Sometimes, the source of a lot of our stress is money. So many people worry about how much they’re making, how much they’re spending, and so on. Naturally, when it comes to improving yourself both physically and mentally, you don’t want to go stressing yourself out about expensive options for them.
The good news is that you don’t actually have to spend a lot of money in order to get into a good self-care routine.
Physical Self Care
First, physical fitness can appear to cost a lot on the surface.
You might be thinking about getting all new gym clothes, gym bags, water bottles, supplements, a membership, and so much more. Truthfully, though, that’s not really necessary.
All of those things can either be substituted for something cheaper, or gotten rid of altogether, helping you cut costs immensely.
At The Gym
When it comes to gym accessories, the less you have the better.
You don’t need a ton of stuff, so you really don’t even need a bag unless you intend to change at the gym. As far as clothes go, anything vaguely comfortable and athletic is good enough, such as a t-shirt and shorts. You don’t need to buy top brands.
For water bottles, you can find cheap reusable bottles – you don’t have to invest in trendy, top notch bottles.
In terms of supplements and workout powders, they’re not really necessary, as you can get the nutrients and vitamins you need from carefully picking out certain foods.
Finally, in all honesty, you don’t even need a gym membership. Plenty of people have made gyms at home with readily available equipment to help them stay in shape. You can bike, do an exercise video, or even simply walk. You can do bodyweight exercises without machines, too.
Mental Self Care
Mental health is very similar. People like to think of it as having to go out and get expensive massages and spa treatments or pay a ton of money with a therapist, but you can get really far in terms of mental health just by doing things at home, or really anywhere, all for free.
For example, meditation can help immensely and that is entirely free. If you don’t know how to do it, you don’t need to hire a coach, but just go online and learn about which methods work best.
Talking out your problems with others is like a free form of therapy, and can even help create bonds.
Spa Day At Home
You can also do some fairly cheap self-care spa days from home with some cheap ingredients from your local grocery store and some instructions from the internet.
A warm bubble bath, a hair conditioning treatment, a manicure and pedicure can all be done at home for much less than it would cost to go to an actual spa. There are also many things in your kitchen that can be used for your at-home spa treatments.
You’ll feel great after using these methods, both from the self care you’ve given yourself, and from knowing you saved money!
