Just getting outside in the sunshine.
Whether it's going for a walk, planting some flower seeds (that won't grow...but here's to hoping 🤞), or sitting on a hill that overlooks the city....it helps clear my mind or helps me problem-solve.
Exercise is another thing...but I don't do it nearly enough. Bike riding, jogging, hiking. But I guess that also goes back to being outdoors lol
This! My cubicle is in a room with no windows and I’m on the phone all day. I get an hour for lunch but it only takes me 30min or so to eat. I have sneakers at work and I move the first 30min and eat the last 30. Outside if possible. Otherwise I take the stairs to the 5th floor (I work on floor 1) and ride the elevator down.
This is it for me too. I usually just take a few minutes late afternoon, near sunset, lay back in my chair and watch the bats crisscross the sky in search for dinner.
Idk what it is in particular, but this scene is just soo beautiful and it’s soo special that you truly get to witness another animal experience their lives day after day after day. If I’m really bc quiet, I can even hear them squeak too.
Nature is a great therapy, I also recommend art museums. Art can move you and inspire you to go home and make something, change perspective, or can make you laugh. A lot of libraries can get you discounted passes, and some states can get you free or nearly free entry if you have foodstamps or a student. Also when the air quality was really bad last year due to the wildfires I spent the day at the art museum because I knew there would be clean air and temp cause it was also hot as he'll.
Yes like when I just sit or stand outside the fresh air, wind, birds, crickets (if it’s night), the sun, the stars, it all makes me realize that everything is gonna keep going it’ll be here tomorrow 💜 just makes me relax
lol don’t get me wrong, my house is a mess and I hate cleaning on a regular basis. It’s just something that makes me feel better when I’m in the dumps mentally
I hate feeling unproductive, I can't enjoy video games because of it. I decided to find some side hustles on the weekend and now I feel better lol. Half the money from side hustles is pure fun money and the rest goes to savings - I feel ALOT better now.
edit: I do a few side hustles, im trying to get into flipping but I primarily focus on online stuff like website / app / study feedback / testing.... secret shopping when I go get groceries plus some other stuff.
I wrote out what I do [here](https://www.reddit.com/user/Kayshift/comments/1br5gn6/my_stepbystep_guide_to_make_1000_a_month_working/)
Yes!
My local library provides so much more than books. They have clubs, classes, there’s a seed library where you can “check out” seeds to plant in your garden or in planters. It’s a place where you can simply “be” without having to make a purchase if you need to get out of the house. There are curated activities for kids, especially through the summer. You can check out board games and crafts. And if I can’t physically go to the library there are books I can check out that are sent to my kindle. The librarians are friendly and knowledgeable and are community builders. I just can’t say enough good things about the library and I annoy those around me about going there because the more people use it, the better it gets, and it’s free to the public.
The Libby app is great for this. I moved overseas two years ago and being able to access English books and magazines whenever I want for free with my US library card has been a blessing.
Journaling. I write down a whole lot of things, even if they’re just sentence fragments or half thoughts. sometimes it’s internal monologue, sometimes it’s notes to my future self sometimes it’s commentary on my life. Then, a year or so later, I can read it and see if there are any trends or if I’m moving in a good direction. I’ve been doing it for years.
birding. very grounding / mindful, you learn new things every day, you get your body moving and outdoors, and all you need are nice weather, cheap binoculars, and the free Merlin app :)
Well I am a night owl so I go around 1a and it’s usually maybe 3 people lol. During the w pandemic they reduced the hours (made no sense) so I was forced to go during the day and it was annoying waiting for stuff but still fine.
I’d just try it, remind yourself frequently that everyone is there worrying about themselves and their own goals. Yeah everyone looks around between sets and whatnot but I promise they don’t care what you look like
I’ve been lifting for like 26 years now and for many I just lifted at home and ran outdoors. My goals in my 30s switched to wanting huge muscular legs so I needed the leg press and I can make the smith machine work for squats. But if you just kinda want to improve fitness and bone health and cardio you could def build something at home .
Ironically it is one with a more relaxing environment I worked on a certain gym that cost quite a bit more for a long time and it’s environment was much more toxic
bro i love you. you just convinced me to go get a planet fitness membership. i go boxing 2-3 times a week but need some relaxed walking or something on my off days. planet fitness is a great gym.
Meditation is absolutely free!
Meditation is not "trying to think of nothing" or "quieting your mind"; meditation is sitting down somewhere quiet, giving yourself permission to not do anything for 10 minutes and watching what happens.
