If consuming specific content doesn’t evoke positivity and contentment, or bring value to your life, then BUH-BYE!
It’s time to make a conscious effort to take care of your physical, mental, and emotional health! Yes, we’re talking self-care. A practice that has become increasingly popular in the last few years, as people are starting to realize that being kind to the body and mind allows them to show up as the best version of themselves in all areas of life. In other words, you can’t run on empty! It’s absolutely critical that some time and energy be set aside each day just for YOU. The best part is, you don’t need countless hours and you definitely don’t need to break the bank to indulge in some rejuvenating personal time. Sure, taking yourself on a date or treating yourself to a spa treatment is nice… but is it necessary? Nope! Here are our top five favorite ways to practice self-care for FREE:
Say No
Yep, it seems simple, and maybe even obvious, but actively trying to say no can be challenging. Especially if you’re the type of person that thrives on helping others with their workload, personal problems, or whatever else they may need. Set hard boundaries for yourself and communicate them to your peers so there’s never any confusion about when you’re available and what you’re willing to do. Plan out the days and times you will dedicate to yourself and say no to anything that interferes with that time. You are unavailable, OOO, and respecting your needs FIRST! Lastly, never glorify chaos. If you are the type of person that is constantly running behind schedule and always writing it off as your “thing” to never having enough hours in the day, then let this be your reminder to start saying no ASAP!
Go on a Walk Outside
If you’re feeling stressed, uneasy, or overwhelmed then take as little as 10 minutes to move in nature. Get some steps in, listen to the birds chirp, and just be present! Oh and ditch the technology for your jaunt too! Getting movement and being in nature will soothe your soul and reset you for the rest of the day.
Clean Your Space
Go through the closet that’s bursting at the seams and the kitchen drawer full of a bunch of random objects. There is nothing better than getting rid of stuff that isn’t serving you! Be honest with yourself, do you really need 50 t-shirts taking up space in your dresser or every book you’ve ever read cluttering up your desk? If not, then its gotta go! Lay everything out, donate and recycle what you can, throw away what can’t be reused, and then thoughtfully organize and store the rest. You’ll feel great about passing your things along to someone in need AND decluttering your environment. So get cleaning!
Get in the Kitchen
Cooking can be therapeutic! Prance around your kitchen to your favorite tunes and whip up something delicious. Get your creative juices flowing by challenging yourself to make something with whatever you already have in your pantry and fridge. Channel your inner Rachel Ray, you got this!
Do a Social Media Detox
We are all guilty of aimlessly scrolling through social media for hours on end. However, spending too much time viewing other people’s likely posed and exaggerated, most picturesque moments can be damaging. It’s far too easy to find yourself comparing your relationship, house, family, salary, clothes, and everything else to people’s lives you don’t even know. If consuming specific content doesn’t evoke positivity and contentment, or bring value to your life, then BUH-BYE! Hit unfollow because we don’t have time to stare at unrealistic lifestyles and photoshopped Instagrams all day. Go on an unfollowing spree and give yourself a time limit each day of how long you can spend scrolling. Hot Tip: Move your social media apps to the last page in your phone and put news apps, your banking app, or maybe even a meditation app in their places.