9 ways to Practice Self-Care with less time and little money

If there’s anything that could keep us sane amidst the insanely fast lives, it’s self-care. Taking care of our body & mind should be our topmost priority but due to our ever-running lives and the wrong notion that self-care is heavy on our pockets, we deter from taking care of ourselves. To not let misconceptions make you suffer, here are 9 ways to practice self-care with less time and little money.   

1. Monitor your self-talk

The way you talk to yourself has a significant impact on your mental & emotional health, this defines your relationship with yourself. The kinder and more considerate your self-talk is, the more is your internal strength and resilience, this practice takes no money, no separate time, just some of the conscious effort and tada…you’re done with a major part of self-care.  

2. Meditate

We’re troubled by our thoughts more than anything or anyone. Even for 10-15 mins a day, meditation will help you slow down and live in the present. Meditation doesn’t always have to be sitting and chanting a mantra or trying to not think at all. It’s more about mindfulness, about being aware of each passing moment. 

3. Breathing exercises

Our lives today are so busy that we even forget to take a deep breath. Our breathing pattern is directly impacted by our mood and vice versa. Breath could be an anchor to ground you when you’re living in your head more than your body. Remember to consciously take a few deep breaths a day and do some breathing exercises as a part of your self-care. 

4. Social Media detox

The majority of our work is sitting in front of a screen which harms our health already, add to that, mindlessly scrolling social media gives birth to comparisons, self-esteem issues, the fear of missing out, or FOMO.   A few minutes away from social media a day could be a good way of taking care of your eyes and mind. 

5. Boundaries

Throughout the day, we interact with a lot of people and have different kinds of connections with them. These connections come with a few obligations, putting efforts and if not managed properly, result in draining energy. Knowing when and how to say no is essential in maintaining mental sanity. Setting boundaries with people you know could be a fine start to your self-care journey

6. Journaling

To track our growth as an individual, this practice of writing down the highlights of your day, random thoughts, or just anything is very conducive. Just a paper, pen, a few minutes to spare and you’re good to go. Journaling is very helpful when it comes to cultivating gratitude, introspecting, processing emotions, and understanding our thought patterns. 

7. Do what you love and suck at it

Demands of work and relationships take so much of our time that we hardly ever take time for the activities that replenish our soul. Carve out time for your hobbies, sing, dance, paint, write, anything that you love, and know that it’s okay to be bad at it. Spending time with yourself, doing what you truly enjoy, and not caring about how well you do it, is an underrated pleasure.

8. Go for a Walk

If you are unable to work out daily, this could be a viable option to keep your body moving and also to look at the world beyond mobile and computer screens. Go for a walk to the park nearby, or just plug in your earphones, making an empty street your jogging track. Takes hardly 20 minutes of your day but could create an insane amount of positive impact on your body and mind.

9. Watching Sunsets/Sunrises

Binge-watching a top-rated Netflix web series is fine but the feeling of gazing at the rising or setting sun and experiencing the peace that comes with it remains unbeatable. At times a pause is much needed in this constant chase of things, dreams, and positions, and sunsets or sunrises work wonders in providing that pause.   

10. Keep a check on what you eat

Our intake has a direct impact on our overall health. Mental and physical well-being are both interlinked, if one goes down, there are adverse effects on the other. If your diet includes a lot of junk and ultra-processed foods, it’s probably time to re-plan your diet and focus on consuming healthier food.   

Source: Huffpost.com