6 budget-friendly steps to practice self care

Self-care; very important yet often easily forgotten.

Most of us know how important self-care is however because of all the responsibilities, the worries, the problems, the stress, we often easily take this for granted. When I was working in a very stressful environment, I had easily let it consume me. I was barely getting any sleep, I was always so emotionally and mentally exhausted. I had this constant burden weighing on my shoulders and the worst part is, I did not do anything about it. I easily tossed the word “self-care” out the window. I continued to put the needs of others first and took myself for granted. Now putting other’s needs first is certainly not a problem, however we must remember that caring for others doesn’t mean that we have to care less for ourselves.

Now I made a mistake, I chose to forget about caring for myself that I developed panic attacks because of it. It just took so much toll on me and I don’t want this to happen to you or anyone else. We may not be able to easily incorporate self-care in our daily lives in a just snap of a finger, but let’s try to practice it day my day.

And of course, practicing self-care doesn’t always have to be expensive. I’ll share to you 6 budget-friendly steps to practice self-care.

Do things that make YOU happy

When we are so used catering to everyone’s needs first or when are always too busy, too stress, we often forget to do the things that we love. So, start thinking about the things that you love and do it! It doesn’t have to be big, it could be as simple as reading a book or if you love working out but you are just too busy to do it, then maybe it’s time to manage your schedule and add this to your to do list.

Take a day off from everything

If you have been too busy for too long, or too stress, so physically, mentally and emotionally drained then don’t hesitate to put yourself first. Schedule a day off, take a break from everything. No phones, no checking of work e-mails, no running errands for other people, take a day off for yourself! You deserve it!

Spend time in nature

If you don’t want to go somewhere away from the city, then a simple walk in the park will do. Take a long walk, stop and smell the flowers and don’t think of anything else, just use this time to reconnect with yourself.

Write down your thoughts

Now I find this one very helpful, since I normally worry about a lot of things, I always make a big deal out of the smallest detail and writing down my thoughts gives me a sense of clarity, it keeps me calm, it kinda gives me the illusion that I’m separating myself from all those negative thoughts and that I’m taking control.

Sleep

If sleep is not a part of your list of priorities then this is certainly the time to add it. I used to let sleep slip through too, but I now realized the more that I did that, the more stress and mentally exhausted I become. Sleep can impact so many things, not just your physical health but it can also greatly affect your moods and outlook on a day to day basis. So, realign your schedule and set enough time for sleep.

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Don’t be afraid to say no

Now the moment that we overcommit to things that we don’t even like doing, we tend to start forgetting our needs and then we start to put so much pressure on ourselves to make sure everyone’s needs is catered to. If you don’t want to do it, don’t do it. Learn to say yes to yourself for once.

If you have problems saying no, like me, check out this article (article on how to say no) this might help you out.

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Remember practicing self-care doesn’t mean that we are selfish. We need to take time for ourselves to help us build self-esteem and feel mentally and emotionally healthy that will lead to us living a happier life. So, let’s start doing this today.