Is your self-care breaking the bank? How to afford better wellbeing

I still remember my first massage. It was glorious.

Months of hunching over textbooks left me tense. But one hour later, I felt like a new person. From that point on, massages became a little luxury I would indulge in from time to time. Unfortunately, they were expensive.

The truth is real self-care doesn’t have to cost a lot of money.Credit: Simon Letch

So, to deal with the guilt, I’d remind myself of the health benefits. I mean, self-care, right? But what if self-care isn’t what we think it is?

In the ’90s and 2000s, self-care wasn’t a term that was used as much as it is today.

A quick search for “self-care” on Google Trends reveals that the popularity of the search term has been rising since about 2016. People are more interested in self-care. This is a good thing.

But when you look at the trillion-dollar wellness industry, you have to ask: when did taking care of oneself start costing so much money? Or have we lost sight of what self-care really is?

In recent years the lines between “self-care” and “indulgence” have become blurred. The former has become a guilt-free justification for the latter. Manicure? Self-care. Day spa? Self-care. Expensive skincare routine? Self-care.

Now, there’s nothing wrong with indulgences. But let’s call a duck a duck.

When you dress your indulgences up as self-care, you rob yourself of both.

On one hand, you can’t fully enjoy your indulgences guilt-free (because, let’s face it, if you didn’t feel a little guilty, you wouldn’t feel the need to justify these indulgences in the first place).

Establishing a ritual is important for getting a good night’s sleep.Credit: Getty

On the other hand, there’s a good chance you might have a slightly misguided idea of what is actually required to create a positive impact on your physical and mental wellbeing.

So, you might find yourself financially stressed, trying to afford purchases you think you need for your self-care, all the while neglecting the things that would make a material difference. The truth is real self-care doesn’t have to cost a lot of money.

Here are three ways you can improve your self-care without spending a dollar.

Sleep more

In his book Why We Sleep, Matthew Walker shares shocking facts about sleep deprivation.

He notes that insufficient sleep increases your risk of certain cancers, increases the likelihood of blocked coronary arteries, and contributes to all major psychiatric conditions. He says that “sleep is the single most effective thing we can do to reset our brain and body to health each day”.

Many of us have experienced the benefits. In fact, sometimes we can’t fathom why we struggle to sleep more when sleep feels so good.

It can be hard because of all our competing interests. Watching TV, hanging out with friends, social media. Sleeping early requires routines, habits and a lifestyle that supports it.

Eat cleaner

Recent research published in the Journal of Affective Disorders looked at data of more than 23,000 Australians over 15 years and found the risk of depression jumps markedly for those whose daily diet contains more than 30 per cent ultra-processed food.

Healthy food can help your mood.Credit:

This is just one of many studies that all say the same thing: the quality of the food you eat has an undeniable impact on your physical and mental health.

You don’t have to become a clean-food fanatic. But small tweaks could make a huge difference.

It’s the stuff we already know. Drink more water, less alcohol. Eat more veggies, fewer sweets. You don’t have to do it seven days a week. Start with once a week.

People who spent at least two hours a week in green spaces were significantly more likely to report good health and psychological wellbeing than those who didn’t.Credit: iStock

Spend time in nature

The research is abundant: time in nature is good for you.

Recent research even found how much time you need to spend to reap benefits. A study led by the University of Exeter found that people who spent at least two hours a week in green spaces were significantly more likely to report good health and psychological wellbeing than those who didn’t. It didn’t matter how they achieved that two hours (could be one long visit or many short visits).

As we struggle to fit the demands of our increasingly busy lives into our short days, it seems absurd to think we could take two hours out of our week to visit a park or beach.

So, start small. Start with 15 minutes on your lunch break.

Do these tips work?

I’m only a sample size of one, but as I made a concerted effort to improve all of the above areas, I did notice something interesting. I stopped feeling the need for massages.

The more effort I put into ‘real’ self-care, the less money I felt the need to spend on luxuries that masqueraded as self-care but had comparatively little impact on my wellbeing long-term. Healthier, happier … and wealthier, all at once. It definitely worked for me.

Paridhi Jain is the founder of SkilledSmart, which helps adults learn to manage, save and invest their money through financial education courses and classes.

• Advice given in this article is general in nature and is not intended to influence readers’ decisions about investing or financial products. They should always seek their own professional advice that takes into account their own personal circumstances before making any financial decisions.

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