7 Free Ways to Practice Self-care

When did self-care turn into expensive skin and hair treatments, luxury vacations, and buying extravagant items? What began as a bubble bath with candles has evolved into a slew of pricey must-haves for women.

Let’s ask ourselves an honest question: is that TRULY self-care? Self-care should be simple and easy to practice every day.  

Let’s get back on track to the simple things. I truly believe each woman should be practicing self-care now more than ever. We are breadwinners, mothers, full-time working college students, and we deserve a break that doesn’t cost us hundreds of dollars, am I right?!

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Here are seven ways to practice self-care for free:

1) Journal. 

Give yourself time to fully indulge in your thoughts from the uncomfortable emotions we feel to the positively pleasant events in our life. Journaling is a simple way to release stress and become more centered. If you’ve been staring at blank pages in a fresh journal, here are 15 thought-provoking journal prompts to get you started.

2) Take a hike (literally). 

There is something so therapeutic about being in nature and outside in general. Taking a twenty-minute walk is not only great for your physical health, but it is also amazing for your mental health. Even if you do not live close to a trail or a beach, try waking up extra early one morning to walk through your neighborhood. The quietness and stillness around you will truly soothe your soul.

3) Take a raincheck on plans.  

In our busy society, we conditioned ourselves to keep our plates full. When do we rest? Sometimes self-care is canceling plans so you can spend a Friday night at home and relax. When our minds and bodies are well-rested, we operate at higher efficiency and with greater clarity.  

4) Yoga.  

I started the year off by doing a 30-day yoga challenge, and it helped me feel so balanced through all of the chaos around me. If you need centering, use yoga as part of your daily routine. It could be a five-minute session before work, or you can even make it part of your lunch break! Yoga is an amazing self-care practice for any day or any length of time.

5) Create a vision board.  

Take a quiet moment to realign with your goals. It doesn’t have to be cutouts from magazines. It could simply be a digital version of screenshots from your phone. Use the time to dream and dwell on your aspirations. You will find that this helps boost your mood and motivates you.

6) Get dolled up.  

Sometimes we need to make ourselves our most glamourous selves even if we have nowhere to go. If there is a dress you’ve been hiding in the back of your closet, this is your moment to pull it out and put it to use. Remember, this is your definition of glamour. It doesn’t have to be a full-face of makeup and heels, but just make yourself feel good and watch your mood improve drastically!

7) Write down a list of things you love about yourself. 

Actively practice self-love and self-care together. Too often, we say things to ourselves that aren’t always positive. This self-care practice is the perfect opportunity to remind yourself of the things that make you an amazing person. Flood your paper with compliments about how you maturely handled a situation or the unique personality traits you possess. Make sure to include the beautiful features that make you YOU.

Now that we have seven self-care tools, we can put these to practice every day of the week. The more we care for ourselves, the fuller our cup is to take care of others. Nurture your mind, body, and soul and watch your mood improve daily. Which self-care tip will you use first?

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