This post is all about having a self care day on a self care budget.
Self-care doesn’t need a high price tag, fancy tools, or spa memberships to be meaningful and impactful. Sometimes, the best ways to nurture your mind and body are completely free. These self care budget practices can easily fit into your Sunday self-care essentials routine, and trust me, they really make a difference.
Here are my top 5 underrated, free self-care choices that you must try.
Practices for Your Self care Budget
1. Mindful Breathing
Have you ever paused to notice how you’re breathing? It sounds so simple, but most of us don’t pay attention to this basic part of life. Practicing mindful breathing can calm your mind in moments of stress, bring clarity, and remind you to stay present.
How to Practice Mindful Breathing
You don’t need to be a meditation expert to start. Just sit in a quiet space—your couch, a chair, even your car before heading inside. Close your eyes if it feels comfortable. Breathe in deeply through your nose into your belly for a count of four, hold your breath for a second or two, and then release slowly through your mouth. Focus only on the cycle of your breathing.
Incorporating this can be as easy as taking two minutes in the morning or during your lunch break. It’s one of the easiest ways to reset.
Benefits of Mindful Breathing
This simple practice offers more than you’d expect. Slowing your breath helps reduce overall stress levels, improve emotional awareness, and even boost focus. It’s like telling your nervous system, “Hey, everything’s okay.” After a few minutes, it’s easier to find balance and evaluate how you’re showing up for yourself and others.
2. Nature Immersion
When did you last spend some quality time outdoors? Nature has this quiet magic—the kind that can re-center you after a hectic week. Whether you understand or know the exact science behind it; walking barefoot on the grass or staring at trees is free therapy for your soul.
Finding Local Green Spaces
Even if you don’t live next to a national park, there’s likely a nearby solution. Look up local parks, trails, or rivers—anything that connects you to greenery. Apps like AllTrails or even a quick search for city parks in your area can help. If you don’t drive, your nearest green space may be as close as your own backyard or apartment greenery.
Creating an Indoor Oasis
No access to outdoor nature? Try transforming your own space. You can find friends or local groups giving away plants—they’re all over Facebook Marketplace or neighborhood apps. Empty food jars make perfect, free planters. Arranging plants by your window to create a mini jungle can make any indoor space feel grounded and fresh.
3. Digital Detox
Let’s be real—our phones demand constant attention. Taking a break from screens (even for half a day) is one of the most underrated self-care moves. It’s more refreshing than most expect and absolutely free.
Setting Boundaries with Technology
Start by setting specific no-screen times, like during meals or an hour before bed. Use features like “Do Not Disturb” during your self-care time or replace constant checks with something physical, like a book or some stretching.
Activities to Replace Screen Time
Not sure what to do if you’re not scrolling? There’s plenty to try. Grab a notebook and journal about your day, dive into a new book, or even pick up an old hobby you forgot you loved. Do a puzzle, sketch, try a bodyweight workout, or call someone just to talk. The extra time feels like a small productivity boost for yourself.
4. Journaling
You don’t need to be good with words to start journaling—it’s about expression, not perfection. Journaling helps unpack cluttered thoughts and peel back layers of stress without saying a word out loud.
Here are Journaling Prompts for Your Ultimate Self Care Sunday
Getting Started with Journaling
Start simple. “Mind dumping” is a favorite technique of mine—just jot down anything that comes to mind, no matter how random. If you’re looking for more direction, try prompted journaling (“What made you smile today?”). Stream-of-consciousness writing, where you keep the pen moving non-stop. There are no grammar checks or proper sentence structure, just purging everything thought that moves through you (even if the words are blah, blee, come to mind). Your mind and body will open up the longer you keep going. This helps uncover thoughts you didn’t even realize you had.
Long-Term Benefits of a Journaling Practice
Journaling is amazing for long-term changes in mindset. It creates space for reflection and self-awareness while giving you a way to track personal growth. Over time, it becomes a way to clear mental clutter or explore gratitude. Plus, the more you experiment with journaling styles, the closer you’ll get to making it part of your routine with ease.
5. Creative Expression
Self-care can come from unleashing some creativity. Whether it’s writing, painting, or simply rearranging your furniture, using an outlet to express what’s inside hits differently.
Free Creative Outlets
Not all art requires paint or colored pencils. You could gather photos that inspire you and create a Pinterest board or playlist. Maybe rearrange your space to refresh the vibes or write short stories grounded in experiences you had that week. There’s really no limit—you could even journal your emotions creatively by adding sketches or color coding.
The Empowering Effects of Creativity
Creative moments activate parts of the brain that don’t always get love in our routine-driven lives. Painting, doodling, decorating, or making something just for fun connects you to a playful part of yourself. You’ll tap into childlike joy and possibly discover new ways to process emotions without overthinking things.
Conclusion
Every self-care practice on this list is 100% free and fits on everyone’s self care budget. No special equipment or subscriptions are necessary to take better care of yourself. These “Sunday self-care essentials” not only nurture your well-being but also remind you that the best things for our mental health don’t have dollar signs.
Incorporating these habits doesn’t have to be a huge lifestyle change—pick one or two and see how they feel. Whether you’re breathing mindfully, journaling, or spending quiet moments amongst nature, these free self care practices can be a way to show yourself more love without spending a dime. Isn’t that the kind of care we all deserve?
This post was all about 5 underrated self care budget for your next self care sunday.
