20 Ways To Invest in Yourself During Quarantine Without Spending Money
Does quarantine have you bored in the house and in the house bored? You’re definitely not alone. Staying home 24/7 was a major relief in the beginning weeks. I enjoyed taking a break from the world and binge watching my favorite Netflix shows. But 3 months in I can’t help but feel like I should be using this time wiser. Bans are being lifted and establishments are reopening, but the corona virus is still out there and people will continue to self quarantine. The question now is how can we stay sane and continue moving forward in a positive direction? How can we use this time to grow into the best versions of ourselves?
Here are 20 ways we can invest in our well-being that doesn’t require us to spend money or be anywhere other than our homes.
Take a virtual class or workshop
Online education is the way of the future. More of us are realizing that learning doesn’t only have to take place in a classroom. Working from home has allowed us to experience this first hand. Schools are closing and we are looking for alternative ways to stay sharp and learn new skills. Teachers are hosting their courses virtually with students. Parents are homeschooling their children through virtual workshops. You can find free courses online at Udemy, Coursera and my personal favorite YouTube University.
Develop a Daily Routine
Going to bed with a detailed plan for the next day is a great to stay focused and disciplined. A daily routine helps you knock out those important tasks and create healthy habits. Pro tip: start your day with something exciting to do. My morning skin care routine makes me look forward to waking up early.
Read a Good Book
Reading a book, fiction or non-fiction can expand your awareness, creativity and knowledge. Reading also strengthens your imagination and focus. Not to mention it’s also a great way to reduce your screen time.
Take Advantage of Free Workout Videos
I used to go to the gym faithfully before quarantine, but working out at home is just as good when you have an awesome workout plan to follow. And if you need ideas of some at home workouts you can always pull up those videos you have saved on Instagram from your favorite fitness influencers.
Try Out Healthy Recipes
I find cooking to be very therapeutic. You can take your time and be very intentional about the ingredients you use in your everyday meals. There’s so many recipes on Pinterest that include a short video if you’re more of a visual learner like me.
Declutter Your Home
Let’s bring some joy back into our homes by switching things up a bit and maybe moving some furniture around. Now is the perfect time to grab those shelf organizers for the kitchen cabinets. Clean out your closets. Set aside a donation box for the pieces you’ve outgrown or can’t see yourself wearing in the foreseeable future. There’s also amazing apps like Let Go and Depop where you can sell your items and make some extra coins.
Prioritize Self Care
Gone are the days when you only had 5 minutes to spare for your morning skincare routine before it was time to head to work. Now our daily commute is going from the bedroom to the living room to the bathroom to the kitchen. We can dedicate as much time as we need to our self care practices.
Start A Monthly Budget
If nothing taught us the importance of having an emergency fund it’s the global crisis we are in now. We need to prepare ourselves financially for anything that could possibly happen in the future. It may not be a global pandemic; it could be that your car breaks down and you need repairs, unexpected medical bills, school tuition, job loss, family loss (funeral costs), etc. You get the idea. Depending on your monthly income, try setting aside at least 10-25% towards an emergency fund until you reach 6-12 months of living expenses in case something unexpected happens such as job loss or family loss.
Have A Weekly Check-In Day
Once a week, assign a day where you check in on your progress and how you’re feeling overall about how you’ve been showing up for yourself. Make adjustments and keep track of important wins. Remember done is better than perfect, and as long as you’re doing your best to stay consistent that’s all that matters. There’s no need to put unnecessary stress on yourself. You’re human not a robot. And building new habits takes time. What’s important is that you do what’s right for you. Some days you’ll feel motivated and others… well going from the bed to the couch is all you can really do and that’s okay. Maybe instead of reading a book you listen to an audio book. Maybe instead of a full blown workout you just stretch and get 20 mins of yoga in. Do what works for you.
Meditate and Practice Mindfulness
There is a lot of scientific evidence that meditation has tremendous benefits. It reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety, it improves concentration and memory, it can even help people struggling with addiction. Being mindful of the choices we make in our everyday lives takes us from a state of unconsciousness to self awareness. Intentional living is how we take our power back. Taking 5 minutes to breathe deeply, express gratitude and visualize your highest self before you start the day really does make a difference.
Sleep A Full 8 Hours
There’s only so much energy you can exude throughout the day. Try sleeping at least 8 hours every night. You’ll feel amazing. Being well rested is healthy and necessary. Your body needs it.
Find an Online Community You Love
It’s easy to feel disconnected from the world when you’re in quarantine. The days of getting together to hang out, go to parties, concerts and clubs just isn’t possible right now. This inevitably leads to an increase of online activity. It doesn’t matter what you’re into, I guarantee there’s an online community out there waiting for you to join. Facebook groups are a great place to share content, connect with like minds and explore new ideas!
Stay in Touch with Family and Friends
There’s nothing like the connection you have with your family and friends no matter how many online communities you’re a part of. The people that know and love you. Staying in touch with loved ones helps increase your mental health as well.
Learn a New Language
Learning how to communicate with people who speak a different language than you is a great skill to have especially if you love to travel. You can download apps like Babbel, Rosetta Stone or Duolingo which is a personal favorite of mine. I love this app because it’s easy to use and it covers all of the basics, full sentences and conversations.
Start Journaling
Writing down your thoughts brings the metaphysical into the physical world. It helps organize your ideas and dreams into a plan of action that you can see in front of you. Journaling can help you break down your ideas into actionable steps that you can follow to reach your goals. Keep a journal within reach for when you have those aha moments.
Unplug From Social Media Regularly
Commit to a phone free hour every evening. And if you can, try not to immediately pick up your phone first thing in the morning. It’s easy to feel like it’s the apocalypse outside when in reality you are OK in this present moment. Social media has a tendency to swoop us into a group think mentality that only focuses on what’s trending. It’s good to take a break from consuming all of that often and come back to yourself.
Practice Gratitude
If you’re reading this it may be safe to say that you’re OK right now given the current circumstances in the world. Take a moment to reflect and acknowledge everything that you have regardless of what that looks like compared to others.
Grow A Garden
It’s okay if you don’t have a green thumb. I didn’t either before I decided to grow some vegetable plants on my apartment balcony. You just have to start and learn on the way. Nurturing plants is so healing because it teaches you patience, love, and kindness. It’s important to apply those qualities when tending to yourself because you’re still growing too!
Be Kind To Yourself
What was your attitude towards life before quarantine? Were you always stressed and being hard on yourself? Give yourself some compassion and grace. Through all of the tough times you’re still here.
Launch A Project
That business idea you’ve been thinking about lately could potentially thrive in this economy. Yes, there are plenty of businesses that are going under due to the pandemic however don’t let that discourage you. Many creative entrepreneurs will bloom this season. Why not be one of them? Launch that podcast, e-commerce store, blog, youtube channel, etc!
How are you using this time to invest in yourself? Let us know in the comments!