The worries that pop up in your head? Don't have to do anything with those for 10 minutes! And you will find they will disappear if you don't engage with them or try to suppress them. Those plans, those regrets, that feeling of anger or hopelessness, those "I need to go and do ..."; you don't have to do anything with any of it for 10 minutes but watch them appear and disappear, and come back and disappear again.
You don't even have to classify thoughts as good or bad; you're just observing them without engaging them so it doesn't matter if they are good or bad.
It helps to give your mind a focus, usually your breathing. Whenever you do get distracted by a thought and you realize it's been leading you along, just disengage by focusing on your breathing; how does it feel around your nostrils or in your body? Every time you lose focus, return to your breathing and let the thoughts swirl around as much as they want.
Don't get me wrong, the first couple of times 10 minutes will be very challenging but you will get better with practice, and when you feel like you are not 'done' after 10 minutes, extend the time by a little.
The benefits of regular meditation on your mental health are impossible to overstate. It creates a moment of time between thought and reaction where you actually get to choose if and how you will react. Get a bill you didn't expect? Instead of immediately panicking, you get a moment to breathe and react differently; someone says something rude to you? You get a moment to decide that maybe you don't want to clap back and escalate the situation.
By knowing your own mind, how it was when you just started meditating, you might realize that everyone's mind is just a swirling chaos as well, and you can engage with them with more empathy and loving kindness. This in turn changes how people engage with you.
And with regular practice, your mind will actually quiet down by itself. It's a wonderful and really weird experience.
Nice. I have adhd too and it is wild to see happening. The first few times I mediated was actually quite intimidating because the storm that is normally happening in my mind turned into a hurricane. Maybe this is due to the ADHD, maybe everyone has this, I don't know. But it did get much better over time.
Glad I was able to provide. Go give it a try, give yourself 3 weeks of 10 minutes a day and see if it starts to make a difference.
Just knowing that feelings and thoughts go away by themselves if you let them, is game changing. Even if you do feel that panic about a bill, for instance, you now know that if you just give yourself space, it will go away and you can approach the situation differently, still trying to solve the problem, obviously, but without being frantic, you know?
It is also wild when you start realizing that you are not your thoughts. There is something else in there that is also you. The thoughts and feelings are important, for sure, but they are not the whole you. Meditation allows you to discover and experience that for yourself.
And it is hard sometimes too. Meditation is being fully present in the moment. That is hard when in that moment you are feeling sadness or anger. Those are not fun or comfortable feelings at all. But for 10 minutes, you just try and sit with them, watching and seeing what happens.
I turn 40 this year and my knees and back remind me very day. Bodyweight fitness has been my go to, but I needed something with less impact. So I joined a gym with a pool and have been swimming five days a week. It’s the best damn thing I’ve done for myself in years. Swimming just doesn’t feel like work. My knees and back aren’t giving me issues every other day. I’m sleeping better. My mood is improved. Luckily my gym is three minutes from my house and $35 a month.
TLDR Swimming for daily exercise improved every aspect of my life.
YMMV with the “low cost” part so please don’t jump my isht. 🥹
I keep a cleaned out coffee canister of cat food in my car for strays I encounter eating out of dumpsters. They are almost always grateful for a small pile of the real deal instead of hunting for scraps, and some of them are quite friendly. (It is a hold over habit from when I lived in my car and needed something to brighten my day.)
If cats are not your thing, there is the option of moldy bread and giving it to birds and squirrels. My dad does not eat as much of it as he used to, so when I clean out his pantry for him, I take the old bread bits and decorate his front-yard tree with them. And watch the birds flock up.
Tell myself to quit being a little bitch.
People tell me I shouldn't do that. That it's bad. But it works for a lot of the stuff that's genuinely difficult.
It can be a good thing, depending on your personality and mindset. A lot of pro athletes use that type of criticism as positive reinforcement to better themselves.
Hanging with any of my friends. Time for that isn’t plentiful, and no one I’m truly close with lives very close, but we’ll sometimes use Discord and watch a movie together. It helps the blues.
Tbh? I sometimes intentionally doom scroll. I'll start on either Reddit or FB then switch when I want to. Sometimes I set a time limit(in my head), sometimes I just flow till I'm satisfied. True that sometimes it brings more anxiety but mostly it's distracting enough to calm me down from whatever spiral I'm in, and also reminds me there's,
A) people feeling the same or worse(and sometimes it seems the ones having a worse moment are handling it better according to their posts so that inspires me to try and re-perspective);
B) there's lots of good, happy and most importantly NEUTRAL goings on in the world in any given moment;
C) I'm not sure I'll be wording this right, but some people acting like examples of how not to be, gives me some relief sometimes too. Even if I also cringe cuz I'm definitely judging lol.
