One of the reasons why we neglect ourselves is due to time or money. As if we are automatically programed to think of a day off at a luxurious spa when it comes to self care. I mean that would be awesome, but lets be real. Although it can be done and planned out its not a very practical or affordable self care idea.
I talk about self care for moms in my Self Care Mom posts. It mentions why we should do it and how important it is. As I mentioned in that post there is no right way to self care, everyone has their own struggles and different ways to cope with them.
Set time aside
The whole purpose of this list is so that you can find the time to set aside to practice self care. I strongly believe everyone not just moms but everyone needs to have time for themselves. It doesn’t have to be a whole day set aside to cater to yourself. I have compiled the following list in hopes that in it you can find something that fits your needs. Like mentioned before not everyone likes the same things or enjoys the same activities but maybe this list can serve as an inspiration to start your own list.
7 Self care Tips that are both affordable and practical
1. Enjoy a cup of coffee-Now I love coffee so this one is a no brainer for me but I know what you’re thinking. “I drink coffee every day that’s just my routine” I’m not talking about drinking coffee over breakfast or between your routine household clean ups. I’m talking about getting your favorite coffee mug and pour yourself a cup of coffee, fix it to your liking and sit down somewhere. By yourself, either in front of the TV, in your bedroom, porch wherever. Just enjoy that cup of coffee one sip at a time. Use this time to reflect, meditate, or do whatever you want to do.
2. Enjoy a cuppa!– Of tea that is. This could have been added with the coffee but I wanted it to have its own spot on the list. Making tea in itself is relaxing for me. Especially if I’m using loose leaf teas. In my top 5 must haves for tea lovers I talk about items tea lovers would love to have and I totally use them all. From picking the tea to watching it steep and pouring it into my favorite mug.
3. Read a book-I love a good book, but sometimes I find it hard to stop myself and just sit down to read that’s why I love having a good book on my phone. You can download books from your public library for free on your phone. If you have subscriptions to Amazon, they also have a lending library through their kindle app.
4. Enjoy a bubble bath-I will be honest, I am not a huge fan of bubble baths but that’s probably due to the fact that I do not have one of those nice large garden tubs. Which is why I still added it to my list. If I had one of those I would definitely make sure to bubble it up and lay there forever. Or at least until one of my kids comes looking for me. You can also use a nice lavender bath bomb to relax and light a candle.
5. Give yourself a mani/pedi-I love the idea of doing your own nails. It is so budget friendly and you don’t even need to leave your house. I personally like changing my nail color once a week. That can get very expensive if I do visit a professional nail salon. I just lock myself in my room trim, file, buff and polish away.
6. Write/Plan-This is by far the most practical and affordable self care tip. All you need is pen and paper. Or your laptop if you prefer that. From time to time I like to sit down and write things down. You can use this time to plan out your week, plan out an upcoming trip, maybe just write down your thoughts. This can be very relaxing and you will feel accomplished once your done.
7. Call a friend-It has never been easier to communicate with our family and friends. With social media and cell phones, we can literally get in contact with anyone with a push of a button. However because it has gotten easy to contact our loved ones via txt, messenger, we hardly actually talk to them. When was the last time you actually spoke with that one friend over the phone? Set some time aside and call them up. Catch up and have some heart to heart with them. You wont regret it.
Affordable and Practical
That was the purpose of this list. To have a handful of ideas you can do at any given moment while at home. Very practical and of course affordable. Go ahead and save this post so you can look back at these ideas the moment you need them.
How do you practice self care?
-Julie
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