17 Free Ideas for Self-Care

by Amanda Smith, LCSW

What I find most annoying about the idea of “self-care” is that it has to be expensive. There is way too much noise out there telling us that taking care of ourselves means spending a lot of money on a lot of stuff. Sure, it’s healthy to treat yourself every once and a while, but there are so many other ways to practice good self-care without spending a dime. So, if your finances have you feeling the self-care FOMO, stay in the game with these free ideas.

1. Go for a walk
2. Doodle in a notebook
3. Use your public library
4. Phone a friend
5. Take some pictures
6. Plan a picnic
7. Take a bath
8. Make some art
9. Listen to music
10. Soak up some sun
11. Embrace your space
12. Try a free workout
13. Build something
14. Watch something
15. Learn something
16. Get organized
17. Find a community of like-minded people

These are just a few examples of some free things that you can do for yourself when you are in the need of a little TL(self)C. Self-care doesn’t have to be costly or time-consuming, and it’s important for us to find ways to incorporate self-care into our everyday routines. Try out some of the ideas listed above, or sit down and come up with a fun list on your own. The list is endless when you start to think about self-care in a different way.