Many of us don’t have time for 90-minute rituals involving moon water, a crystal grid, and sit still to meditate or journal.

We’re women in motion—balancing work, relationships, maybe caregiving, definitely expectations—and we don’t get enough time to do more in the name of self-care. What we need are tiny, sacred rebellions. Rituals that take a minute, not a morning. Shifts that feel like “just me” again, not another item on the to-do list.

So, here are five of my favorite UNCOMMON self-care rituals. They take under 10 minutes, and yes—they shift everything. You don’t need a yoga mat. You don’t need a therapist on speed dial (though bless them). All you need is just you, your attention, and a dash of intention.

1. The Radical Pause (60 seconds of doing absolutely nothing)

Here’s how this goes:

Put your hand on your heart.
Close your eyes.
And… do nothing.

Not meditating. Not visualizing. And not trying to “manifest” anything.
Just being.
Radical, right?

In a world that praises productivity like it’s a religion, doing nothing—even for 60 seconds—is straight-up rebellion. It’s sacred stillness. It’s you saying, “I exist outside of output.”

Set a timer if you must. But don’t fill this time. Just sit. Exist. Be deliciously unproductive for one whole minute.

2. The Morning Anchoring Mug (because coffee counts)

Choose your morning drink. Tea. Matcha. Lemon water. Or coffee, obviously.

Now drink it like a ritual, not a race.

• No emails. 
• No scrolling.
• No mentally prepping your to-do list.

Just you, your warm mug, and the quiet hum of being human before the day steals you away.

I call this my “sip-and-sink” moment. I sip, and I sink into myself. Even if it’s just 3 minutes, I’m anchored. And on tough mornings, it’s the one thing that says, “I got you, girl.”

3. The “No List” (because boundaries are self-care)

We’ve been tricked into thinking self-care is about adding more stuff: more habits, more journaling, more green smoothies.

But sometimes the boldest self-care is subtraction.

So every Monday, I write a quick “No List.” Three things I’m not doing this week.

Example:

• Not replying to every WhatsApp group
• Not signing up for that online course I secretly don’t care about
• Not saying yes when my soul’s saying “ugh no”

This is your permission slip to opt out. You don’t need to hustle for worthiness. You don’t need to RSVP yes to everything. Cross it off before it crosses you out.

4. The Bedtime Brag List (because we forget how amazing we are)

Every night, I scribble down three tiny wins from the day. I call it my Bedtime Brag List.

• Asked for what I needed
• Didn’t doom-scroll at lunch
• Reheated leftovers instead of skipping dinner
• Said no to something that I didn’t want to do 

No, these aren’t Insta-worthy. But they are nervous-system rewiring worthy.
Because when your brain gets in the habit of noticing wins, it stops obsessing over what’s missing.

Bragging isn’t bad. It’s brain training.
Celebrate yourself—especially when no one else is clapping.

5. The Sensory Reset Ritual (your peace lives in your five senses)

When life feels loud and everything’s just… too much, I reset through one sense at a time.
No big ceremony, no chanting required.

Examples:

Inhale clary sage or orange essential oil
Play one calming song (James Blake, anyone?)
Wrap yourself in something cozy
Step outside, touch a leaf, breathe like the trees do

Your senses are literal portals back to calm. Pick one and reset in under 3 minutes.

Because sometimes the best therapy is stepping outside and whispering “wtf” to a plant.

Wrapping Up on Uncommon Self-Care Rituals

The entire month might blur past in a mess of deadlines, dishes, social noise, and inner chaos. But please don’t let it blur you out of the picture.

Although I am a big fan of having a good morning routine in place, but it is not always possible to take out an hour or two to take care of yourself in the midst of chaotic runarounds. So, instead of feeling guilty about not being able to set up a good routine, try spending 10 powerful minutes on yourself.

You are not just the doer, the giver, the glue.
You’re a whole woman. With desires. Needs. A nervous system. A soul.

You’re allowed to rest without earning it.
You’re allowed to unplug without apology.
And you’re also allowed to take up space without explaining yourself.

These rituals aren’t magic. But they are medicine. They remind you that self-care isn’t a luxury. It’s your baseline.

So if no one told you today:
You’re doing so much better than you think.
And you, dear woman, deserve to feel like you again.

P.S. Want more rebel rituals?

Stick around. This space is for women who are done performing wellness and ready to live it—softly, boldly, on their own terms.