6 Easy Ways to Practice Self-Care on a Budget

by Laura C. Jones
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Mastering the art of self-care on a tight budget is a talent that will serve you well throughout your life. For most people, it is incredibly difficult to take care of themselves consistently, and the fact that a good number have few financial resources makes the situation more complicated.

Like millions of others, you have probably associated self-care with lavish expenditures, frequent salon visits, and a vanity stocked with pricey cosmetics. To be fair, that is perhaps influenced by the idea of self-care plastered across all social media platforms, especially Instagram. However, if you rethink what it means to take care of yourself, you’ll discover that doing so is far easier than you think, even when working within a strict financial plan.

Even if you can’t afford to invest heavily in your well-being, there are plenty of alternative ways to put yourself first that can have just as positive of an impact. Here are six inexpensive or free options for self-care.

1. Spend less time on social media

Spending hours at a time mindlessly browsing through your social media accounts isn’t just a waste of time. It’s also been linked to low self-esteem, trouble sleeping, and an inflated “fear of missing out,” or FOMO. The internet and social media are wonderful tools for building relationships and communities of support. Still, they can also lead to compulsive use, distraction, and losing touch with real needs.

Apps like Moment and features like the iPhone’s “Screen Time” can help keep tabs on how much time you spend on social media and help you set limits. Disabling intrusive push notifications, enabling grayscale mode, and stowing your most tempting apps away in a hidden folder are further tips to consider.

2. Take some time for yourself and try free meditation or relaxing techniques

Some people simply can’t face vigorous physical activity after a long day at the office (especially those who work manual labor jobs). Consider incorporating morning or evening relaxation practices for physical self-care instead of exercising when working out could do more harm than good. Daily meditation practice is another excellent strategy for reducing stress and enhancing health.

To practice mindfulness, try sitting quietly on a meditation cushion or chair and focusing on your breathing for a few minutes. There are many excellent free meditation apps available that can serve as excellent starting points for those who wish to delve deeper.  Put a few to the test until you find one you like after putting in your Fair Go casino login to play blackjack online on a different tab.

3. Connect with people you care about

It’s easy to lose touch with those closest to you when life’s demands increase. Taking the time to connect with those who matter can do wonders for your sense of well-being. Even if you can’t meet up in person, you can still have a meaningful conversation by phone, email, or logging in via video chat services like FaceTime or Skype. Reaching out to others symbolizes how much someone means to you.

Prioritize taking care of your mental health above all else. Please give yourself permission to relax and unwind. Relax from your hectic schedule and focus on how you may better care for yourself.

4. Up your sleep game

The health benefits of actively pursuing seven to nine hours of restful sleep per night cannot be overstated. Advantages, such as enhanced immune function, elevated mood, and enhanced performance at work, have been linked to regular, restful sleep.

The best sleep self-care practice involves:

  • Getting a certain amount of hours a night.
  • Not exceeding a given number of hours.
  • Going to bed at a particular time so you can wake up at a specific time.
  • Developing a ritual to help you quiet your body, relax, and fall asleep at a particular time.

5. Practice financial self-care

Anxiety about financial stability is common. Lack of financial clarity can harm both happiness and well-being. Making a budget is an act of self-care in and of itself. Pay attention to your budget and incorporate positive money habits into your daily life to boost your outlook and disposition.

Check out the many excellent free tools that help you organize your finances by setting savings and debt repayment targets.

6. Engage in a pleasurable activity from your childhood

Most people can probably only remember being this ecstatic about life when they were much younger. Consider for a second: what did you do as a youngster that made you giggle the most? Taking your bike for a spin around the block with your pals or relatives might be yours.

To some people, coloring and crafts may have been a source of joy. Or you used garden tools to stage elaborate productions or construct outdoor mazes. Whatever your most-loved past times were, update them to suit your current age and environment. You would be amazed at how soothing it is to return to something you previously cherished.

When you were a kid, you probably had no allowance and had to make do with any spare coin your parents could find. Apply this same logic to your choice of adult activity: make it simple and low-cost.

Take away

While it’s common to associate self-care with lavish indulgence, it’s important to remember that taking care of yourself isn’t a privilege reserved for the wealthy. It’s essential for your bodies, minds, and souls, but it doesn’t cost much. There are ways to take care of oneself that won’t break the bank, within the limits of whatever resources one has.

Using these low-cost strategies for emotional health can allow you to make choices that are good for your bank account and your sanity.

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