mrsphatandnaptural

The Ultimate Guide To Self-care: 25 Acts Of Self-care That Cost You Nothing!

The Oxford Living Dictionary defines self care as such: The practice of taking action to preserve or improve one’s own health.

In other words the deliberate act of taking responsibility for your own good health and happiness. A while ago I decided that to make a conscious effort to make time for myself. I use to have one way of coping with making myself feel better, shopping! Don’t judge me 😁.

Although I still love shopping I started to realize buying things robs me of the deeper more fulfilling happiness that comes from true soul work. Not to mention shopping can get out of hand and cause an entire set of challenges in itself…but that’s a topic for another blog post. I will say self-care does not have to cost you a thing!

Here are 25 of acts of self-care that will not cost you a thing!

1. Get some sleep- this is the most under estimated act of self-care. It is literally recharging your battery.

2. Veg out- eat an extra serving of vegetables, or if you’re really bout it go plant based one or two days a week.

3. Let it go- release the guilt. Let go of that mistake. Take the lesson as a blessing and throw away the guilt. You can’t get the time back, the money is spent and you are here to live another day.

4. Drink plenty of water- We all know this, but I’m going to say it anyway. Drink your water. It’s nature’s liquid gold. It flushes all the toxins out.

5. Spend some time alone- even if it’s just 10 minutes in the car before or after work. Just sit and breath. Or do whatever it is that makes you happy.

6. Find a short path and take a long walk- slow down take it easy. Don’t rush, give yourself permission to take it slow.

7. Write it out- it could be a journal or it could just be a piece of paper. You can write your goals, your ideas or what ever is on your mind. You don’t need to do anything with it or show anyone just release what’s on your mind.

8. Laugh out loud- God is so amazing! He designed us so wonderfully that just laughing releases endorphins, the body’s natural feel good chemicals. It boosts your immunity and decreases stress hormones. YouTube funny videos or call that friend that you know is going to keep you rolling on the floor!

9. Work it out- head over to YouTube and pull up one of the gazillions of work out videos and get busy.

10. Get your Yogi on- do some yoga. You don’t have to be a pro. Here are some of my favorite yoga poses ( here).

11. Dance and sing get up and do your thing- put on the music and get moving. Listening to music will change the atmosphere.

12. Do some decluttering- this has a twofold affect. The act of accomplishing the decluttering will feel good and every time you see the area you will feel good all over again.

13. Feed your spirit – attend church or what ever your spiritual practice is. Perform that in a group setting. Plug yourself into the collective.

14. Take a long shower- I think this is a conditioning response from my childhood. There was nothing in life that couldn’t be fixed with a bath and warm pjs.

15. Take a long walk- get out and get some fresh air. Put on your headphones or not and just take a walk.

16. Smile all day- just try it. Smile at every person you encounter. Not only will it make your day, but it may change their life.

17. Listen to a podcast – there are podcasts about everything. Find one that you like and cue it up.

18. Smell the roses- burn a candle or a defuser of your favorite scent. Aromatherapy is said to eliminate headaches, boost immunity, and reduce anxiety and depression among other things.

19. Read- read a book, binge on your favorite blog (hint 😜), or magazine. Knowledge is power.

20. Lose the limits- we all have self imposed restrictions that keep us comfortable. Every now and then get out of your comfort zone.

21. Plan a trip- Not saying that you ever have to take it, but plan it. See what events are taking place, check the hotel prices, flight fares, even the sites to see. So just in case you do decide to go wheels up, you already have a budget.

22. Map your vision- set a series of goals and start taking steps towards reaching them. Make a list of 3-5 long term goals and maybe 1 or 2 steps that you can take immediately that gets you closer to those goals.

23. Take a walk down memory lane- look at old photos, reach out to a family member or friend and reminisce about good times.

24. Get dressed- I know you put clothes on everyday, but I mean get dressed up. I tend to save my favorite perfume or certain clothes for special occasions, but sometimes you just have to show up and show out.

25. Affirm yourself- write down or copy & paste positive affirmations and post them somewhere, not for decorations but actually read them. Sometimes I’ll put them in my phone as a pop up. Imagine you are having a tough day and that 11:30 pop up sounds, you pick your phone up and it reads ” Nothing Can Stop You” ! All the way up! Or “Slay Your Day”! And you know you got this!

 

One of my intentions for starting this platform was to spread love. Gods love and Self love to be exact. As a wife, mother, daughter, and employee, sometimes “me” is the last to get the care and attention that I give everything and everyone else. But that doesn’t serve me or them when I’m running on empty. So I had to learn new ways of caring for myself through lasting acts of self care.

Are you a member of the put me last on the list club? Or do you practice self care? What are some acts of self care  you employ ? Drop a line in the comments.

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