is nice because I feel like I can start over.”
Jessica Alba
Jessica Alba emphasized the importance of exercise, water, and meditation in a 2022 interview with Shape. “Obviously having great beauty products and sleeping really helps, but you do have to, I think, practice those holistic things that make you healthy, otherwise it doesn’t really matter what kind of cream or makeup you have,” she said.
The actress and Honest founder explained of meditation in particular, “[It] helps me connect with my heart and shut off a lot of the chatter in my head and ground me.”
Frank Ocean
Frank Ocean wants his fellow men to get it together, and we love him for it. The musician told GQ, “I feel like men just go to sleep. They may wash their face or they don’t even bother – they go to sleep with the day face on. You really need to do a gentle wash and put a night moisturizer on.”
He continued, “I need the night cream because when I wake up, I feel very beautiful, moisturized, and ready to have people making eye contact with me, ready to look above my eyebrow, below the eyebrow. That’s the life hack right there.”
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