It is important to have a restart and refresh in your life every now and then. Plenty of us treat our yearly (or if we are lucky, quarterly) travelling affair as a chance to restart. However, resetting yourself only when you travel is not enough. Travelling tends to cost at least a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars. Hence, when you are on a budget (or even when you are not), you simply should not depend on only on traveling to recharge yourself. As for this writing, we are also currently living in a time where we can’t travel (hello, pandemic) and so, we can’t simply depend on travelling to refresh, rejuvenate and reset ourselves.
In my opinion, rejuvenating and refreshing yourself should happen on a daily basis. Treating yourself right does not need to be highly indulgent everyday. Being appreciative of the little things and giving ourselves a reminder that life is not only all about chasing money (though money is indeed important), will help us take things slow and calm us down. It will also help you stay on track with what’s actually important in the long run, so you can lead the fulfilling life you want.
Here are the 12 recommendations you can do on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis (4 recommendations each!), to rejuvenate yourself ON A BUDGET.
Daily
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Thoroughly enjoy the time you spend in the shower (Estimate Cost: almost $0 | Estimated Time: 10 to 20 minutes)
Instead of rushing through your shower or thinking that your shower time is a waste of time, take the time to fully enjoy your shower experience. Enjoy the trickling of water, the beautiful lather from your soap, body wash and shampoo, that delicious aroma of your bath and body products, and the moment of solace, even if it is only 5 minutes a day, where it is just you with yourself.
Personally, ever since I started making my own handmade bath and body products, I have really enjoyed my time in the shower, as I know that I am absorbing tonnes of goodness into my skin. I also enjoy that the scents from my various bath and body products are not too strong, especially when compared to many commercial bath and body products out there! 2
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Feed your skin with the nutrients it needs (Estimated Cost: $0.10-$1/day | Estimated Time: 3-5 minutes, twice a day)
Most of us are aware that we need to feed ourselves with nutritious food to maintain good health. Feeding your skin, the largest organ in your body, is also really important too! It just takes a few minutes to go about your skincare routine. As with showering, your skincare routine is also a moment of solace that only takes a few minutes, so do not rush through it! Instead, gently dab your various skincare routine products onto your skin and enjoy, as you massage them into your precious skin. Remember to apply the correct ingredients onto your face and also to moisturise the rest of your body!
Are you lost about what sort of ingredients are best for your face? If so, do check out these 2 articles that explain the basics of what you need in a skincare routine and what you need to target skin issues that you may face:
- Basics of Skincare: Humectants, Emollients, Occlusives
- What are Actives in Skincare (And Do You Need Them)?
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Write your daily thoughts in a planner (Estimated Cost: $0-$0.10/day | Estimated Time: 20 minutes)
Have you ever felt overwhelmed because there is just so much stuff going on in your head at any one go? I feel you! If you are feeling overwhelmed, I highly recommend you to write your thoughts out.
The ‘Word Vomit’ method is a very popular method where people just write out all their thoughts on a notebook or a piece of paper. Writing all your thoughts out can help you reduce stress and give you a sense of relief, so you won’t feel overwhelmed all the time.
A 2011 study highlighted the positive impact journaling had on adolescents who struggled with worry and self-doubt before taking their exams. In the study, ninth graders were randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group was instructed to write expressively about their worry and feelings related to the exam for 10 minutes prior to the start of the exam, while the other group of students was told to write about which questions they thought would be on the exam for 10 minutes prior to taking the exam. The study found that those who expressively wrote about their feelings in their journal outperformed the control group who wrote only about test content.
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Do some home-friendly workouts (Estimated Cost: $0/day | Estimated Time: 7 to 45 minutes)
It is important to incorporate both cardio and strength training in your exercise regime.
Combining aerobic exercise and resistance/weight training together means that you could start seeing your desired results of weight loss or muscle gain faster than usual. Cardio workouts such as Jumping exercises are anaerobic exercises that involve quick bursts of energy. The benefits of jumping include improved cardiovascular health, metabolism, bone density, strength, muscle tone, balance and coordination. Regular exercise, good sleep and a healthy diet are important pillars for a healthy body.
Great news that now with the awesomeness that is Youtube, you can easily look for exercise videos online and you can easily do all these workouts at the comfort of your own home! All you need is a yoga mat, some dumbbells (I’ve done home workouts without any of these though) and you are good to go! Remember to stretch before you start exercising!
Weekly
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Give your nails a trim (Estimated Cost: $0 | Estimated Time: 2 minutes)
Trimming your nails can be a simple way to end and start each week on a fresh note. Having well-trimmed nails is also a sign of good hygiene, as there will be less chances of dirt getting stuck in your nails. It is also the cheapest (basically it is free) way to have chic looking nails (say goodbye to weekly expensive and time-wasting manicures!). There is also something about well-trimmed nails that scream ‘Effortless Chic’.
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Read a book that helps you grow (Estimated Cost: $0 | Estimated Time: 1-2 hours each time)
Reading helps you absorb things better. It also provides you insights that you may not have thought of before, and look at things from a different perspective. Fiction books can also serve as a form of escape from your daily life and may also help you improve your cognitive ability. Researchers have confirmed that reading involves a complex network of circuits and signals in the brain.
