finances – Be as One

Guest post by Julie Morris

In a world where self-care can sometimes feel like a luxury, finding affordable ways to care for yourself is crucial. Prioritizing self-care doesn’t have to break the bank. By making small, intentional changes to your routine and mindset, you can cultivate well-being without overspending. Here are some budget-friendly methods to incorporate self-care into your life, ensuring you maintain a balanced and healthy lifestyle without financial strain.

Enhance Your Sleep Quality

Getting more sleep is one of the simplest and most cost-effective ways to practice self-care. Quality rest boosts your mood, improves cognitive function, and enhances overall health. Establishing a consistent sleep schedule, creating a relaxing bedtime routine, and making your sleeping environment comfortable are practical steps you can take. Ensuring you get enough rest each night sets a foundation for other self-care activities, helping you feel more energized and balanced.

Manage Your Finances

Creating a budget ensures you don’t overspend on self-care activities. Start by using free budget templates to systematically organize and manage your financial information. Give this a try to customize expense categories, set realistic budget limits, and track and monitor your expenses. This allows you to allocate funds specifically for self-care without feeling guilty or financially strained. A well-planned budget empowers you to enjoy self-care activities with peace of mind.

Discover Affordable Hobbies

Finding an affordable hobby can provide you with joy and relaxation without a hefty price tag. Whether it’s reading, gardening, drawing, or knitting, hobbies offer a creative outlet and a break from daily stressors. Engaging in a hobby can help you disconnect from work and other responsibilities, promoting mental well-being. The key is to choose activities that interest you and fit within your budget, ensuring you can enjoy them regularly.

Embrace Meditation

Meditation is a powerful tool for managing stress and promoting emotional health. You can learn to meditate at home without spending any money. Many free resources, such as online videos and apps, provide guided meditation sessions for beginners. By incorporating meditation into your daily routine, you can enhance your mental clarity, reduce anxiety, and improve overall well-being. The practice of meditation also complements other self-care activities, fostering a more holistic approach to health.

Start a Yoga Practice

Practicing yoga offers numerous physical and mental health benefits. You don’t need to join an expensive studio to enjoy yoga; many free online classes and tutorials are available to help you get started. Yoga enhances flexibility, strength, and mindfulness, making it a valuable addition to your self-care routine. Regular practice can help you manage stress, improve posture, and increase your overall sense of well-being, all without straining your budget or resources.

Exercise at Home

Exercising at home is an excellent way to stay fit without the cost of a gym membership. You can find various free workout videos online that cater to different fitness levels and interests. From bodyweight exercises to cardio routines, home workouts can be effective and enjoyable. Regular exercise improves physical health, boosts mood, and increases energy levels. By committing to a consistent home exercise routine, you can maintain your fitness without financial burden.

Stay Local and Enjoy a Staycation

A staycation can be a refreshing break without the expense of travel. Explore your local area, visit nearby parks, or simply relax at home with activities you enjoy. A staycation allows you to unwind and recharge without the stress and cost associated with travel. You can plan fun and relaxing activities that make you feel like you’re on vacation while staying within your budget. This approach helps you enjoy quality downtime without overspending.

Self-care is vital for maintaining balance and well-being. By adopting budget-friendly practices, you can nurture yourself without financial stress. These small, intentional changes foster resilience and health, helping you navigate life’s challenges more effectively. Embrace these strategies to boost your happiness and well-being without overspending, demonstrating that self-care can be both affordable and impactful.

You can find out more about Julie Morris at juliemorris.org.

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groundhog-day-chris-piascik-flickr-creative-commons — Groundhog Day Chris Piascik, Flickr Creative Commons

I never could sit through “Groundhog Day” starring Bill Murray. Relive the same day over and over? No thank you. And yet, I can’t get away from my own Groundhog Day – the weakness in my life that haunts me, again and again.

What’s yours?

How many of us have those physical “weak spots” in our bodies that constantly succumb? The sore throat that signals a cold. The leg once broken, now chronically stiff. The back that aches simply by standing in place too long.

Spiritual weak spots

st. nicholas ted, Flickr Creative Commons

There are spiritual “weak spots” too, brought back to life again and again by circumstance. Mine is managing money – we always seem to be short. The same financial problems repeat themselves endlessly. Right now we’re going through a season of endless hits – dental bills, medical bills, car repairs. I climb two steps up the slippery slope only to slide back down another ten. It is death by a thousand cuts, wearing me down, making me tired and discouraged. Frankly it’s boring, eating away at any desire to approach God and ask again for the grace to continue in the battle.

St. Nicholas, patron saint of finances, must be sick of hearing from me.

The scars of repetition

It’s not like I don’t know why these things happen. We are poor money managers because making lots of it has never been a priority. We accept that. Decisions were made to favor other aspects of our lives rather than money. But the security of having enough would be nice!

Once upon a time my husband and I were polar opposites – he, the spender; me, the penny-pincher. The last major financial challenge forced us to meet in the middle and come together as partners. Learning to work as a team surely helps and I am grateful for that lesson learned, but it didn’t come without scars. Scars of shame at my own stupidity. Scars of loss when we’ve fallen short of meeting our obligations. Scars from feeling the need to keep our money problems a secret. Those scars make it hard to trust; I am stuck.

Injured Piggy Bank With Crutches Ken Teegardin, Flickr Creative Commons

These periodic problems with money only fuel the desire to penny pinch and that’s the deepest wound of them all. I am small-hearted when it comes to giving money because I just don’t trust that God will provide what we need. I can trust the Lord in so many areas of my life but when it comes to finances, the well runs dry.

I am guessing this is why the cycle repeats itself — God still has something to teach me. Along with the lesson of learning to work in tandem with my husband, I have also learned not to ask God for money to “fall from the sky.” Instead I ask for fortitude, wisdom and patience. I’m guessing I also need to ask just as diligently for healing. And I’m learning to ask others to pray for me.

As St. Paul was not freed from his “thorn in the flesh” after petitioning the Lord, I doubt I will be freed from mine of the spirit. But I can take a lesson from this favored saint who accompanies me on my marathon journey to God each day: accept it and rejoice in it. To paraphrase 2 Corinthians 12:10, when I am weak, I am strong. Because I depend on God’s grace, not my own strength, to get through each challenge no matter how often it repeats. God’s strength never fails.

It could be Groundhog Day every day but God’s grace will prevail. He will test me, prune me, yank up the weeds, teach me. And I will grow stronger through him and closer to him.

Originally published in The Catholic Free Press, October 14. 2016
copyright 2016 Susan W. Bailey

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