7 Creative & Affordable Self-Care Ideas
It wasn’t until I turned 25 earlier this year that I understood the value of self-care, the intentional act of caring for your physical, emotional and mental well being. My life and my creative practice came undone from years of not checking in with myself and taking care of me when I really needed to. I didn’t know that benefits of having self-care practices, and I didn’t know that they help save and change lives. I was too busy being at war with myself instead of being at peace, and understanding what it really meant to take up space in this world.
As I sought ways to put the pieces of my life back together; the long baths, the walks alone barefoot in nature, I came to understand the huge role that self care plays in how comfortable you are existing in your own skin. Audre Lorde said it best: “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” It is not stuck up or bougie to engage in the loving actions with the intention of improving yourself like I had previously thought. I had equated self-care routines to a lifestyle of leisure and luxury that was too far out of reach (think of rich women in movies spending the whole day being pampered at a spa in their white linen robes and green mud and cucumbers on their faces).
But it doesn’t have to be like that if you can’t afford stuff like that. The beauty of self-care is that it’s all about you, and that means it’s entirely customizable to your needs and tastes, and you can spend as much or as little as want. I personally take Audre’s side in the argument in that self care is a necessity, not a luxury. As such, I don’t want to have to spend big bucks on fancy massages or getting mud slopped on me at a spa. I also don’t believe it should cost so damn much to want to improve. Things like this should be accessible to everyone.
That’s why most of the self-care activities that are part of my routine are relatively cheap if not free (if anything’s ever really “free” these days). That’s more my style, and plus, we shouldn’t necessarily have to break the bank to become a better human being.
So these are some of the more creative and affordable ways that that have helped me raise my vibration, become happier, healthier and more and more in love with life.
1. Surrender
Take a note from Elsa’s book on this one and let it go. Let go of the constant need to be in control and know that surrender can be a beautiful and liberating release at certain times in life. Understand that you cannot be all things, at all times, to all people. You can only be you, and that is enough. You are enough. Letting go of my fear, my pain, and need to over analyze things was simultaneously the most transformational act of self care that I’ve done for myself, as well as the most difficult. It helped me learn how to check in with myself, and be able to ask, what do I need right now in this moment? What’s going to help me be a better version of myself? Surrendering and being present in the moment was the first step I took in leading a happy, positive and vibrant life.
2. Start an Art Journal
Journaling is an effective way of recording and tracking your thoughts and progress. You can start a written journal, or get one with unlined blank pages and create an art journal as a creative outlet for healing. Paste in mini collages or vision boards of how your life will be in the next year. Try drawing visual lists of things that you’re grateful for. Write down affirmations in bubble letters. Make comics about your feelings and dreams. Add in photos or magazine pictures that make you happy. Our thoughts and self talk shape our reality so journaling is a good way to transfer our thoughts and desire into something visual in the physical world.
3. Create Mindful Art with Adult Coloring Books & Pages
Adult coloring books are hugely popular and while I’ll admit that I find it a tiny bit annoying that everybody and their mother’s got one out right now, I jumped on the bandwagon when I found one for 4 bucks at Five Below. Coloring the intricate patterns and shapes made me remember how fun it was to wind down and color a pre-designed work of art. It’s brings me back to the days in my childhood when I could spend hours just trying to color within the lines with my crayons and make my page look as good as possible.
Now with more complex designs and colored pencils, it’s a great way to relax and practice mindfulness in a creative way. Adult coloring books can be found for pretty cheap now. Like I mentioned, I got mine for under $5, but there are tons of free coloring pages online now that you can find in a quick Google or Pinterest search. Seriously, they have coloring pages of everything. Even Nightmare Before Christmas and Doctor Who. Try it!
