Welcome back WITHOUT A DOUBT, the podcast where we celebrate living life authentically and organically as ourselves. We are the ones who believe in creating our own paths and living our truths out loud. Join in on honest and open conversation about self-discovery and growth.
Im ya girl Mad, your host, im a freelance entrepreneur, a thirty something year old human that has never exactly done what was expected of me. Im a sprinkle of reality, glimmer of sunshine, & as unfiltered as they come. Im here to remind you that its okay to do life different . That you don’t have to be what is expected of you.. and that your happiness matters.
Its already April, tax season is here, and why is it we have a tac season. Am I the only one who thinks its bullshit. I also need to do my taxes. Small business taxes are a pain in the ass, and we do them ourselves because im a frugal franny and spent years having someone do them for me all to that service fee and she wasn’t even getting me all the deductions. But okay lets reallyy talk about this episode and its about no spend ways to indulge in self care. I also managed to go to my little bag of tricks and I learned that no spend self care is one of the biggest things most people are searching for in the self care world.
Before I really start this, I ask you what you think of when you think of self care? How often would you say you partake in this activity for you? What prompts you to practice self care?
Are you doing this in a time of reset, burn out, moment of weakness? Are you only doing self care as a reward? Or is self care something that is a non negiotiable for you in your daily, weekly, or routined life?
When we think self care do we think facials, massages, and spending loads of money on looking pretty or healing our soul. We think of therapies and that $7 coffee treat, we think of a materialist splurge, we think self care is all about what we need to do to lift our spirits. And it is. But we can do it without spending money or even super duper low budget.
Self-care is important because it helps you to maintain their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Engaging in self-care activities such as exercise, relaxation techniques, healthy eating, and setting boundaries can reduce stress, improve mood, and enhance overall quality of life. Prioritizing self-care allows individuals to recharge, prevent burnout, and better cope with the demands of daily life. It is essential for maintaining a healthy work-life balance and promoting long-term health and happiness.
Self care is personal to each person. What we find happiness in, how we recharge, how we reward ourselves Is personal.
So compiled a list of 10 ideas you can indulge in self care without spending money:
- Go for a walk, in the sunshine. Maybe even near water. Sunshine helps with vitamin d production and can aid in regulating sleep cycles. Water has even had studies to help with this .
An article from the real simple.com noted “ "Living near water, whether it's the ocean or a small lake in your backyard, isn't just nice scenery; studies show there are many health benefits," explains Vinay Saranga, MD; a psychiatrist and founder of Saranga Comprehensive Psychiatry in North Carolina. "It can lower blood pressure, decrease stress, bring on relaxation, improve creativity, and bring about a general sense of happiness. I believe that people like being around water because it reminds them of the color blue, which represents relaxation, tranquility, and calmness."1
2.Reading, ive mentioned this before. But before you get your panties in a bunch about how much books cost, yes I know. You can get yourself a library card and go rent one. Or borrow a book from a friend, or even thrift em. There’s even little free libraries. People have them in neighborhoods, go for an adventure. I find reading to really relax me and let me have some time for me. Also im a physical book girl, not on the kindle, but do you, boo.
- Get crafty- You dont need much to really make anything. Im sure you have some sort of paper sitting around, grab a marker and get to doodling. Or go for a walk, collect some leaves and them tape them down into a journal in some artsy way. I promise this crafty business doesnt have to cost much, you can even check Facebook marketplace.. people are always giving away lots of crafts. Also, learned on reddit during my research for this pod that you can print out free coloring pages. Basically free If you already have art supplies and a printer.
- Yoga/ Workout… you dont need the classes. Youtube is a king of all the things free. People have free classes on there. Check that shit out.
- Go volunteer, Preferabilty at the animal shelter. Do SOME GOOD for some animals who really need you. There are programs you can walk them and buddy up for the day. Free kisses and cuddles should make you feel better. Cuddling with a dog or cat leads to the release of the 'happiness' hormone, oxytocin in both animals and us. So go cuddle an animal. And thats free.
- Turn your phone off. Get off your phone. Go listen to my podcast on loosening the grip of social media and then go get off social. Scrolling isn’t self care. Its doom scrolling. Period. There’s nothing worth scrolling for hours on. Thats it. Get off your phone. Maybe this should have been 1.
- Reddit also dropped this fun idea.. and its true because Kendra, my girlfriend, does this often. A lot of place, fast food/ coffee/ gas stations, have apps and drop free rewards. Murphy gas station had 12 days of Christmas and gave away a drink a day. All you had to do was claim it on the app and go check out for the free drank. Like 7/11 free slurpees. Dunkin sometime even gives out free coffees. On IG the freebie guy always shares deals. Go for an adventure for that free coffee. I promise you, its fun.
- Learning a new skill. YouTube once again. Now I need to say I know that most things we start need tools or things, but what if this skill was language. You can learn that without anything other than YouTube and you. Maybe even attempting to fix something at home instead of buying a new one. But this could result in spending some money so I can’t say this is totally money free. There are even alternative programs and apps and online courses that offer free programs to learn new skills. You just have to search them out. Someone on reddit suggested coursera. Doing something yourself and accomplishing It feels so good.
- im going to say gardening. Get out in the sunshine, replant a new plant. Tend to a plant with dead leaves. Propagate a plant that has too much growth. You can buy seeds for cheap or even get seeds from plants in your garden already. Oh, here are some ideas, plant a strawberry, pepper seeds, celery stalk base, romaine head, all these regrow from veggies you buy at the store that usually get tossed in your garbage. Last week I harvested so much sage from my moms garden and made 8 sage smudge bundles.. It cost me nothing to harvest it and I used my own earthy hemp cord to tie it up. I could sell these and make some money if I wanted, but the act of it all was self care and relaxation for me.
- Some seriously good company. We all have that friend or maybe a few friends that feel like a hug. Those are the friends and company we need to refill our soul and leave our cups over runneth. You can invite a friend over for a plant swap, make a cheap meal or bake, craft together, shit and talk and make tea or coffee from stuff you have at home.. listen to music and dance, hula hoop, or just chill. Find the good vibe tribes and keep that tribe close. We all need that whether its one person or a group. Shout out to those people who schedule me in for coffee dates, show up for the plans, and can make you feel human again!
At the end of the day how we feel better and lift our spirits doesnt have to put you into debt, eat up a lot of time, or even be out of the ordinary. What we do day after day in order to keep our energy and spirits on the up and up is what truly matters. Self care is important, go get your nails done, spend the money at the salon, lash it up, whatever you gotta do thats “self care”, but the ones that cost the least or are free, are just as much self care. You matter. Your Energy isn’t meant be constantly drained. You have a life to live and if you have kids, you have a life to live + more to help show how much this world has to offer.
Do what you need to do to feel and be human. But dont forget that you are without a doubt a badass. Xoxo ya girl mad