Free Self-Care Tools & Rituals For Your Wellness Routine

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I think we’re all in need of a little honest indulgence right now, or at the very least some simple self-care. Not necessarily bottles of wine and movie marathons, but something that’s going to support us for the long-haul. These are simple ways to reset your wellness routines, that can be adapted and adjusted to work for and support you. Sometimes self-care can be expensive, with supplements and yoga retreats, and they become the cause for more burden and woe, so I curated this guide to help you with my favorite free self-care tools and rituals for your wellness routine.

1. Work Facial Massage Into Your Skincare

Of all the 2020 beauty trends, one that I hope will never leave is gua sha. If you don’t know, it’s a gentle, mindful ritual worked into any skincare routine that involves massaging the face and draining excess lymph using beautifully shaped crystal tools. Over the two months since I have begun practicing, I’ve seen my double chin disappear, puffiness and dark circles reduce, and tension ease. However, you don’t always need to invest in top of the line tools to make this a success. Facial massage is something that can be practiced with or without a gua sha (I just recommend that you have a good-quality oil in your routine to work as a skin glide). If you’re not sure where to start, here is one of my go-to practitioners.

2. Tidy & Cleanse Your Spaces

The Sunday-night feeling of crawling between crisp fresh sheets, in a tidy bedroom with an organized closet, knowing the kitchen downstairs is fresh and free for the morning and your home office is tidy for the week ahead… It gets you in a certain kind of headspace like nothing else; mental clarity. We’re not talking a deep bond clean or anything like that, but rather an organization and a breath of fresh air into the spaces where you spend the most time.

3. Add A Journaling Practice

For those who are new to meditation, or those who like less of a prescribed practice, journaling is another way to invest a little extra time into yourself. You can approach the ritual any way you like, whether it’s a recount of your day before you go to sleep at night or something you jump into straight after your morning meditation - it’s all about finding what works for you. And if you’re not sure where to begin, here are some prompts to start you off.

4. Create A Meditation Space

You don’t need to invest in a fancy cushion set or a new diffuser, this ritual is more about setting yourself up for success in your meditation practice. No matter where you work on your breath, be it upright in bed, in the corner of your closet, or if you’re lucky enough, in your spare room, if you create a space especially for this moment each day your body knows that when you arrive on this cushion (and it truly can be an old, spare, daggy cushion), exactly the kind of work that you’re here to do. It’s about setting up those conscious routines and arriving with presence.

5. Dive Deeper Into Your Hobbies

Remember the wonderful childhood feeling of play? Let’s bring that back for our own self-care. It might be a fun backyard sport with your family, or digging out your old crafts. Maybe you can start to upcycle your old clothes… Spend some time discovering what it is that brings you joy, and run with it!

6. Make Your Own Body Scrubs

Body brushing is an incredible practice for lymphatic drainage, and expensive sugar scrubs enhance much-needed cell turnover, but what if you don’t have any of the tools nearby? I use leftover coffee grounds with a touch of coconut oil for the ultimate body scrub. Coffee is a beautiful element to help enhance circulation throughout the body, and you feel fresh as a baby stepping out of the shower too. You’ll only want to make a little at a time, however, and store it in a glass jar to ensure it doesn’t grow any bacteria.

7. Unfollow, Unfriend, and Unsubscribe

This feel-good practice costs nothing but time, and feels more liberating than most. Dedicate some time each day, week, or month, to going through your social media channels and unfollowing or unfriending anyone who no longer supports where you’re at. Pro tip: if they’re family or an old school friend, you can just hide their posts so you don’t have to constantly expend your energy. Then, take a closer look at your inbox and unsubscribe from the posts that no longer serve you either.

8. Hydrate Your Body Daily

Typically, 8 glasses of water each day is advised, but in healthcare communities, it is recommended that you drink an ounce of water for each pound of body weight, at a minimum. Water makes up at least 60% of the human body, and it’s the lifeforce of all that goes on inside us. Water is used to transport nutrients, nourish the cells, and hydrate throughout, so ensuring we have an adequate intake (of quality, filtered where possible), is one of the easiest ways to level up our self-care. And it’s completely, totally free.

9. Allow A Morning For Sleeping In

Monthly is good, weekly is better if you can. When we’re so used to waking before the sun with a blaring alarm clock and an already overwhelming list of to-dos, this ritual can seem counter-productive and stressful, but it’s necessary. Switch off the alarm (if any children at home allow) and snooze until your heart is content and full. When you do eventually rise, do so mindfully, slowly, and presently, and carry the refreshed energy with you into the day.

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