4. Watch Feel Good Movies on Netflix
This one sounds corny but I promise it’s a good. One of my favorite forums on Reddit is Netflix Best Of, where users recommend their top picks of movies streaming on Netflix. One day when I was feeling down, I scrolled through looking for something to watch and found someone’s request for movies that make you happy. Other users offered up a ton of their suggestions and I ended up going with Love, Actually. I don’t typically watch rom-coms, I’m more of a horror kind of gal myself, but it was a nice change to watch a movie where nobody was being possessed by demons or chased by a masked murderers. Anyway, happy movies are amazing and a fun way to change your train of thought and help you feel better. Here are some of my favorites available for streaming on Netflix now:
Love, Actually
The Princess Bride
Amelie
Chef
Moonrise Kingdom (bonus points because this one was filmed in my home state of Rhode Island)
5. Create Intuitive Art
Intuitive art means creating something without a plan or any preconceived ideas. Instead, you tap into your intuition, inner compass, spirit, or whatever you’d like to call it and let that be your guide. Think of intuitive art as a form of meditation with a paintbrush or pencil in your hand. It helps you connect with your inner self and to let go of the worry and self judgment that can come from making preplanned art. It’s also a form of play, which we severely undervalue in our society.
As an artist, I love this activity because I can easily stress myself out when I’m creating my planned art. I get super judgy about the shaky areas of linework or the fact that the paints I chose are drying darker than I imagined, and little details like that. It’s easy to be your own worst critic, especially if you’re a perfectionist like me. Allowing yourself the freedom and creative surrender of making art based on your intuition can be liberating and can also help you get over creative blocks.
6. Go Outside and Draw
Pack up your art essentials, (paint, markers, art journal, or whatever medium floats your boat), a blanket, a bottle water for hydration, and head outside. To a beach, a park, a lake, your backyard, or anywhere outdoors that’s convenient for you. Get comfy somewhere and soak up nature. Feel how good it is to be connected to the Earth. Being outside in the sun is an amazing mood boost and making art while outside is even better.
A change of scenery can help spark your creativity and give you the light and perspective that you just can’t replicate indoors. You don’t necessarily have to draw what you see either, just being in a different environment can help switch up your state of mind and help
7. Go Stargazing
Ok, so this one fall in line with #6, but trust me, it’s very different. This is one of my favorite self-care activities. There’s something special about looking up at the cosmos. If you’re a space nerd like me, then you’ll probably understand the wonder and curiosity that even professionals in the field tend to have when they’re discussing the seemingly endless possibilities of the Universe. So get your Neil deGrasse Tyson on and start looking up.
Google good stargazing spots in your area, check to make sure weather conditions are favorable, and grab a blanket (get a thick one, or better yet, one that’s waterproof or made for the outdoors since the ground can get dewy at night). Download a stargazing app to help you identify planets and stars if you’re interested, and head out. You can also Google stargazing events in your area since many astronomy clubs, universities and museums host stargazing events that are free for the public. I went to a stargazing event on Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaii, one of the best locations on the planet to stargaze, and it was life changing! If you ever get the chance to experience something like this, please do.
Looking up at the vastness of the heavens really helps me put things into perspective. When I’m looking up at the night sky, my thought process goes something like this: I’m just a little speck of dust on little chunk of rock in a inconceivable huge universe. But at the same time, I am the universe, as I’m made of stardust. And if I’m stardust and that’s pretty bad ass and awesome, then how can my life be anything less than what I’m made of–bad ass and awesome star stuff? It’s really calming and grounding (surprising side effect of looking up at stuff that’s tons of light years away!) for me when I stargaze. It’s mesmerizing, and makes me grateful to be a part of something so amazing here on this miraculous little planet.
When it comes to self-care, there’s really no end to what you activities you can do to help improve your state of mind and your overall well being. It doesn’t have to be fancy, or expensive, it just has to make you feel good in your core. With a little creativity, you can come up with your own routine that works for you. I hope that these suggestions help you on your journey, and if you have a creative self-care practice that wasn’t listed, please share in the comments! I’d love to hear your ideas!
Read more at my blog at janessanikola.com
