There are plenty of free self-care ideas that don’t have to complicate our lives. They’re easy to implement and if we do them on a regular basis, they can help us stay calm and more prepared for turbulent times ahead.
So let’s take a look at some simple and free self-care ideas that we can bring into our daily routines that will help us feel better:
getting an early night
However tempting it is to stay up late binge-watching some crap on Netflix or whatever, Sleep is KING! We need it so our bodies can rest and repair and get ready for the day ahead. If we don’t get enough sleep, it can affect our day considerably. It can affect whether we exercise or not, and what we eat.
We are more likely to rely on unhealthy coping mechanisms if we don’t get enough sleep. If you’re like me and struggle with sleep, do everything you can to enhance it. Reduce screens late at night, do some form of meditation, or listen to binaural beats which helps us to wind down before heading to sleep. I’ll continue to listen to these until I feel tired now. If I don’t I will just lie there until ready. I find this is a good time to connect to something greater than myself but I’m very spiritual. Do what works for you or what resonates with you.
getting sunlight & fresh air
We need sunlight and fresh air to LIVE! Watch the animals around you. Where do they like lying? My guess is it’s in the sun. They head for the sun when they can. Just like them, we need the sun too. We need it to make Vitamin D and we need clean air in our lungs.
Sitting inside all day is not good for us especially if we’re in artificial lighting. Do what you can to get outside even if it’s just for breaks. Sun in the morning will help with sleep so keep that in mind.
improve self-care through learning something new
Whenever we learn something new, we improve a lot of aspects of our lives. I’m a massive fan of personal development. I don’t like to waste my time on stupid stuff so I use my spare time to improve my skills. I see this as a form of self-care because I can either enhance my spiritual well-being, improve my mental health, or learn something that’s going to improve my income and lifestyle further down the track.
I also use my time to research different self-care practices that are outside the mainstream. I do this because I’ve moved away from the medical model into more holistic healing and functional medicine practices.
enhance your self-care routine through youtube videos
YouTube has so much free content on it from yoga to strength training to ….. pretty much everything you need to enhance your well-being. The biggest thing we need with it though is motivation. It’s all there at the flick of a switch but we have to be motivated to engage with it. The ads are a pain in the arse but if you can get passed that, it’s free!
Have a look around for something that excites you or grabs your attention. Set aside some time in the day (I find the morning is the best) to do something productive. Once the habit is started, then it’s easy to keep going.
Be sure to save your videos into folders to make it even easier and get your exercise equipment and clothing ready the night before.
Enhancing self-care through walking in nature
Nothing says ‘calm’ like walking in nature. I’m a big fan of it because it’s the one thing that can instantly make me feel good. There are so many benefits of it, and when done daily, it can enhance our overall well-being. It’s also a good time to connect with a higher power if you’re into that.
Walking in nature is completely free. Find a beach, local park, walking track, or even walking around some nice neighbourhoods with trees can do the trick.
Here are a few more benefits that walking in nature can bring:
listening to music for self-care
Music can bring us up and it can certainly bring us down too. These days I’m into opera, instrumental music, and stuff I just didn’t think I’d ever be into. But tastes change over the years especially as we evolve.
If you want to go through a personal transformation, be open to listening to different genres of music. This not only helps us develop different tastes, but it also helps us be open and more suggestible to different things. An open mind helps us with other things like critical thinking and understanding the world around us.
Try adding a different genre of music to your self-care routine for enhanced well-being. Give binaural beats a go, especially in the evening. I use the app ‘Insight Timer’ for this. I pay for the premium version but you can get a free version of it as well.
start a gratitude practice or do journalling for self-care
It’s impossible to feel angry or sad and grateful at the same time. So starting some sort of gratitude practice can enhance our well-being immensely. It doesn’t have to be difficult. Simply adding in a short gratitude practice at the end of the evening as part of our self-care routine, can have quite a dramatic effect.
I do this at the end of each day while listening to binaural beats but I built up to this. If you find this difficult, try writing down 3 things you are grateful for each evening. It could just be that you have a roof over your head and something to eat, and that’s ok. When you have done this enough times, you might be able to just do it in your head. Give it a go. You won’t know until you try and just keep at it.
