If you are anything like us, we're often so busy juggling work and trying to make every event, avoid FOMO with our friends and juggle family commitments, finding time to slip away for some much-needed self-care comes bottom of the list. Not only that but many of us associate acts of self-care with expensive treatments or wellness breaks to lavish medi-spas across Europe, not exactly ideal when we're all living in the middle of a Cost of Living Crisis, right?
Well, we are here to tell you that self-care doesn't need to be expensive and it doesn't have to be reserved for special occasions either. Finding ‘me moments’ regularly (even if it's a few hours every month) can make you feel just as sprightly as a weekend away, without the eye-watering price tag.
Here are some budget-friendly GLAMOUR-approved self-care rituals that will boost your mood, brain and energy for an instant pick-me-up.
Try out this “colour breathing” meditation technique
According to Healthline, this little hack can help with “stress relief and general mood improvement”.
- Visualise an emotion or
- Find a comfortable place and position.
- Close your eyes and breathe slowly and deeply, picturing the chosen colour in your mind.
- Let what that colour represents for you fill your mind.
- As you inhale, imagine the colour washing over your entire body and filling it up, including your fingertips and toes.
- When you exhale, bring forth any unwanted emotions and imagine them draining from your body, replacing it with your chosen colour.
- Try to do this for a minute or two.
This can be used as part of a wider meditation routine, or on its own.
@metta_play 🌈 The Color Breathing is a simple technique that combines breathing and visualisation. It helps calm the mind and body, promoting relaxation and as a result, helps you sleep better. ❤️ Basically, it's imagining a relaxing color entering your body as you inhale, and as you exhale, visualizing a color that symbolises stress and tension leaving your body. 🧡 Find a comfortable position and take a few cycles of breaths. Let it move in and out naturally. If it feels good, do more 💛 Choose a color that you find makes you feel happy. Inhale, magine that color entering your body. The color washes over you, covering all of your worries and stress. Feel that color move through every part of your body from your head to your toes. 💚 Now choose a color that you find is associated with worries and stress. Exhale, imagine that color leaving your body, taking all of the worries and stress with it. 💙 Repeat for a few cycles. 💜 This is a great activity to do together with your tiny humans. You can weave this into your daily routines like during bedtime, or while you’re in the car for drop off / pick up. 🤍 It’s also effective for when you catch yourself feeling stressed or notice it in your tiny humans, as it makes the feelings tangible and visible ✨ Share if you found helpful mettaplay.com #teachersoftiktok #learnontiktok #yoga #kids #kidsyoga #momsoftiktok #mindfulness #yogakids #breathing #yogaforbeginners #yogaathome #howtoyoga #fyp #toddlersoftiktok #parentsoftiktok #meditation ♬ original sound - Via ❤️ Metta Play
Find foods that are rich in Vitamin B12
If you are deficient in Vitamin B12, you can experience the following: irritability, changes in personality, depression, and memory loss.
Stock up on tuna, salmon, eggs, cheese, tofu and low-fat yoghurt and use them in your staple meals to ensure you are getting enough of this all-important vitamin.
Also, caffeine is known to boost the absorption of vitamin B12, so don't feel guilty about an extra cup of joe every now and then.
Take time to really treat your skin
With summer coming to a close, your skin may be feeling a bit bleugh - dehydrated and sun damaged, so now is a good time to get cracking on helping it heal before colder weather sets in.
We recommend a fun DIY oatmeal face mask, or apply argan or avocado oil every night to give your skin the extra love it deserves, slather it on before you have a bath, or if there's no time for that (we get it, you're busy) keep it on when you're brushing your teeth and changing into your jarmies.
Introduce lavender into your “winding down” routine
It smells amazing, sure, but lavender also has some legitimate credentials for helping you sleep. It's an anxiolytic (an anxiety reliever) as well as a natural sedative.
Getting enough sleep is imperative to your own self care, keeping your mood level and your body and mind feeling able to deal with the challenges that come with this month.
So, squeeze a few drops of lavender oil on your pillow at night or in your bath water of an evening, or burn a candle with lavender essential oils. You won't regret it.
@ramonita__maldonado Who needs all the calming benefits of lavender? Comment down below 💜 Let me introduce you to my friend, dōTERRA’s Lavender. It will become one of your favorite essential oils. Lavender is like frankincense (it’s my GO-TO oil for when I don’t know what to use.) One fun fact about dōTERRA’s lavender is that it’s chemistry has been consistent for the last 4 years. #consistencyiskey Use Lavender for calming of mind, mood & skin. Use on you, your little ones, your elders & pets! Go to the link in my bio to get your lavender today! #lavender #lowtoxicliving #naturalsolutions #effective #calmingeffect #calmdown ♬ You Make Me Happy - My Sun and Stars
Journal your negative thoughts
Taking the time to write down your low thoughts so that you can make sense of them has been proven by research as an effective way to make sense of them.
It can help you to “prioritise problems, fears, and concerns”, as well as providing a place for you to express positive self-talk and recognise what might be triggering cycles of negative thoughts.
The original article can be found on Glamour UK.
