Because turns out that’s when you need it the most
By Danai Christopoulou
Self care is not just good: It’s necessary. Taking care of yourself means you will ultimately be able to keep taking care of others and living your best life. But have you noticed how, lately, self care seems to be all about investing in things like $65 jade face rollers, $45 stainless steel water bottles, $44 weekly happiness planners and just a ton of super cute but super expensive stuff?
Sure, a state-of-the-art water bottle may inspire you to hydrate more. Baking a cake with an ingredient list longer than Kim K’s hair extensions will make you feel like a domestic goddess. Filling up every corner of your home with potted plants will give you soothing, rainforest vibes. But unfortunately all these things also cost money. And if you and your hard-earned dollars are currently too busy just paying rent, food and cat food (i.e. the bare essentials), equating self care with consumerism will end up bringing nothing but FOMO and anxiety.
It doesn’t have to be like this. To prove our point, we made a list of 13 ways you can practice self care without spending any money whatsoever. Remember to take a sip of water from your non-fancy glass while reading.
- Meditate
Saying that meditation can rewire your brain is not an overstatement. Many surveys show that meditation can help with mental health issues, relieve stress, improve your memory, help you fight insomnia and improve your sleep. The best part? You don’t need anything besides yourself and a quiet corner in your house to do it. (But if you do need a little help, check out these tips to find your meditation style and get started.) There are several great meditation apps on the market such as Headspace, Calm and Insight Timer offering techniques, ambient sounds and guided meditations for free.
- Feather your nest
Sometimes practicing self care simply means spending a lot of time in bed, or on the couch. Make sure you’re lying as comfortably as possible, surrounded by fluffy pillows. Wash your pillowcases at least once a week (your hair will also thank you). Mix and match the colors of your sheets, blankets and pillows: the more quirky it looks, the cosier you’ll feel. Also it goes without saying that if you have a pair of silk or egyptian cotton sheets you’re keeping for special occasions, use them. You are the special occasion.
- Listen to Nature
We don’t mean this in a woo woo way. In 2016, a Brighton and Sussex Medical School study found that rainfall, thunder, a crackling fire and other nature sounds help calm our mind by physically altering our brain’s neural pathways. If nature sounds are not really easy to come by organically in your downtown flat, type “rain sounds” in your app store: there are many free apps to choose from.
- Voice journal
What feels more like “self care” to you, writing your thoughts and feelings on a gorgeous notebook with a fancy pen or on a white pad with a bic? The answer should be, “both”. But it’s human to veer towards the pretty — and the pretty usually costs a pretty penny. So here’s a radical thought: don’t write, do voice recordings. You can use your phone’s recording app, or download a free app like Voice Diary. Hearing your voice afterwards will actually help you connect more with your feelings than if you just read words on a paper. And if you’re struggling with mental health issues, it may be a great way to monitor your mood (take it from someone who lives with bipolar disorder; we tend to speak faster when we’re nearing a manic episode and much slower when we’re on a depressive streak).
- Learn something new
Self care also means helping yourself expand and evolve. And the way to do that, is by learning new things. Thankfully, there is a cornucopia of knowledge out there, just waiting to be consumed. You can go to YouTube, pick a subject that appeals to you, skip ad and start watching. Or, you can get the e-book version of the book you always wanted to read. If it’s a classic one, it’s probably become public domain by now, so you can find a free pdf version to download.
- Dress up — and stay home
You don’t have $14 to spend on cocktails? That’s no reason for your favorite leopard print jumpsuit to stay caged in the closet. Watching your favorite shows while on party attire will feel surreal, absurd and ultimately great fun. Doesn’t get more self caring than that.
- Have a Skype therapy session with your friends
Spending time with your friends is therapeutic in any setting. But what do you do when you can’t afford the burgers, martinis or even caramel lattes that usually go with hand in hand with hanging out? Skype video calls may just be the answer. You can be in your PJs, on your couch, eating what you would normally eat for dinner and still enjoy all the perks of your friends company. Ain’t technology great?
- Rearrange every furniture in the house
Don’t underestimate what a change in your surroundings, even small, can do for your mental state. Commit to at least try two alternative positions for each furniture. We mean it. Seeing your house looking completely different will make you feel like you’re on vacation, lounging it out in some cosy Airbnb. (And if the new setup really bothers you, you can always put it back how it was the next day.)
- Cook something new (with what you have in the cupboard)
Cooking is meditative. Cooking without spending a fortune to shop for ingredients, doubly so. What can you make with what you have in the cupboard right now? Don’t go for the obvious choices. If you have pears, cheese and bread, instead of a cheese platter you can make a pizza. Would that work? Who knows? Let’s find out!
- Get yourself on the mat
Self care is starting to get a reputation of promoting being lazy and eating all the snacks. While that’s also a valid and necessary aspect of it, you shouldn’t neglect doing something good for your body. And as far as exercises go, yoga is extremely versatile: your yoga practice can be gentle enough to feel like you’re stretching in bed, or demanding enough to make you sweat all your troubles away. Try Yoga with Adriene. You can join her 30-day yoga challenges or choose a practice that fits your needs today. Besides being very sweet herself, Adriene also has a very cute dog who hangs around during asanas, so that’s a plus in my book.
- Use the power of smell
The olfactory sense is uncannily connected to memory. A smell can make you happy, sad, nostalgic, or even trigger very strong negative reactions. Make sure you are surrounded by smells that spark joy (sorry, Marie Kondo, we’re not throwing away these books anytime soon). And you don’t have to splurge in Diptyque candles either. You can sprinkle some spices on the flame of a tea light (cinnamon, clove and cardamom all work great), twist the peel of citrus fruit and let them stand on a platter together with dried leaves or just use a drop of vanilla extract (the one in your kitchen cupboard) on warm water. Who needs expensive essential oils anyway?
- Use the power of pets
It goes without saying that hugging your little fluff tight is the best self care regime of them all. If you don’t have a little fluff, consider adopting one. Just kidding (kinda). But browsing through accounts such as We Rate Dogs on Twitter or Suki the adventure cat on Instagram, will make you feel appropriately warm and fuzzy.
- Take a social media break
We saved the most controversial one for last. Social media can be a marvelous and inspiring place, where you learn new things, meet new people and swoon over kittens, cupcakes and cool dresses (maybe that’s just me). Or…. it can be a source of stress, insecurity and negativity. The minute you find yourself feeling you are somehow lacking because you don’t seem to have the perfect life (or the perfect brows) everyone on your Instagram feed seems to be having, is the minute you need to delete the app from your phone. At least for a while. Okay, at least until your self care session is over.
