Monday, January 1, 2018

Inexpensive Self Care Ideas for 2018


Beautiful relaxing massage


This year I gave myself a very special birthday gift- Self Care!
 I decided to get,  a massage, but if you look below I've listed 13  inexpensive ways you can indulge in self care to relax, rejuvenate, nourish and de-stress for pennies in your own home with simple food additions, simple increase in movement, and some relaxation reminders.




Beautiful spa table settings

My birthday was in December and we were in the Miami area. I found a wonderful Groupon for a spa on the beach. 

My package included a 50 minute massage, a fabulous facial, lunch of my choice from the restaurant menu, a glass of champagne or lemon infused water, free beach parking and a water front private Tiki hut for two for the day.
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lovely beach scenery


By the end of the day , I felt rejuvenated, relaxed, and inspired. It was a wonderful birthday gift that I gave to myself- Self Care is so important!

You don't have to wait for your birthday to do something special for yourself. There are lots of small things you can do for yourself that are inexpensive and can be enjoyed in your own home. 

Self care is important and only we can give it to ourselves. 
You don't have to go to a spa to pamper yourself. 

white bathtub with spa feeling


13 Inexpensive Self Care Ideas for 2018

  1. Take an Epsom Salt Bath- Epsom salts are rich in magnesium which help relax muscles and Epsom salts also help release toxins- so take 10 or 15 minutes to enjoy an Epsom salt bath. Add essential oils to your Epsom salts to add relaxing fragrance and enhance your experience.
  2. Drink Lemon Water Daily Upon Waking- Lemon water helps you detox. Start with a glass each morning when you wake up- How? Simply bring a cup of water to a boil, pour into a tea cup and squeeze in the juice of half a lemon or lime ( or to taste) . Add a little honey if you need it or drink plain. 
  3. Stop Whatever You Are Doing for 5 minutes ! Dance and Sing Out Loud to Music- Take 5 -10 minutes to put on your favorite up beat song and stop everything and dance and or sing. The movement will help release stress and the music will help release emotional tension. Sing along, dance, and release. 
  4. Play Classical Music While You Work- Before I retired, I used to teach in a high school. One of the secretaries played classical music in her office all day. Whenever I walked into her office, my entire body relaxed. The classical music can have a profound effect on our mood and tension. So next time you are feeling stressed and have a lot to do , listen to some classical music  in the background!
  5. Walk Each Day- Exercise is essential to good health. If you can't do anything else make sure that you walk each day. If you can't walk outside, go to the mall. Many malls open at 7 am for walkers. If you can't go to the mall, walk in your apartment building hallways or walk in your home. Even walking in place will help. Can't do a half hour? Do 5 minutes a few times a day. Just get yourself moving- no excuses. Find music that you love to accompany you on your walk or just bond with nature.
  6. Watch a Short Inspirational You Tube Video-This is one of my favorite ways to explore new ideas for self care. You Tube contains a great variety of videos ranging from meditations, yoga, inspirational talks , music, etc. When you need to de-stress, want inspiration, or just need ideas on how to - like how to massage your scalp, look for a You Tube video- costs you nothing and gives you so much. 
  7. Massage Your Scalp- This is another way to de-stress and indulge in self care. Give yourself a 5 minutes scalp massage- use coconut oil if your hair and scalp are dry- put on soft music and decompress. 
  8. Eat Soaked Almonds to Help Alkalize Your Body- I learned this many years ago from an Ayurvdic doctor and healer. Almonds are very alkalizing . For good health, we need to keep our body ph in balance. It is important to soak the almonds overnight and peel off the skin in the morning . I always ate them first thing in the morning after my glass of hot lemon water.See  How to soak and eat almonds.
  9. Skin Brushing-Skin brushing is a great way to help your circulation and brush away dead skin. You can do it before your shower! - 
  10. Have a Morning Routine-I find the best way to take care of yourself is to develop a morning routine. I am retired and without structure the day just passes by. Each morning, I take a one hour walk, followed by my lemon water, skin brushing, shower and then my soaked almonds.  When I used to teach, I always got up early to walk ! It just made me feel better all day..In addition, I belonged to a gym and exercised 4 days a week. A routine helps because there is nothing to think about, you just do it!
  11. Light a Non Toxic Candle- candles can set the mood to help you relax- 
  12. Make a Sunshine Smoothie or Fresh Vegetable Juice- fruits and vegetables are loaded with important and valuable antioxidants that help your body fight off free radicals that help prevent aging and disease. Use a Vitamix or a juicer. 
  13. Soak Your Feet - fill a bucket with warm water, add some Epsom salts mixed with a drop of essential oil of your choice, put on some some music and soak for 5 minutes. This will help you relax and help draw some toxins out of your feet. 
Healthy fruit smoothies

What is Your Self Care Routine ? 
Which of these ideas appeal to you? Which idea would your do? 

             If you soak almonds overnight,  the skin will pop off in the morning- almonds are very alkalizing - soaking them helps with digestion and absorption as with all seeds and nuts.

My mother in law is now 92 and she is a firm believer in simple daily self care- she still is vibrant, active, and involved at 92!! 



