10 Ways To Practice Self Care Without Spending Any Money
I am definitely one for encouraging everyone to practice self-care as often as they can (daily acts of self care would be the ideal!). But I do recognise that sometimes people can be put off by the thought of having to spend money on expensive treats or activities to practice self-care. Well the first thing I would say to that is self-care does not have to cost the earth; while I think it is great to spend some money on treats for yourself and invest in yourself, I also believe that there are so many other simple and effective ways to practice self-care that will cost you absolutely nothing to do. Self-care can be lavish and luxurious but it can also be simple and straightforward, so please don’t be put off with the thought that self-care has to be expensive.
To help you get started I have put together 10 simple acts of self-care that do not require you to spend any money. So let’s dive in and get your self-care game up and running!
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- Take A Free Course Or Tutorial
I sometimes think we miss a trick when we don’t take advantage of all the free courses and resources on offer out there. Investing in yourself through taking a course to learn a new skill or just increase your knowledge is a great act of self-care because the skills and knowledge you learn will stay with you forever. The fact that you can access many courses and resources for free is great. I took a great free course on how to start a blog which I found really useful when starting my blog.
I also remember taking some free courses at the City Business Library a few years back which gave me the confidence I needed to start my first business. If you are unsure of where to find free course simply type ‘free course online’ or ‘free tutorials online’ into google and pick something that is of interest to you.
- Go For A Long Walk In Nature
This one is very close to my heart. I remember how much I used to relish my long walks after I had my first child. There was something so calming about tucking him into his pram and letting him snooze while I would walk along the path in the park, or down a long road or even to the town centre and back. It gave me time to think, time to relax, time to reflect and time to be creative. It was during one of those walks I got the idea for Detangled Hair; I also wrote a few songs while I walked (by recording voice notes) and spent a lot of time in prayer. Going for a walk is absolutely free and a great way to practice self- care.
- Find Some New Positive And inspirational Social Media Accounts To Follow
I would actually encourage you to limit the time you spend on social media and take regular social media breaks because I feel that can really benefit your mental health. I speak more about that in my blog posts 8 ways to practice self-care on social media. That being said I really do feel that the time you spend on social media should be positive, educational, fulfilling and inspiring. Taking a little time to find some accounts that align with your purpose and inspire you will definitely help to add positivity to your scrolling and feed into your self-care routine. Equally taking the time to delete accounts that no longer serve you is a big part of self-care.
- Creating A Gratitude List
Creating a gratitude list is a great free way to practice self-care as it helps you to appreciate some of the things you have to be thankful for. We can often lead such busy and fast paces lives that we don’t stop to take the time to appreciate the good things we have around us. Taking a moment to write down 5-10 things we are grateful for can have a positive effect on our mental health as well as feed into our self-care routine and doesn’t cost a thing.
- Plan Out Your Next Holiday/Vacation
2020 was the year of no traveling and many of us were still a little too nervous to travel this year too. As things around the world begin to go back to some form of normality, now is a great time to start planning your next holiday. Have a look for different destinations that you may have been longing to visit for a while or perhaps plan to revisit your favourite spots.
Plan some fun activities and look at the best places to visit and the new, exciting things you can do while you’re away. This will definitely leave you smiling as you plan a fantastic holiday for yourself.
- Send Someone A Nice Email
Back in the day we had pen pals. I distinctly remember having between 3-5 pen pals in different parts of the world when I was in secondary school and I loved receiving letters from them as it always brightened up my day. Think of someone you admire or want to say thank you to for something and write them a lovely email. Not only will it make them smile when they receive it, it will remind you that you have good people in your life.
- De-Clutter A Small Space
When things in my house begin to build up and clutter begins to form it makes me feel really uncomfortable. A little clutter here and there is inevitable from time to time especially if like me, you have young children. However I do think that it is important to keep on top of clutter. Taking the time to de-clutter can really help you to feel a sense of achievement as well as helping you to feel more relaxed in the space you occupy. I think de-cluttering and getting organised is a great mode of self-care that is so easy to do.
- Go To Bed Early
We all need a good amount of sleep to function and thrive, however far too often we find ourselves lacking in the sleep due to multiple factors. If you are new parents then a lack of sleep is virtually impossible to avoid but if we are honest, most of us are often up late at night doing things that we don’t really need to me doing. Scrolling on social media, binging on Netflix, texting late at night and the list goes on. Going to bed early will help you to wake up feeling refreshed, it will also help your body to carry out internal repairs while you sleep. So give your mind and body a real boost of self-care and go to bed early.
- Make a playlist on YouTube
I absolutely love this one because I have so many favourite songs. There is something so beautiful about the power of music to be able to uplift and transport you to wonderful memories. So take a few moments to pick some of your favourite songs (no depressing or negative songs allowed on the playlist!), put them together and spend some time immersed in beautiful music.
- Pray/Meditate
As a Christian prayer is a vital part of my journey of faith. It makes me feel closer to God as I talk to him about all my plans, dreams hopes and fears. My meditation is based around reading scriptures from the bible and reflecting on the words. If you don’t follow any faith as an alternative you can try journaling your thoughts instead of praying and spending time reflecting on positive quotes and affirmations. Both methods are free and both are great ways to practice self-care.
So there you have it, 10 completely free and easy ways of practicing self-care that will definitely make a difference in your life, if you take the time out to practice them. I want to encourage you to make your self-care a priority whether you are using free and simple methods or putting in a bit more effort and cost to make sure you are looking after yourself properly. Life is short, so spend the time feeding positively into yourself so you can experience a full, rich and abundant life.
Let me know what you think about the different methods of self-care I have mentioned in the comments below and please feel free to add some of your own to the list!
Check Out Some Of My Other Posts On Self Care
13 Ways To Practice Self Care At Work
An Introduction to Self Care Part 1
An Introduction to Self Care Part 2
8 Ways To Practice Self Care On Social Media
