Ok, tell me this. In the last one week, how many times did you stop, look and love yourself? I am not sure if you did it at all. True that, for most of us especially women. I could literally see hands going up in consent there! The biggest fallacy about self-care is most of us think it's mostly about splurging a lot may be at the nail salon or on a shopping spree. It’s actually not. Self-care could be as simple as just taking a walk down a quiet park lane or maybe simply sitting in the library. Imagine this, you are a young mom and quite obviously exhausted and sleep-deprived. You understandably tend to get irritated at the drop of a hat. We hear you. If you do not rejuvenate yourself how would the people relying on you, count on you? Rings a bell, right? Self-care leaves you feeling fresh, light and full of energy. It’s like your real-life oxygen mask. Believe me, there are tons of things you could get your ‘oxygen’ through and surprise, these are mostly free or relatively inexpensive.
Really I’m not kidding you, come on along and you’ll see why.
1. Taking a long walk
Walking in the nearby park or anywhere you want, feel the crisp air brush against your cheeks and inhale some fresh air. No matter how hackneyed this idea seems, this always works when it comes to dropping anxiety and stress. You could actually feel rejuvenated after a brisk walk. Apart from all the feeling good stuff, walking helps burn those stubborn calories, it's the cardio that you look forward to and guess what, gives an extra nudge to your endorphin levels. You gain all the way when you walk, without spending a penny for it!
2. Listening to music
Ok, this could very well merge with the ‘walking thing’ that we just talked about. Put on your Beats headphones and listen to ‘Breathin’ by Ariana Grande or maybe podcasts is your pick while walking. Music instantly cheers me up, I prefer upbeat ones and find myself walking to the beat of the song. Makes me shut up the window to the world, momentarily. And mind you, you have still not spent a dollar!
3. Social Media detoxification
Very important! I cannot emphasize how pertinent this has become. Log out of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and whatever else you are on. That phone and the whole social media ecosystem has become a constant source of disruption and interference, so much so that even when we have a company we cannot have our fingers off that virtual world. Every other minute we retreat in this world to find friends. Actually, solace lies outside these virtual walls! Shut the phone and do nothing, yes you heard it right! Just look out the window to observe the changing color of the leaves in fall or just the silent snowfall or just hear the neighborhood kids playing on the streets in summer!
4. Singing in the shower
This is a no-brainer! I’m a terrible singer but do not shy away when in the shower. A warm tub with Chamomile Essential Oil, soak yourself and sing your heart out! Try it once, please and you would be all sold on this idea. Ok, the oil might be about $10, but it's all alright I believe, isn’t it?
5. Calling a friend or someone in the family you want to catch up with
It’s not only de-stressing to talk to a friend, also you could easily drop your guard and totally forget all the madness going around. My mom is one such person for me, I share my anxiety, take her wisdom and of course, what’s a chat without a bit of gossiping!!
6. Yoga could be you BFF
Say ‘namaste’ to yoga and bid a hearty farewell to all anxiety, body aches and stress. No really, yoga could be your soul sister or brother when you are looking to overhaul your mind and health. Uttanasana, Sasangasana, Vajrasana, Savasana are just a few examples from the gamut of poses that yoga offers for stress relief. Did you think that yoga classes at the studio are expensive? Oh boy, you are correct!! But not when you have entire YouTube tutorials dedicated to anxiety-busting yoga poses! I know these tutorials are not always the alternative to the in-class experience, but they go a long way when you are looking to de-stress without pulling the purse strings!! Follow the Yoga Journal for stress-relief postures and Yoga with Adriene on YouTube.
7. How about some Cha Cha Cha?
Dance away all the worries, work stress, ‘baby cries echoing in your ears’ and of course the calories! It cannot get more inexpensive than this, right? Just put on repeat your favorite tracks and just groove. Does not matter if you know one step, two-step or no step at all, focus on relaxing and enjoy!
8. Catch up on a Dan Brown, Amy Schumer or Margaret Mitchell if you want
This is my favorite way to detox. A book in hand sitting on the rocking chair by the big window and a warm mug of coffee by my side, that’s my kind of day when I think of getting some me-time! It could be any book you want, a classic, a non-fiction or a bestseller, the only expensive thing you need to arrange here is your time.
9. Indulge in some Me-Time
Come on you could do this easily. Whipping up a homemade facial, soaking your feet into a FootSpa Bubble Massager {not very expensive, trust me}, go to the gym {I’m pretty sure you already have a membership, so use it!}, sleep a little bit, eat a quick healthy snack or a cheat meal or just do nothing and laze around on the bed {yeah, we don’t get to do that often}, anything you want but do it today.
10. Did you ever try penning down your emotions?
Journaling or writing down feelings in a diary works wonders for many. It so happens that when you start writing, emotions flow out naturally and you could feel a sense of relief, almost cathartic in nature when you are done. It could be very helpful for people who already have a hang of penning down thoughts, for others, this is worth a try. And remember you have still not spent much at all!
11. Drive to the nearest park and just sit on the lake bank or amidst nature
Ok barring the gas, doing this warrants no costs at all, if you don’t mind the traffic while you get to the nearest park. Park tickets are mostly below $10, you won't mind that, I’m sure! Just sit and do nothing, listen to the noise of grasshoppers, just stand deep enough in the lake to soak up your ankles, or lie on the white sheet, it’s therapeutic, really.
Or simply, make love
12. Exhausting to some, exhilaration to some. To each his own, I say, so suit yourself!
Sometimes, organizing my closet seems like self-care to me
Oh yes, it is self-care for me. Don’t laugh at me, because it's not a nice feeling when I open my closet and a pair of jeans fall plop on my head from the top of the closet. Why? Because I have been throwing my clothes inside and not keeping them. All because the household chores were calling out my name just after I had set my foot in the house from work!! All would agree with that one! Some days I just bring down everything from the wardrobe and sort them, exhausting but very satisfying nonetheless.
Self-care is not indulgence it's a necessity though it's too underplayed. When life seems a bit overwhelming, stop and show some love to yourself. You would realize how important it is. These were a few which came to my mind, drop a note on yours too. We are all in it together, remember!!