20 affordable ways to practise self-care (under NGN 2,000)

If I don’t talk about self-care for a long period of time, you people will need to throw a party for me because I’m obviously obsessed at this point. But why shouldn’t I be? It’s so important to do things that put you closer to being at your best. In this post on self-care, I kuku told you how important it is to know when you’re running low on energy and to take time to refresh and re-energize before you burn out. That is self-care.

But for some reason, some people seem to think that self-care is only for rich folks. That’s the devil dear. And he’s a liar. So today, I’ll be sharing with you 20 affordable ways to practise self-care under NGN 2,000 so you can stop thinking it’s a “rich people” thing.

1. Go outside. This is much more important in these times where we are holed up indoors due to the lockdown. Take a long walk to see the skies and smell the roses. Your body needs it and your body will thank you.
2. Clean/declutter. I can’t even explain the joy and satisfaction I feel right after cleaning or reorganizing my space. I just feel so…reorganized. Nobody should ask me to come and organize their space oo. I’m not around.
3. Home spa day. Do a facial. Soak your feet in warm bubbly water. Give yourself a massage. BOOM! Home spa day done! You can find a number of home-made DIY facials here. There are videos on YouTube that can show you how to give yourself a massage.
4. Move your body. You can put on music and just dance away. You can do some yoga or you can do some high intensity workouts. You can even just stretch!
5. Breathe. I know you’ll say you’re always breathing but take some time to really breathe. Take deep, conscious breaths. Guided meditation helps a lot with this. You’d find a lot of free meditation apps on the App Store. You can also try out this daily guided meditation podcast on Spotify. The sessions are really short and it’s a great way to start or end your day.
6. Journal. Write down things you’re thankful for. Write down other random things you’re thinking. Just write whatever comes to your head. Getting your thoughts and feeling out and onto paper just do such a good job of making you feel less burdened with them.
7. Sleep. Go to bed earlier than normal and just sleep.
8. Light some candles. I really like scented candles. It’s just good vibes.
9. Draw or paint. You don’t need some big-ass canvas. Just grab a piece of paper or a carton and some paint or markers. It’s a really good way to just be in tune with your creative side and keep things active up there.
10. Unplug. Turn off your phone and other devices and just forget screens for a while.
11. Say no. Say no to that extra work that is not your job. Say no to all those tiny activities that have no effect but just take up your time. Say no!
12. Bubble Bath. Hop in a warm bubble bath with scented oils. If you don’t have a tub, you can just have a really long, hot shower.
13. Affirm yourself. Write down a bunch of positive affirmations and say them out loud to yourself.
14. Listen to music or a fun podcast.
15. Cuddle up with a loved one. This can be a friend, sibling, partner, child or a little furry buddy. Cuddling somehow makes you feel warm, fuzzy and loved inside. There is a scientific explanation but I don’t have time to Google it right now.
16. Go swimming.
17. Drink lots of water and eat a healthy snack.
18. Call a friend you usually have good conversation with.
19. Watch the sunrise and the sunset. I really love watching the sunrise. It just makes me feel so in touch with nature and for some reason, it motivates me.
20. Do nothing. Just wear comfy clothes and stay in bed and spend time with yourself doing absolutely nothing.

Soooo that’s my list! I hope you guys spend time trying out some of the self-care ideas listed above.

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Love,

Tomi of Lagos.