Do you Really Need to Splurge for Self-Help?
Honestly, for me, self-care is sitting with my dog on my balcony with a cup of hot chocolate in my hand. However, these days self-care has been bastardized and opted for marketing campaigns and glamourized by Instagram influencers. They may use self-care as bait to sell you things you may not even need.
Don’t worry, I am not writing to sell anything. Whatever you are going to read further is totally pocket-friendly.
Choose self-care that costs nothing
See I told you, Pocket- Friendly. Self-care does not always cost you a lot of money. You can simply go for a matinee show, take a bubble bath or just stroll around to please yourself. In fact, when you know that you are in your financial limits, these small actions can make a big difference.
However, if you are too ambitious to be pleased by these petty things you can plan your finances – the ultimate form of self-care. After all, maxing out your savings but having an emergency fund will do more to eliminate stress than any massage in a spa or dinner at a lavish place.
Recently, I have made some lifestyle changes for good. I have been making payment for my credit card debt through the money that I used to spend on dining out or lattes every week.
Now, you must be wondering how I can call choosing debt over a latte, a form of self-care. It’s simple when I look at my balance dropping and my credit score rising, it gives me an odd but lasting satisfaction. And trust me it is much better than any caffeine rush.
What should be an Ideal Budget for Self-Help?
There is one basic rule for financial planning, the housing expense should never go beyond 30 percent of the income you earn in a month. While personal items and groceries should take-up 10 to 15 percent and expenses on utilities should be around 10 percent.
Now, coming to self-help, your expenses should never exceed 5% of your budget. In a nutshell, what you really need to make sure is that things you do for self-care are not harming your financial status.
Not spending too much on self-help is important because the entire concept is that you take some time out for breathing easy. Now, adding financial stress to a life that is already stressful doesn’t make any sense, in fact, it may prove to be counterproductive.
But, don’t worry, I am not a buzzkill. I am not saying that you do not get involved in any kind of fun. If you only take care of your finances either by saving or making payment of your debts, a small part of you may always want to invest a small number of funds just for the sake of fun. So, go on, it is not a crime, cheat days are important.
Some of my Personal Favorite Tips for Self-Help
After a lot of experiments, I have made a list of my personal favorite things to do when I am having a gloomy day. Doing these help in making my day brighter and happier.
1) Don’t skip on gyms even if you’re depressed
It’s a basic human tendency to skip gym whenever feeling depressed. However, the importance of exercising in relieving stress and anxiety can’t be denied. Even if you are depressed or not feeling good push yourself to exercise. To bring a change you may try some exercises that are different from the normal routine.
2) Try cooking
Even if cooking is not your kind of activity, it’s time to try for once. After all, self-care is not just about doing easy and soothing things. Cooking requires sheer concentration that can help divert the mind from the chaos of life. This makes cooking innately satisfying. You may end up loving the focus you have to spend while cooking.
3) Try Watching your Favorite Movie
This is the most cliché, yet the most effective way of boosting your mood. When was the last time you watched a nice chick flick? Go on, log into your Netflix accounts and get ready for some Netflix and chill.
You can also sit and binge-watch your favorite web series. Even better, you can call your friends over and watch a nice rom-com or probably a sci-fi if you are a science geek.
Being aware of the appropriate time for spending some of your hard-earned money for spoiling yourself and the suitable time for scaling back is necessary for maintaining the health and happiness of your mind as well as your wallet.
After all, as I have mentioned above, keeping your financial freedom secured can be the best kind of self-care for you. But, that doesn’t mean nothing else is important. Having a little fun sometimes is equally essential.
Author: Disha Oak
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