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?
If you dream of a Rapunzel's mane, you might want to try this.
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 “positive vibe” that you want to feel. Then assign a colour to it, preferably one that you like and find soothing
- 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.
“Some of my booziest friends ended up being my biggest champions.”
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.
It's so simple.
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.
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.
