8 (Cheap) Ways to Do Self-Care this Winter

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With all the end of the year holidays upon us, and the onset of cold winter weather, taking care of ourselves is even more important than usual. This doesn’t include the rest of the year being bonkers - pandemic, contentious election, major social movements, etc. 

It’s safe to say that we all need some self-love and self-care.

What is Self-Care?

First, what the heck is self-care? I mean, it’s definitely a buzzword and everyone seems to be talking about it, but what is it? 

Self-care is simply the things people do for themselves to get and stay healthy, as well as to deal with illness (and hopefully prevent it). So things like: exercise, eating well, doing activities that make you happy and relaxed, making sure your environment is clean and comfortable to be in, and so on. Even making sure you have good personal hygiene is part of self-care! 

The International Self-Care Foundation has some awesome information not just about what defines self-care, but also the necessities you need to implement self-care in your own life. You can read more here.

10 Ways to Do Self-Care this Winter

Taking care of your own wellness is critical not just for your own emotional & physical wellbeing, but also to have coping strategies for the changes going on around you. 

Writers, and introverts especially, have a tendency to observe everything around them - it’s how we create great stories and believable characters. It can also be overwhelming when there is so much to observe and try to make sense of, so you need to be able to detox from it. These 8 activities are great forms of self-care for just about anyone. Bonus: they’re cheap! 

We can personally say that we have tried and/or do all of these self-care activities on a regular basis and they really work. Give them a shot and let us know how they go for you!

Color

Maybe you haven’t colored since you were a kid. You remember the lidless container of broken, paperless crayons everyone’s parents and grandparents seemed to have, right? 

As it turns out, coloring isn’t just for kids! It’s a great stress reliever for adults, too. There’s even science & research to back it up.  Coloring pages for adults can take your mind out of your worry zone and relax your brain. 

It can also be really fun and satisfying to see something pretty come together knowing that you have absolutely no obligation to do anything with it later. (i.e. it’s not a gift you “have to” find a place for).

Grab some adult coloring pages (cheap!) here. 

And if you’re feeling spicy, there’s some swear-y coloring pages here.

Write in a Journal

For word people, reading can be soothing. But sometimes even reading feels like too much - it becomes some kind of race or duty to finish the book. 

Have you ever had that feeling? 

Journaling can be a great way to express yourself and your worries without pressure. While the idea of a “diary” can feel cumbersome, there are lots of studies that show that journaling can help not just cope with stress, but also with anxiety and depression. 

Journaling is a great form of self-care because it’s private and it can look however you want it to! It doesn’t have to be endless pages of dramatic scenes from your life like you see in teen movies. Nor does it have to be a defined structure at all. It’s literally there for you to express whatever you’re feeling without having to worry about other people being involved.

I wrote all about the benefits of journaling & the different types of journals here. Check it out and see what might work for you!

Watch your Favorite Movie or TV Series

Do you have a favorite movie? You know, one that you love no matter how many times you watch it? Or perhaps a guilty pleasure TV series that you can’t seem to stop watching even though you’ve seen it 10 times?

Watch it again. 

Watching the same thing over and over again isn’t actually that weird. In fact, a lot of people do it! Studies show that watching our trusty favorites over and over again helps anxiety because we know what’s going to happen - it’s predictable. 

When the world seems to be spinning out of control, what’s more comforting than having a small modicum of predictability? 

This week I will be indulging in this form of self-care with Jim Carrey’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) for approximately the 5th time since Thanksgiving. No shame here! I love it and it makes me happy.

Take a Bubble Bath or Hot Shower

I don’t know about you, but when I’m stressed and overwhelmed, or if I’ve just had a bad day, I feel the immense need to shower. To me, it feels like I’m washing off the stink of the day and the warm water helps the world fall away for a few minutes. 

Evidently I’m not the only one who feels this way! 

Sometimes I like a bubble bath, but more importantly than the mode of getting clean is the getting clean part itself. The hot water can help you breathe better, relieve pain, and even open your pores. 

