From not being able to afford things right now, to the impending stress of future expenses, many have been feeling the weight of financial stress.
While everyone’s feeling the pinch of financial stress, there are still plenty of fun activities you can try for low or no cost. And the benefits will not only help your wallet but also your mental wellbeing.
If you’re looking for ways to improve your mental wellbeing without reaching into your wallet, here are some things you can do that won’t cost you a dime.
Get some fresh air
Starting the list off strong is the best thing you can do for yourself: walk.
I know, this may seem simple, but there are so many benefits to taking a walk in and getting some fresh air. It can also be a great opportunity to finally get in that podcast or listen to all that music you’ve been putting off for a while.
Walking has been proven to do wonders to help your brain handle stress better and find solutions to problems. Have an essay that’s stressing you out? Take a walk and come back to it renewed. That pile of clothing screaming to be folded? A walk might help you find your solution in finally tackling it.
Taking a nice walk to the beach, around the pool or even hiking across a river or lake are tremendous activities for your mind. Science also shows that being near water boosts our mood significantly as contact with water can put us in a meditative state, calming the mind.
Journaling
Journaling is one of those activities that people will either love or feel embarrassed about doing. Which makes sense – it’s tough to be vulnerable and see your thoughts committed to writing.
Science has proven however that journaling can help you properly engage with your thoughts and broaden your perspective. Helping you prioritize the problems, fears, and concerns you may be facing in your life.
There are so many different approaches to journaling that you can take. You don’t always need to do lengthy paragraphs detailing everything about your day.
Sometimes simple one-word descriptions of how you felt that day, and what happened can help you track symptoms day-to-day and reveal potential triggers that might affect your mood.
If you’re struggling with committing yourself to journaling, consider looking into these tips for creative journaling that suggest journaling be a gift to yourself for the future.
Painting
I’m a bit biased when it comes to the benefits of painting. I personally have no talent or skill when it comes to art, but you better believe I love doing it and feel the most at peace when I do. Thankfully there are so many different methods of painting, you can for sure believe there’s something for you.
Painting can be a great method of boosting our confidence as we can slowly see ourselves improving over time, while also working on ways we express ourselves.
It can also make us feel more engaged and resilient, alleviating anxiety, depression and stress.
Socialise with friends over some games
Playing games may seem like a guilty recreational hobby that wouldn’t do much to help your brain, but it can actually be a great way to engage in creative problem-solving. Whether it’s a board game or a video game, gaming, especially with others, can be a great way to engage your brain by keeping it active through problem-solving.
Gaming has become not only a convenient social setting to find and connect with friends, but it can also help stave off the feeling of loneliness and strengthen your sense of self.
But if you’re looking to take a break from screens and meet up with people in person, board game communities have also grown more accessible, with both in-person and online groups popping up.
In some specific board game venues. the games available are super quick to learn and people are more than willing to show you the ropes as they play.
Socialising over board games with friends or strangers can do wonders for stress and anxiety by releasing endorphins in our brains. We also have to actively participate and think while playing a board game, bringing us out of our shells to not only be competitive, but collaborative also.
Finding green spaces
There’s a reason why gardeners in movies are always the most zen. Research has been showing increasing your exposure to plants and green space, particularly gardening, is beneficial to mental and physical health.
Have you moved into a new house or looking to redecorate? Putting plants around has been proven to help improve productivity and lower blood pressure.
Gardening is a phenomenal hobby that can actually save you money on groceries in the long run as well. It also combines physical activity with exposure to nature and sunlight. So you can get increase those vitty D levels throughout the year.
Set a positive routine
This one can be tough, I know.
However, routines can be great motivators that push us to prioritise the things we may find hard to start. Even starting small with things like making your bed can reduce insomnia, helping drastically in boosting your quality of sleep and mood.
Setting up a positive routine to tackle things like cleaning or exercise can reduce our anxiety by reducing cortisol levels in the brain, although the most important thing is that your routine is something that you enjoy doing or feel fulfilment completing.
Starting small with things like deciding what needs to be in the routine, setting small goals at the start, tracking your progress and rewarding yourself for completing them can be great motivators to stay consistent with your routine.
Putting these tasks in our calendar or on a personal to-do list can help encourage us to follow through with them, a key point in personal cognitive behavioural therapy.
If you’d like to learn more about other free or low-cost activities you can do, Queensland Health has plenty of options available on its Dear Mind site.