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It’s January, you’re back at work after a terribly indulgent Christmas break. Most likely you’ve got next to no money, and you’re battling against a tonne of new years resolutions you made in haste whilst drunkenly watching the latest Victoria’s Secret show on YouTube. Alongside trying to do Dry January, you’re also frantically posting your avocado-on-toast and kale smoothie on Insta with #EatClean AND you’ve given up buying your daily flat white. Life is, in a nutshell, grim. Now more than ever is the time to do something nice for yourself. Being honest, what you really want is a hot stone massage (whatever that actually is) or a Greek Island Holiday, but you’ve not got the time or money for that. Fret not! There are loads of little things you can try for free (or nearly free) that might only take ten minutes, but will help you to reset, and settle in to the New Year.
Actually go to the gym…
Eugh. So with party season hangovers, followed by being too full to move, followed by New Year’s hangovers, you’ve probably not done any exercise in approx. 1 month. If that direct debit is just flying out of your account unused, now’s the time to make the most of it. It’s cliché, but exercise does release endorphins, which will make you feel loads happier. Pick something you enjoy, whether it’s yoga, dancing or just running on the treadmill and try going on the way to work, or on the way home – that way you don’t have an excuse not to go. It’ll be a hard slog to get yourself through it after a month of lethargy, but the post-workout morphine-like buzz, coupled with the smug Insta shot of your trainers or water bottle will make it SO worth it.
Find a Free Fitness Class
Sticking with the fitness, if you don’t have a gym membership, you don’t really need one. There are loads of things you can try for free. Why not download the Couch to 5K podcast and challenge yourself. Or, loads of sports brands (e.g. Sweaty Betty and Nike) offer free classes in store and outdoors. Even with no dollar you can get that smugness-inducing endorphin rush.
Try Some Mindfulness
Mindfulness is the new big thing. If you’re not into meditation and are after a quick fix, or an intro, there’s a 55.7% chance*that you got one of those adult colouring books for Christmas from either your office Secret Santa, your mate-from-home, or in your stocking. Well, now’s the time to crack it out. Colouring-in is said to help stem anxiety and stress (which we have a lot of right now) and encourage creativity. Take half an hour or so, find your old pencil case, put on some nice music, and get colouring.
(*this maybe isn’t a real statistic.)
Read In The Bath
This one is totally free and comprises almost completely of Christmas presents you’ve not cracked into yet. Take that bath bomb you’ve been saving for a special occasion, the book you’ve not started yet, and the candle that’s still in its box, and hey presto, you’ve got the perfect antidote to a stressful Wednesday at work. Relax until the water goes cold, and then slather yourself in the moisturizer that came with that perfume set. Combine with fresh sheets, and you’ll be feeling as good as new.
Get a Make Over
Take a trip out in your lunch break and go and have a make over in your local make up shop. These are usually free, or come at a small fee, which you can probably use against product. If you’re skin is feeling a bit grey and dull after the festive period, why not try a new foundation or highlighter? Fresh, glowing skin will make you feel so much better and brighter. N.B It’s a good excuse to use any gift vouchers you didn’t immediately take to the sales.
Go To Your Local College’s Beauty Salon
If you’ve been hankering to try false lashes or a spray tan or just need a hair cut but don’t fancy the price tag that comes along with them, have you thought about trying your local college’s beauty salon? Students will do the treatment, meaning it’s usually less than half the price of a regular salon, but they’re always supervised by their teachers, so nothing can go wrong. It’s totally worth a look into.
Move your room around?
If you can’t Pinterest-up your new room because every single piece of Scandi furniture you’re after costs about four thousand pounds and wouldn’t fit in your house-share bedroom anyway, why not have a shift about with the furniture? Moving things around will make things look new and tidy and you’ll be forced to sweep/vacuum under the bed. After all, and I don’t mean to sound like your Mum, but a tidy room = a tidy mind.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.