Go on any major entertainment or news site and you’ll find articles discussing “self-care,” an all-encompassing word that gets thrown around to encourage unhealthy eating and retail therapy. In fact, a lot of “self-care” articles are just thinly-veiled marketing ploys.
You might be thinking, “uh, Erin, shouldn’t you be pro-self-care?” Well yes, nondescript internet-person, I do advocate for self-care. Just not in the consumer-driven way many companies push on people.
Let me explain. Oftentimes, when you see articles about “self-care,” they’re really advertisements for products disguised as “must-haves” for relaxation and lowering anxiety. Expensive cosmetic products, overpriced plush robes, and face masks are the usual culprits. These products alone aren’t the issue, but when each one comes with an Amazon affiliate link directly beneath it, it’s hard to believe that these lists are much more than a money grab for the websites that peddle them off as self-care necessities.
That being said, if some or all of the aforementioned products help you to destress, more power to you! There’s nothing wrong with putting on a nice face mask or high-quality lotion to help yourself unwind. However, there are plenty of free or cheap ways to help yourself feel better without throwing money at companies that are trying to capitalize off your mental health. Here are 4 simple ones to try.
1) Move your body. I will be the first person to admit that back in high school when I was extremely depressed, working out was the last thing I wanted to do. And honestly? I don’t blame teenage Erin. Nor do I blame you if your reaction to this suggestion is to laugh and keep scrolling. Afterall, exercise has been incredibly glamorized throughout social media—Instagram influencers post pics of themselves with their slim-thick bods and flattering athletic gear. Professional trainers post workout videos of themselves barely working up a sweat as they show off their six-pack abs and white teeth. With each post, the caption reads something like “Feeling SO good after this circuit! Endorphins are my happy pills 🤪” or “It’s not about motivation, it’s about dedication 👊.” It’s easy to feel like that social media bubble is all there is to exercise, and anyone who doesn’t look like that or, more importantly, feel like that every time they work out doesn’t belong.
But that’s not reality, that’s a carefully-curated feed. Ignore, unfollow, and block those accounts if they bring you down, and instead focus solely on how your body feels during and after moving. If the weather is nice, go for a long walk, or a run, or a bike ride. If the weather is crappy, look up some yoga or pilates moves to try indoors. Try lifting some heavy objects. Find something that makes you feel strong and powerful. This is a great time to let your mind wander, zone out, and chill.
2) Read anything. Don’t let my gif of choice fool you (I really just love Whose Line)—you don’t necessarily have to read books to reap the benefits of reading. If you do happen to be a bookworm like me and have a list of titles all lined up to read, great! But if you dread reading, or at the very least would rank it far below other pastimes, you should really reconsider. Maybe you’ve always found reading to be boring or associate it with school. Maybe you read at a different pace than your peers so you just prefer not to do it. Whatever the case might be, throw those ideas away and think about reading from a new perspective.
As in, what do you like? What are your hobbies, interests, things that you just want to know more about? Do you love reading certain magazines or websites online? Are there any movies or shows you love that have a literary counterpart? Do any of your favorite comedians have books? When you take the pressure off of reading and make it about fun rather than something you must learn from or memorize, you’ll find reading is actually a great way to relax. Studies have shown that reading also has positive effects on mental health. And if you’re looking to create a bedtime routine, reading is a great activity to do before bed (assuming you’re not reading a thriller).
3) Journal any way you want. Here’s the thing about journaling: you don’t have to do it Dear Diary style. Honestly, you don’t even have to write in full sentences. Make a list, bullet points, or key words that describe how you feel on a given day. Doodle, write fun quotes. Track a habit. Start a bullet journal and break out the washi tape and funky-colored pens. You can even do your journaling online or in a Word doc if that’s more your style.
That being said, researchers have found that writing about a stressful event specifically can actually lead to positive cognitive and emotional growth. The key is to use journaling to make sense of the event and express your emotions about it, not just to vent. Another study achieved similar findings in their trial of a web-based journaling system that focused on self-affirmations. This can be challenging at first, especially if you have low self-esteem. Trust me, I know. Sometimes it’s hard for me to come up with a single thing I like about myself. But you can take things slow. For example, start a list of your favorite qualities about yourself and every day, add on one more thing.
And of course, gratitude journaling can really help you stay present, be thankful for what you have, and feel more positively about the future. Whatever way you choose to journal, make it fun for you.
4) Get the right amount of sleep. I’m sure you’ve heard this a million times, but getting good-quality sleep is important for your mental and physical health. This means not only getting to bed at a certain time, but also maintaining proper sleep hygiene. Sleep hygiene includes all the practices you do before going to sleep. For many of us, this pre-sleep ritual involves brushing our teeth, slipping under the covers, and scrolling on our phones for an hour. But science shows that staring at screens before bed makes it harder to fall asleep. The light from screens, particularly blue light, makes our brains think it’s daytime, and delays the release of the sleep hormone melatonin. So when you’re looking at your phone, computer, or TV shortly before bed, you’re effectively telling your brain to stay awake.
But fear not! There are pre-bed activities you can do that can help you fall asleep. Reading a book, journaling, meditating, and doing yoga are all great things to try. And as you get into a routine of doing one of those activities before bed, your brain will start to associate the activity with sleeping, helping you fall asleep more easily. You also might start to realize you really like whatever ritual you choose more than you ever enjoyed mindlessly staring at a screen.
Of course, we don’t live in a perfect world. Realistically, not everyone will be able to resist staying off their electronics before bed–myself included. I know for me, sometimes the only time I have to watch TV is later at night after work/the gym/running errands, so I usually end up looking at screens around bed time. Luckily, there are settings to help with that. Most smartphones have blue light filter settings, which filter out the blue light from your phone screen. Meanwhile, software like f.lux allows you to adjust your computer settings so that as the sun sets, your computer screen “sets” with it (i.e. stops showing you blue light). There are plenty of options to help you get your best night’s sleep.
And there you have it: 4 ways to take care of yourself for little-to-no money. Treating yourself has never felt so good.