Self-Care A-Z: Self-Care on the Cheap
by Erlene Grise-Owens, Ed.D., LCSW, MSW, MRE, lead co-editor of The A-to-Z Self-Care Handbook for Social Workers and Other Helping Professionals
Attainable self-care must counter the prevalent myth that self-care costs money. An informal survey of colleagues about low/no-cost ideas for practicing self-care yielded fantastic responses! Here’s a composite list. Which ideas can you incorporate? What would you add?
Get Out!
- Do anything (or nothing) outside! Lounge in a hammock. Sit still. LuAnne, Cindy, and others start or end most days on the stoop, deck, or porch, enjoying nature.
- Walk, run, roll—Anytime, anywhere! Many folks mentioned strolling/rolling scenic routes or neighborhood streets. Dawn uses MeetUp to connect with hiking groups. Erin’s stress reliever is “ear buds and a run!”
- Get dirty! Mindy’s urban garden is her delight. Ameerah weeds her yard “a little every day.”
- Combine family/friend/fun! Krista rides ATVs with her sons. Candice watches her kids play sports. Kelsi plays disc golf in the park with friends.
- Access free stuff! Many community events, plays, and art exhibits are free or low cost. Do your own! Donna’s family plays music together and even does public gigs.
Find Your Flow!
- Engage creativity! Write, cook, paint, craft. Tammy collects heart-shaped rocks, paints them, and leaves for others to find. (Re)discover those activities that put you “in the zone!”
- Read! Use the library or exchange books. Shaina’s “best self-care is sitting in a quiet room, reading…I get lost in a totally different world.”
- Move! Yoga, Zumba, or just dancing in the den. Engage in activity that energizes. Access free or cheap community classes, YouTube videos, home practices. Kathleen and a group gather in a friend’s basement for weekly exercise routines.
- Savor routine! During daily routines—showering, brushing teeth—express gratitude for your health. Doing daily tasks—dishes, laundry—enjoy what you have worked so hard to have. Patrie shares, “Cooking dinner with my wife and talking about our day is a great way to decompress.” And, as Stacey blogged, Decluttering is self-care.
- Do “nothing!” Cathy schedules blocks of time to do nothing “productive.” She says, “I even call it vacation time in my head.”
- Giggle! Nikki recommends laugh therapy—which can be done individually or in a group. (Grin!)
Calm Down; Look Up!
- Breathe! Use apps to meditate or just breathe; look at soothing pictures. Andrea blows bubbles.
- Sing! Marlena has CDs for her ride home “to make me forget about work.” Ronnie goes for car rides with the windows down and favorite music playing. Laura sings in a choir.
- Rest! Amanda struggles with sleep, but realizes “without adequate rest, I am no good to anyone. (Could someone convince my kids of this?!) Sleep is self-care!”
- Disconnect2connect! Jennifer, her husband, and three kids have electronic-free days and “my supercheap secret is camping…for as little as $15, even on a beach.”
- Look up! Wade takes photos of nature, particularly skyscapes.
Treat Yourself Well!
- DYOS (do your own spa). Use essential oils. Take hot baths. Heather: “I love smoothing my hair with a big curling iron.” Cortney: “I love doing my nails.”
- Give gifts (to yourself). For Sara, it’s frappes. Megan: cozy socks. Elisa: “nice cream.” Donielle: Sitting still. Socks, silence, or something else, treat yourself.
- Explaining is optional. Alex’s “secret treat”: Leave work early, and don’t tell anyone why.Crawl into bed to watch shows or listen to music.
Value Relationships!
- Talk! Vent with loved ones. Allow time for meandering conversations—with close friends or complete strangers.
- Play! Have regular evenings of board games, dinners, outings (or innings) with family and friends.
- Hug—Scientific self-care! Ashley sent a picture of her with her cuddly toddler and reported: “Hugs release stress-reducing hormones.”
- Join! Book clubs, hiking clubs, prayer groups, meditation classes.
- Incorporate spirituality! Many of the above examples have spiritual aspects. Also, several mentioned participating in their faith traditions, as part of their self-care. Tiffany shared, “Going to church allows me to reflect and meditate.”
- Schedule time with your best friend: You! We all (but especially introverts) need time alone to recharge.
- Dog-own it! 😊 Many people mentioned their other best friend: i.e., dogs—walking them, cuddling them. Only two mentioned cats. (Sorry, cat people.) Although they do cost money, as Torrie emphasized: Pets reduce stress.
Unsurprisingly, almost all examples from my informal survey were for outside work time. Traditional conceptualization of self-care focuses on activities done after work, usually to recover from work. A future post will focus on the important aspect of professional self-care: How do you practice self-care as part of your work? How do you integrate self-care into work-life? Got suggestions? Contact me!
Peace, Love, and Self-Care, Erlene
Dr. Erlene Grise-Owens, Ed.D., LCSW, MSW, MRE is a Partner in The Wellness Group, ETC. This LLC provides evaluation, training, and consultation for organizational wellness and practitioner well-being. Dr. Grise-Owens is lead editor of The A-to-Z Self-Care Handbook for Social Workers and Other Helping Professionals. As a former faculty member and graduate program director, she and a small (but mighty!) group of colleagues implemented an initiative to promote self-care as part of the social work education curriculum. Previously, she served in clinical and administrative roles. She has experience with navigating toxicity and dysfunction, up-close and personal! Likewise, as an educator, she saw students enter the field and quickly burn out. As a dedicated social worker, she believes the well-being of practitioners is a matter of social justice and human rights. Thus, she is on a mission to promote self-care and wellness!