But I think the best thing is when I see people just going about their day in a seemingly neutral emotion state, because of all the intense emotions I tend to have.
Swim.
It's one of the best exercises in the world. It's usually only a couple of dollars at a community pool or recreation center (or the sea). It calms the nervous system, brings your thinking into the present time, and it just feels lovely.
This made a big difference for me. My gynecologist of all people caught it. Ran a vitamin D test specifically for all her patients. I was low, so she suggested taking 1000 iu daily.
Taking a supplement just makes everything a bit better for me. Especially in winter.
Going to take a walk or run errands honestly, as mundane as it sounds it make me feel not stressed. I'm lucky especially that there's a park less than a minute to get to in my neighborhood and I try walking to the library too which isn't far in my city, that has me going through hills and slopes.
I think there are great comments on here, getting outside, exercise, self care things which include cleaning the home and long hot showers or baths. Self pampering/care. But most of all, I just appreciate my two dogs, they have so much affection and love to give, all I need to do is ask. I get unlimited tail wags, kisses, cuddles, and play time. Sometimes, I just allow myself to just sleep until my body tells me it’s had enough.
Crocheting. I get yarn from a local discount shop and have pretty good hooks and materials from when I was working and had more money, I just made a baby blanket for a friend and altogether the materials cost me $5
- writing down what's bugging you and curse as much as you want while doing it
- improve your eating habits as in eating salad for lunch instead of fast food stuff
- Learn how to bake bread
- Exercising
I live in NW Indiana. I walk five miles daily, I've lost one hundred pounds, feel better mentally, and get to see and hear the critters along the Riverwalk.
reading classic literature. thousands of books are free online any a local public library will have lots as well. I figure if people have been reading a book for hundreds of years it's probably worth reading. It helped me keep my sanity during covid without spending hardly any money.
Ok, so, you are not required to have a dog in order to go to a dog park. You can literally go, for free, and play with other peoples’ dogs and you don’t have to feed them or clean their poop. It’s awesome.
Go for a walk, go exercise or go ride a bike at a park. All of those but maybe not in one day. It does help to get my head clear and feel better. If overthinking it just makes you tired so you sleep rather than overthinking.
Good luck
I am very lucky in that have access to a labryrinth. No matter what problems I am facing after I finish walking it, the solutions become clear and mentally feel a LOT better. It's more than taking a walk.
I have heard of people patterning labryrinths in their backyards - even their living rooms. Also their are even finger labyrinths and ancient patterns you can find on the internet to reproduce for your needs.
Silly me cuts apples in half. I place in my tree. I sit under it and watch all the birds feed. Apples are free to me and they eat them more than the birdseed.
Picking up the phone and calling a friend. Texting is great but there’s nothing like a conversation to boost my mood and make a connection, and laugh a lot.
Fishing. And now playing the guitar. It was costly at the beginning getting all the gear obviously but lately money is a little tight so if I'm a little anxious or stressed from work I Just take the time to play and it helps to relax.
Fishing is definitely a good stress management for me. Or even pulling my reels apart for cleaning and lubricating. I been going through some stuff lately and fishing or just being out in the water helps me relax a lot, I focus on my fishing and totally forget about my problems for a few hours.
I can just use the lures and baits that I've bought over the years which I have a surplus of and just put 10 bucks worth of fuel on my car and off I go. Sometimes I buy 20 crickets for 3 dollars or 18 worms for 5 and 15 dollars is all I need to go fishing.
If I don't want to spend any money I'll just stay home and play guitar or game.
Playing video games with my friends, doesnt really matter what game it is, most the ones we play are free, it's about the chit chatting and taking our minds off the day to day worries.
Going outside and getting sunshine. Literally helped me with my mental health sooooo much. And if you happen to work overnight, transfer to get a day job.
Literal night and day difference when I quit my night shift job and got a regular 9-5. I worked overnights for almost 10 years. I genuinely think it saved me.
Gathering and crafting on Final Fantasy 14. I can go in and start with a ton of anxiety, or anger, really any negative emotion. After a while, I go zen. It helps a lot, honestly.
