30 Free & Easy Ways to Practice Self-Care

Sharing 30 easy ways to practice self-care for FREE!! Learn the importance of really taking care of yourself without spending a dime!

I wanted to chat a little bit about self care & what it really means to take time out your day to take care of yourself. It just so happens that I’m a little under the weather writing this right now, so I might need to take a little extra time paying attention & taking care of myself too. Because that’s all self-care really is…it’s taking care of yourself. Simple as that!

BUT there are some myths regarding self-care. Self-care doesn’t have to be some extravagant thing you do for yourself once a week. It doesn’t involve facials or massages. Self-care does not have to be complicated. You don’t have to leave your house. And you don’t need to spend any money in order to practice self-care.

Obviously, you can take that how you please. Of course, you can go get your nails done every two weeks if that’s what makes you feel really great about yourself. Yes, you can spend $10 on a movie ticket & another $5 on popcorn if you want to take yourself out for a relaxing movie date, but it’s just not necessary.

As we all know, we don’t have all the time in the world to pamper ourselves. There are things that need to get accomplished, jobs that need working, dishes that need washing, lists that need to be completed…you get it, the list goes on & on. With that said, self-care is usually the first thing to be kicked to the back burner.

When life gets busy, self-care is still important.

Even if it’s once a week. This summer when I was working a ton, I didn’t have all the time in the world, but I made it a routine that every Monday morning, I did my favorite face mask & I made sure that I made it to my favorite yoga class in the evening. Now that might seem small but I so looked forward to it & it helped me kick off my week in a really good way.

Small acts of self-care can really make a difference in the way you feel.

Self-care is a form of self-love.

And to make it even better, self-love should not have to cost you. You do not need to spend unnecessary amounts of money on “self-care” to take care of yourself & you to show yourself that YOU CARE.

I listen to a podcast called “Off The Vine” by Kaitlyn Bristowe (former bachelorette a few years back) & one of her guests was a woman named Sarah Nicole from @thebirdspapaya. They began to talk about self-care & Sarah mentioned that one of her main acts of her daily self-care is to go to the bathroom with the door shut.

Now this may seem ridiculous to some, but Sarah is a mom of 3 & as a mom she was lacking time to herself. So when her kids were smaller, she decided if she couldn’t do anything else…she was at least going to have the door closed when she used the restroom. That was her self-care.

That conversation that they had on the podcast really hasn’t left my mind. And it was one of the main things that has been swirling around in my brain while I brainstormed & wrote this post.

Below, I’m sharing 30 easy & FREE ways to practice self-care to show yourself a little extra love. You might read through the list & realize that you might already be doing some of the things I mentioned, which is amazing!! These acts below are so simple & easy, but so effective. Hope you enjoy!

30 Ways to Practice Free Self-Care

1. Take 5 minutes to take some deep breaths. Focus solely on your breath.
2. Write down a list of intentions for the day.
3. Go for a walk or a run.
4. Have a conversation with your significant other.
5. Have a conversation with yourself. Sounds crazy, but I do it ALL the time!
6. Call someone you enjoy talking to!
7. Cook yourself a good meal.
8. Have a cup of hot tea.
9. Write down your thoughts, whatever they may be.
10. Pick up your favorite book & read a chapter.
11. Spray your face with rose water.
12. Meditate. Find my best tips for meditation here!
13. Do 10 minutes of yoga or stretching.
14. Scratch your scalp (my favorite thing ever) or give yourself a facial massage.
15. Sit on the couch & do nothing.
16. Take a 20 minute nap…wake up feeling refreshed!
17. Watch an episode of your favorite show on TV.
18. Listen to a podcast.
19. Write down 5 things you are grateful for.
20. Take a shower. Wash your hair. Shave your legs.
21. Light a candle & take a bath.
22. Give yourself an at-home spa treatment.
23. Sleep in an extra 10 minutes.
24. Research a topic that really interests you.
25. Color! Be creative!
26. Organize something in your house – here’s a list of 100 things you can organize!
27. Wear an outfit that makes you feel amazing!
28. Listen to a great playlist!
29. Hug someone you love.
30. Tell yourself “I love you!”

Sounds pretty easy right?

I feel like so many of us want to over-complicate things. If it’s not hard or difficult or expensive then it must not work. Wrong. Anything can work or make you feel better if you associate the act with a loving intention towards self-care.

This is something I mentioned in my 20 Essential Tips for a Healthier Lifestyle post. If you are not able to take care of yourself, then you will not be able to take care of others. Even if you don’t have a husband or boyfriend or girlfriend or kids or a dog or whatever, you STILL need to make time to take care of yourself. You cannot pour from an empty cup. Your relationship with YOU is if not the most important relationship you have in your life. The other relationships in your life stem from the one you have with yourself.

With that said, here’s to taking a little bit more time to love yourself & to dedicate necessary time to take care of yourself mentally, physically, spiritually, & emotionally in 2019! I really enjoy talking about the topic of self-care.

How do you practice self-care?