Self-care. We all know we need it. Yet, many of us don’t have extra hours (or dollars) in our week to dedicate to it. To that end, I’ve compiled some of the best self-care strategies that take almost NO time, and won’t break the bank.
Keep live plants or cut flowers in your bathroom
I’m not a huge morning person, but brushing my teeth in view of flowers brightens my mood significantly. Plants are natural mood boosters, and gazing at greens is going to make you much happier than scrolling through your phone first thing.
Unfollow or mute a social media account that stresses you out
Every now and again I find myself following a person or a brand on social media that makes me feel squirmy. As someone interested in health and fitness, sometimes this means unfollowing a feed that’s gotten too diet-stringent. Sometimes it means I’ve got to mute folks who voice their opinions in a negative way. Your social media feeds are yours alone – feel free to edit them.
Take a short walk outside in the middle of the day
This one is hard in winter, but such a good one. If you have kids, bring them with! If it’s hard to get away from work, find a coworker who will take walking meetings with you. Research has shown that a 30 minute walk boosts your mood, but I’d argue that even a 5 minute walk picks me up mid-day.
Give a genuine compliment
Maybe your barista at Starbucks has a really great manicure. Tell her! Maybe your coworker did a fantastic job on a presentation. Tell her! I promise it’ll boost your mood as much as the person you’ve complimented.
Turn your regularly scheduled bathing into a spa-like experience. I like eucalyptus or lavender to relax, and citrus or lemongrass to wake me up.
Text a friend you haven’t talked to in awhile
Just a quick text to say you’re thinking about them will make you both smile. Human connection is as vital to health and wellness as food and exercise. Do a solid for both of you and hopefully you’ll still be texting each other (or whatever we do in the future) at 100!
I know it’s hard for many of us to make time for ourselves, but it’s SO important. I hope that these simple strategies help you find a little more joy in your day. If you have any easy-peasy self care tips for the rest of us busy folk, please share them in the comments!