I'm sharing this post on Beth Fish Reads where anyone can share a food related post .


                Happy 2018- Take Care of Yourself

39 comments:

  1. I love all of these suggestions! Any time we take a few moments for ourselves, we and those around us are better for having done so. One thing I would add is to get an inexpensive diffuser or two for essential oils. I keep one at work, one by the bed, and one in the TV room. Thanks for the list and Happy Birthday and New Year! Judith

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    1. I love your suggestions- I am diffusing essential oils as I write

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  2. Happy belated Birthday, Judee. And that's a nice birthday treat!
    Happy New Year!

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    1. Thank you Angie- It was a great birthday treat- usually I skip myself - this year I am thinking about me

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  3. A very good list! I love how some of these are daily actions, so that you can remember to take care of yourself each and every day, even when you feel crazy busy. Great post!

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    1. WE do get busy and forget simple things we can do and must do to take better care of self

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  4. Heather,
    Thank you for your comment and hope you have a happy new year

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  5. Happy late birthday! Sounds like a lovely self-gift! I love many of your doable, inexpensive tips here.

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  6. Happy Belated Birthday Judee! I like your list of ideas. I try to walk daily and I am currently trying out a daily meditation practice for a book review. Also I make sure to get up early enough in the morning to allow myself at least 20 minutes to have a cup of tea and relax over a book. If I don't read every day I get 'twitchy.' ;-)

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    1. Thanks Deb
      I feel like that with my walk. If I don't get at least a 20 minute walk daily I"twitchy" too

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  7. Great suggestions! My favorite is stopping to sing/dance! This is so good to do!

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    1. Yes,
      That one is so simply easy and really releases tension

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  8. I love all of these ideas. Thank you for sharing them!

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    1. Thanks Deb- I appreciate your comment and stopping by

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  9. This is so true. Happy Birthday and Happy New Year. It is important to be good to you. I try to do a little yoga before bed.

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    1. Thank you for your good wishes. It is amazing how much benefit we can get from even a 5 minute daily routine

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  10. Hi Judee,
    What great ideas to help us take care of ourselves for 2018! Happy to see you here at Full Plate Thursday and thanks so much for sharing with us.
    Miz Helen

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    1. Miz Helen,
      It is so funny how we can forget so quickly about a simple easy idea

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  11. Some great tips here Judee. I keep forgetting to drink lost of water and really do need a reminder everyday to get into a good routine.

    Thanks for sharing at Welcome To The Weekend Blog Hop, hope to see you tomorrow :)

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  12. Love this list! I'm going to start doing some of the things listed.

    I already drink water when I wake up and have tried lemon water a few times with lunch or dinner. I think I'll start adding lemons to my water every morning.

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    1. Thank you Vicki,
      It's funny how we forget so many of the little things that can make a big difference in how we look and feel.

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  13. I enjoyed this post very much and I love all of your suggestions for self-care. I've have 2 busy kids, I work part-time and I blog, so I'm definitely trying to get better at making time for myself! I will be incorporating a few of your tips in my routine especially that morning lemon water! So nice to meet you and Happy New Year, Judee!

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  14. Marcelle,
    so nice to meet you and your blog too and glad you enjoyed this post. I have been visiting your blog and enjoying your posts as well.

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  15. Thank you for the important reminder to practice self-care. Alas, our own care often comes last in our busy world. I'm going to start the morning lemon water right away and work on the others. Your mother-in-law looks fantastic! Thank you for sharing this with us at Party in Your PJ's! I pinned to my Health board and shared.

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  16. Thank you . My mother in law is 92 mow and still looks amazing! She is a huge proponent of daily self care routines

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  17. I really needed this reminder! We get so busy, don't we?

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    1. Isn't it funny- I wrote it to give myself reminders .. We get busy and out the habit even for such simple ideas

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  18. I love all these. I do them occasionally, i also add exercise which is part of my daily routine. Thank you for sharing.
    Happy New Year.

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    1. Grace,
      I agree that exercise is an important one. I walk an hour each day

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  19. Love this- headed out right now for a walk- thanks for the reminders to do the simple things for self-care!

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    1. Thanks for stopping by and commenting and glad you liked my list of healthy daily suggestions for the New Year

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  20. Congratulations!
    Your post is featured on Full Plate Thursday this week! Enjoy your new Red Plate and thanks so much for sharing with us!
    Miz Helen

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    1. Woo hoo!! Thank you so much Miz Helen- It's always an honor when a post is featured!!

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  21. Happy New Year, Judee! This is a great post for the start of the year with so many great ideas. It is so important to look after ourselves first! Sharing, including on the Hearth and Soul Facebook page. Your Nona looks amazing - what an inspiring lady! Thank you so much for being a part of the Hearth and Soul Link Party.

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    1. Happy New Year to you too April and thank you for hosting the Hearth and Soup Hop each week where I find some amazing recipes and idea.

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  22. Such great ideas! I love Epsom salt baths and will be having one in just a bit. :) Thanks for sharing with SYC.
    hugs,
    Jann

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Your comments are appreciated. I love knowing who is stopping by to read my posts! Have a great day.

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