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taking a bath for self-care
Ok….. so a bath might not be totally free if you have to pay for water, but it can be super relaxing and a cheap way to unwind. Grab some Epsom salts and essential oils for extra relaxation. Add a candle, soft music, and even throw in a glass of wine (not literally) and it’s a cheapish way to practise self-care.
connect with others for self-care
So you might be thinking how does connecting with others improve our self-care. When we connect with likeminded individuals, it improves our well-being. We are social creatures. We aren’t meant to live in isolation. We’re meant to connect – in fact, I think we are all connected. So connecting with others can improve our well-being and help us to feel good.
Build connecting with others into your self-care routine. If this can happen on a daily basis that’s great but don’t worry if it can’t. Just try to reach out to other people. Often we find that we are more connected and have more in common with others when we talk to them. Don’t be afraid to reach out. Talk to people. The more we connect, the better we feel. It also breaks down barriers and stereotypes.
reading something meaningful for improved self-care
I’m not much of a reader myself but when I do read, I want to read something that’s meaningful and not rubbish. I see my time as precious so I no longer want to engage in anything that wastes my time. Everything we read affects us whether we know it or not. So, if we engage in reading violent or scary content, it can have a negative effect on our well-being.
avoidng processed food is a form of self-care
We always have a choice on whether we choose something nutritious to eat or some form of processed food. Processed food can increase feelings of anxiety – well it certainly doesn’t help it that’s for sure. So avoiding processed foods, that contain additives, is a form of self-care because it affects our overall well-being.
I think avoiding processed food is a key aspect of self-care, as it helps nourish our bodies. Processed foods can also contain high levels of unhealthy fats, sugars, and artificial colours and flavours, contributing to various health issues. By choosing fresh, natural ingredients, we support our overall well-being, boost our energy levels, and foster a healthier relationship with food. I like to eat a whole foods diet which not only benefits my physical health but also enhances my mental clarity and helps me maintain emotional balance.
meditating or doing breathing exercises for self-care
I used to do regular meditation like body scans and the like, but now I focus mainly on the end of the day by doing my meditation to binaural beats. As mentioned earlier, I use Insight Timer and have a range of tracks that use different hertz.
Incorporating different frequencies, or hertz, into our self-care routine can have profound effects on our mental and emotional well-being. Certain frequencies, like 432 Hz, are believed to promote relaxation and reduce stress, while 528 Hz is known for its calming and healing properties. Listening to music or sound therapy at specific hertz can help balance our energy and promote deep relaxation. I find this practice aligns my mind, body and spirit, fostering a sense of inner peace and emotional harmony, making it a powerful tool for my self-care routine.
Meditation doesn’t have to be complicated and the good thing about it is that we can make it what we want to. Just do what works for you!
switch off social media for self-care
Switching off social media to enhance our self-care is of course…. free! We don’t have to engage with it if we don’t want to. I’m not a big fan of social media. If you’ve read some of my other posts, you’ll know what I think of it. I feel its toxicity is really bad for our mental health and well-being. Switching off from it should be part of our daily routine but this is sometimes easier said than done because it’s highly addictive.
Switching off social media is a powerful self-care strategy that allows us to reconnect with ourselves and the world around us. Constant exposure to social media can lead to feelings of stress, anxiety, and comparison, draining our mental energy.
By taking a break, you create space for more meaningful activities, such as spending time with loved ones, pursuing hobbies, or simply enjoying moments of solitude. This digital detox helps clear your mind, reduces overwhelm, and encourages a more mindful, present approach to life. It’s an essential step in prioritising our mental health and well-being.
bottom line
Hopefully this post has given you some ideas on free activities that can be incorporated into our daily routine to improve self-care. It’s essential to look after ourselves first so we are in a better position to then care for others. By having a good self-care routine, we can then enhance other areas of our lives because we feel better in general.
Pick something to add to your day, and give it a try for at least 60 days for it to become a routine. Create your own self-care toolbox that you can use. Check out the related post below for some ideas:
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