As your reading ability matures, those networks also get stronger and more sophisticated. In another study that was conducted in 2013, researchers used functional MRI scans to measure the impact that reading a novel has on the brain. The Study’s participants read the novel “Pompeii” over a period of 9 days. As tension built up in the story, more and more areas of the brain lit up with activity. Brain scans showed that throughout the reading period and for days afterward, brain connectivity increased, especially in the somatosensory cortex, the part of the brain that responds to physical sensations like movement and pain.
Another study has shown that people who read literary fictional stories that explore the inner lives of characters, show a heightened ability to understand the beliefs and feelings of others. Researchers call this ability the “theory of mind,” which is a set of skills that are essential for navigating, building, and maintaining social relationships.
Best part about reading is that you can do it for free, by borrowing books from any library near you.
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Watch a movie or TV show that inspires you (Estimated Cost: $0 to $20/month | Estimated Time: 30 minutes to 3 hours)
A great way to spend your free days at home is to watch a movie or TV show. Sit back, relax, and unwind, and let the plot of the movie excite/thrill/trigger/touch you. Best of all, watching a movie or TV show is an activity that you can also do with your loved ones. You can choose to watch your shows on streaming platforms like Netflix, Disney Plus or Hulu.
Each of these streaming platforms cost less than USD$20/month – so much cheaper than going to the movies! If you prefer to watch for free, there are plenty of youtube videos that are launched every week, so you will definitely never run out of entertainment at home!
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Give yourself a weekly indulgent treat (Estimated Cost: $10-20 | Estimated Time: It depends and can range from 5 minutes to a few hours)
Constantly being on a tight budget is no fun. It is good to reward yourself once in a while and have this little reward to look forward to at the end of each week. This weekly indulgent treat does not have to be too expensive – It can be something small like that lovely lipstick you have been eyeing, that nice bottle of wine that helps to enhance your meals, or that delicious tub of ice-cream that you want to treat yourself with.
Monthly
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Have a leg spa day (Estimated Cost: $0 to $10 | Estimated time: 1 hour)
Do you feel like you are not giving your legs the love they deserve? Do you find yourself treating your legs as the last priority in the shower?
I was definitely guilty of this previously but I have since made a conscious effort to properly scrub my legs with all the goodness from my handmade soaps when I’m in the shower. Sometimes we can easily neglect our legs as we may be rushing through the shower and our legs are just a tad far down, and hence, we will tend to prioritise our hair, face and upper body, over our legs.
Your legs are the amazing parts of your body that take you to different places every day. Hence you should give your legs the tender loving care that they truly deserve.
You can easily smoothen and nourish your legs with Wax strips and a ton of lotion, as well as pamper your feet with a foot spa, in the comfort of your home! Here’s what you need for 1 hour of leg therapy, so you can have smooth, well-nourished legs and pampered feet after you’re done!
For smooth and well nourished legs
- Wax strips
- Cooling after wax gel
- Lotion or Body Cream
For pampered feet
- Bowl or tub suitable for feet
- Warm water
- Essential oil, bubble bath, or other foot soaking mixture (Optional)
- Foot scrub or manicure brush (Optional)
- Lotion or body cream
- Clean towels
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Get a bubble bath (Estimated Cost: ($0-$10 | Estimated Time: 30 minutes to 2 hours)
If you are lucky enough to have a bath tub, you should use it for your self pampering! There is something just so comforting about soaking yourself in a bath tub filled with lukewarm-to-hot water and delightful bubbles.
Here’s what you need to make your bubble bath experience a decadent one!:
- Bath Bomb – Based on lots of reviews, Lush makes the best bath bombs.
- A Nice Book – this can either be in digital or physical format. I personally love a kindle.
- Waterproof Casing For Your Kindle (just in case!)
- Some Fancy Chocolates to bring the indulging to the next level!
- Around 1-2 hours for your bubble bath me-time
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Trim your own hair – cost (Estimated Cost: $0 | Estimated Time: 30 minutes to 1 hour – The estimated time depends on your experience level and your hair style)
I personally do not enjoy the time spent going down to the hair salon and sitting in the hair salon. I would prefer going to the hair salon only before special events (eg Chinese New Year, Christmas Holidays, Weddings). However, I also like maintaining my locks and luckily for me,I have managed to find a hairstyle that is both stylish and suits my budgeting needs (aka I can trim it myself).
Nowadays, there are plenty of DIY Haircut youtube videos that you can reference to cut your hair. Remember, if you are on a budget, you should find ways to save money, and cutting your own hair is a very good way to save more money in the long run.
All you need is a hair cutting set (that you can get really cheaply online) to get your DIY hair cutting game on! Keep practising and you will improve and perfect your technique to your liking, in no time!
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Sit down and reflect on the month and look into your goals (Estimated Cost: $0 | Estimated Time: 30 minutes to 1 hour)
At the end of each month, it is good to look back and reflect on the month – what were your setbacks, what have you achieved, how do you want to move on from here? Life is a journey and it is most fulfilling when you are constantly learning and growing (while taking care of yourself in the process, of course!) Logging down your experiences, setbacks, achievements, goals for each month will help you continue growing and learning. You will also be able to look back on how far you have come. Remember to take your time with this monthly affair!
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To help you out, I have created a Restart Yourself Daily, Weekly, Monthly Sheet, so you can keep track of what you enjoy doing most to keep yourself rejuvenated and relaxed, every day, week, and month.
Download your free ‘Restart Yourself Daily, Weekly, Monthly’ Sheet