Taking a hot bath or shower can also give you a moment of quiet alone time - or meditation time - away from the stresses of everyday life. The best thing is, you don’t really need to buy anything to indulge! If you do want to get a little fancy, I like lavender Epsom salt.

Meditate

I’ve written a lot about meditation lately, but it’s a daily staple for me. When I was younger (and my anxiety was wildly out of control), I thought meditation was only for religious use. I also thought that everyone who meditated had figured out how to fold their legs just so and magically could achieve inner peace by rhythmically chanting “Ohm.”

I won’t say that those things aren’t true, because you definitely can meditate for religious reasons - and if sitting with crossed legs on a yoga mat works for you, go for it! 

But that’s not the only way to practice meditation. 

Meditation can happen in a number of ways - even down to 5 minute mindfulness practices! It’s a great tool for self-care because when you meditate, you clear your mind and focus on your breathing. As you learn how to effectively meditate, you can more quickly and easily shed stress and anxiety. 

I particularly like the Stop Panic & Anxiety and Insight Timer apps - both free to use with lots of options for guided imagery, breathing, and general mindfulness. I use them often in the mid-afternoon to reset my mindset, and I use them at night to sleep more soundly.

Go for a Walk (Yes, in the Snow)

I’m a big proponent of walking. During the day, I try to make sure to get up and walk around for a few minutes every hour as often as I can. When the sun is shining (and it’s not literally 0 degrees outside) I try to walk outside. Even in the snow. 

Walking is a good form of exercise, pretty low key in terms of how hard it is to actually do. For self-care, getting your body moving regularly can have great physical & mental benefits! It changes your scenery for a little bit and can give you time away from whatever you’ve been working on to focus on yourself or something that you want to think about. 

Bonus: if you have dogs, they’ll be glad to join you and they won’t require you to come up with any conversation.

Take a Nap

Before I had other coping strategies for my anxiety, napping was my immediate go-to. It’s the fastest, most effective way to shut down my brain and bring it to a full stop. 

As it turns out, napping remains a great self-care strategy, although I’m glad I have some other tools now, too. Napping is a great form of self-care because you’re listening to your mind and body about what it needs. 

While it can seem counterproductive to take a nap amidst a mile-long to-do list, you’ll find that taking a moment for a little self-care actually boosts productivity and morale. You’ll feel refreshed and relaxed when you wake up - even after just 15 minutes!

I regularly take short 10-15 minute naps in the mid-afternoon, combined with a short mindfulness meditation, because it’s like I’m resetting my brain to kick ass the rest of the day. It also helps me deal with my anxiety in a healthy way rather than letting panic go unchecked. 

This is easily one of my top 3 well-loved and most used forms of self-care.

Work on a Craft or Hobby 

With so many of us working from home nowadays, it’s important to have some sort of separation between work and personal life. If you’re like me, working could easily take over everything if you don’t intentionally set boundaries and practice self-care. 

Figuring out other things to do was, at first, tricky. After all, my biggest passion is writing and I do it for a living. The boundaries between work and fun can get very fuzzy! 

The more I’m at home, though, the more I realize that making and taking the time to work on crafts and hobbies is a wonderful form of self-care. It’s satisfying to make something cute or pretty and I can get completely absorbed in something that I purely enjoy rather than have to “work on” to make money. 

I do sewing, paint by number (with regular paint on canvas or diamond painting), and sticker by number right now and I love them!

Next Steps

Taking care of yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally is critical to being a healthy human - and feeling good. The best part is that you can choose any or all of these forms of self-care and combine them together in your own special way to create the perfect balance for you.

My challenge to you is to choose one of these forms of self-care and try it.

Need help figuring out a creative routine or just someone to help you stay accountable for doing enough self-care? Click here to read how I can help!

Have you tried any of these forms of self-care? Do you do a type of self-care that didn’t make the list? I’d love to hear about your experiences and recommendations! Find me on social media or drop a comment below.

Let’s chat because you, my friend, are on your way to great writing - and great relaxing.