Self Care for Under $10.
Well, here it is. A list of things to do to nurture and take care of yourself for under $10. A lot of these are absolutely free, so pick your faves and try some new ones—as an adventure! The credit goes to all the great women in my Emotional Eaters and Fabulous, Fun, & Forty Something groups. Selfcare PDF Version.
Give yourself a:
Facial – complete with hot towels, scrub, and witch hazel spritzer with essential oils.
Pedicure.
Manicure.
Happy Feet – foot soak with scrub, massage, essential oils, and spritzer.
I pull my hair up, light a few candles and take a hot bubble bath while listening to my favorite music. It's my heaven!
When I need to de–stress, I grab a book and a blanket and disappear to my rocking chair to read for a bit. My rocking chair is in our bedroom so I can sort of escape from the kids. And to keep book costs down we share books in the neighborhood. I also use our local library!
I like to put on my headphones and listen to relaxation sounds or a meditation session. Lay down, close my eyes, and listen. The headphones help you to feel like you’re completely surrounded with the sound like there’s nothing else around you.
I usually escape to my bed room and read my Bible, then go to sleep. God's word is so calm and relaxing.
Believe it or not, my computer is very relaxing to me, especially when I’m reading and answering threads like these that give me new ideas. My key is multi–leveled…first I have to have music. I’ve collected many, MANY songs that are special to me in many different ways so, depending on my mood, I listen to whatever pops up. Second, I keep my Gratitude Journal notepad on my desktop so I can add to it at a moments thought. Finally, my pix and scrapbooking are kind of a two–fer. My pictures give me immense joy and scrapping them or just paging through, keep me sane.
I love to go to my bedroom and cover up with my favorite blanket and read, then take a 15 minute nap, when I wake up I’m ready for what ever comes my way!
When I have some extra steam built up, I call a friend and chat for a little while. It's great to talk to someone when you know they will listen.
Using the computer and surfing the internet is my means of relaxation. I use it as my monkeybox since I’d rather do it to avoid other stressful things.
I like to have soft skin, so I take a hot shower, and when I get out I dry myself by putting on my favorite scented lotion. Rubbing the lotion in dries the water, and lotion into your body.
My “go to” feel better remedy for anything, is a hot bubble bath with candles! There’s nothing that a nice hot bubble bath won’t cure!
For relaxation I love to make a specialty coffee, sit on my deck and enjoy the quiet sounds of nature. It is soooo reviving. By the way, I do this year round, rain, snow, or shine. All has a distinctive way of relaxing you. As they say “silence is golden”.
I agree! I like to do that early in the morning and listen to the birds! It is so cheerful, and a great way to start out your day!
Make some hot herbal or oolong (Ti Quan Yin) tea and curl up in a quiet corner with a journal.
Walk in a new neighborhood and enjoy others’ gardens—smell the roses and take in all the colors.
I love a hot bath with soothing oil and a good book.
Give myself a manicure…and it’s always nice to have some new nail polish!
Library (we have a beautiful library in our town, quiet, neat setting, has a coffee ‘bar’, read the magazines!)
Take my camera on “safari” in the spring—as I walk through the many neighborhoods, I take pics of the landscape (lots of close ups of flowers!) and have used the photos to make greeting cards for friends birthdays & gifts—good exercise & lots of fun
Buying journals (they tend to be less than $10) so I’m inspired to fill in the blank pages and carry them with me. Actually, my favorite journals are the hard cardboard lab notebooks (they are sewn rather than ring bound) and then to decorate the covers to make it my own.
A great paperback is generally less than $10—especially if you shop the used book stores!
We have a cosmotology school in our town, you can have your nails, toes or a hair cut for a very modest fee by the students who are under supervision—great deal!
Making some type of tea bread (pumpkin or date or bananna) and having a friend over for tea & cake & talk!
Call a good friend just to talk.
Read a good book.
Take a walk with your dog.
Go to the local art museum.
Go window shopping at a mall.
Keep hands busy with cross stitching, making jewelry or playing cards and games on the computer.
We have a local nature preserve with lots of trails to hike. So peaceful and such a good workout.
Funny movie.
Logging onto SparkPeople and posting.
Hot bath with a good book.
Walking in a new neighborhood.
Sleeping.
Face Masks.
You can buy single plates (the smaller salad sized ones) that are cool & pretty at Pier One (or Walmart for that matter)—so I try & make my meals special with these and always sit down to eat at my kitchen bar or table—by using the unique plates, making the time to sit down & enjoy my meals, I feel special.
And don’t forget the candle at those “special” dinners…with some nice music…mmmmmm…
Reading, writing in journal, hot bath, asking a neighbor to babysit and hang out with hubby, paint my nails, spend time with each of my daughters separately and together, laughing is my favorite way to take care of myself.
Petting your cat, dog, rat, snake, whatever.
Stopping. Just stopping to look at the trees and the sky.
Go to the park and watch children play on the swings. Then when they are done, grab a swing for yourself and push yourself as high as you can!
Write that story that is inside you.
Join a reading, writing, photography, drawing, whatever–is–your–passion group.
Explore a new neighborhood and smell their flowers. Isn’t it nice of people to grow a whole garden for you to enjoy, without you putting any work into it?
To to a matinee by yourself – bring healthy munchies like popcorn with nutritional yeast & garlic or other yummy flavorings.
Art museums in the San Francisco area have days that they do not charge admission. Check this out in your area!
Pick one of those free community events that you would NEVER go to—you may be surprised at what fun you have.
Get a laugh–out–loud book from the library. Steve Martin, Far Side, whatever tickles your fancy. Read it after work to lighten your mood and get you back to earth, instead of comfort food or alcohol.
Armchair travel books. I love the Traveler’s Tales books. They have some for women, some funny ones, and award–winning books.
Meditate. 3 minutes just paying attention to my breath, opening my eyes and really looking at the trees, beach, sky.
I read everyday. I read in my daily devotional to start out my day.