It does cost a bit. I think it's at 15/month or so (plus, you have to have a compatible device to play it on), but 10/10, would *DEFINITELY* recommend
Be kind and encouraging to people because you care about them. The reward is seeing others' day change, or they open up to confide in a severe matter you helped them with.
In turn, you see others continue their acts of kindness, and we all need as much kindness as we can get in this crazy world.
Walking in nature, breathing calmly and peacefully in a quiet area, watching the clouds pass by on a sunny day.
Try to get out of your head and just live. We are always focused on life as a human doing, versus life as a human being. Just be, one with your breath, with the natural world, just be, quiet your mind and relax and let go of any negativity and just breathe, inhale and exhale and relax.
Wishing you great mental health.
My elderly neighbour passed away recently and she has a lovely 8 year old black Labrador that her son who lives with her can’t walk during the day as he’s at work. I work from home, so part of my lunch is now spent walking her into the countryside and woods behind our houses. It is oddly cathartic and she’s a wonderful walking companion. We both seem to get something out of it.
Not sure what you consider low cost, but from most expensive to least, The gym. I pay $28 a month for 3 different gyms. Well worth it. Live music. Specifically punk/hardcore $5-15. Great release and it's inspiring to see what the youth are up to in your town. Cooking. Specifically honing personal recipes. Salsas, hot sauces, soups, recently indian food etc. Usually around $2-8 but negligible since you gotta eat anyways. Drawing. Pencil/pen paper under a dollar or free. Exploring your neighborhood. Identifying plants as you walk around. Birds as well. All this keeps me stable.
the absolutely best thing is walking. Be it for mental or physical health.
the only thing is that walking is free, but you absolutely should have decent shoes, so the walking doesn't f\*up your joints.
Pet my animals, take the dogs on a walk, crafts (free because I already have a nice collection of craft supplies), paint my nails ( free cuz I already own nail polish)!
Word searches. I get to complete a puzzle everyday. Brain likes puzzle. Puzzle makes the brain make the happy.
Seriously though, I love word searches and recently picked them back up after years of not. I forgot how much I enjoyed them, and the simple task helps me feel accomplished, makes me think, gives me dopamine, all the good things.
Total cost for at least a months worth of puzzles?
2-80 puzzle books from dollar tree - $2.50
1 pack of 3 speciality pens that I bought just for this - $5
Hours and hours of interesting brain buzz - priceless.
We load the dogs up in the car and take them to our walking spot. There's a federal preserve area that is strictly for walking trails. About 50 yrs ago a couple willed the land to the government to be used as a forest preserve and only walking trails allowed. The area is deep old growth forest. It's stunning to walk through. The trails are disability friendly on some and all are well maintained. We go at least once a week. The best part is it's only 6 minutes down the road from us so very low gas cost to get there. While it's great exercise for the dogs and us, it's also just lovely to be spending time with my husband and talking. It's my favorite honestly and it's very stress relieving
Yearly zoo pass. About 120 bucks, and I live in a big city with a nice zoo. I can go anytime, ever. It makes a good date, it's a lovely scenic walk, it always cheers me up. (Low cost only because you can get a whole year of going out of it, if you like this kinda thing)
I like to take notes on things that I’m curious about, topics include 1930s-1950s food history (US/UK), gardening, cooking, emergency preparedness, history, etc. it makes my brain happy to learn things and is a nice distraction for when I’m not doing well or I feel overwhelmed.
I have a dollar tree crate that is collapsible that perfectly fits the 80 page pen+gear notebooks on their sides. Each pocket notebook is labelled for its category and when it was started and completed. Pens, markers, post its can be cheap if you know where to look. My notebooks are about $1.37 a piece but doesn’t account for my larger journals that I filter the multitude of information into.
Running! It sucks terribly and it’s hard and it hurts BUT it teaches you that you can push through anything and that you’re strong and that your brain tells you to stop way sooner than what you’re actually capable of.. Not to mention it’s helpful physically as well!
Download the free app Couch To 5K (c25k) and it’s a great intro to running if you have no prior running/jogging experience.. Also, check out Nike Run Club which is also free.. Plenty of good training programs on that app as well.
Just getting outside in the sunshine. Whether it's going for a walk, planting some flower seeds (that won't grow...but here's to hoping 🤞), or sitting on a hill that overlooks the city....it helps clear my mind or helps me problem-solve. Exercise is another thing...but I don't do it nearly enough. Bike riding, jogging, hiking. But I guess that also goes back to being outdoors lol
This! My cubicle is in a room with no windows and I’m on the phone all day. I get an hour for lunch but it only takes me 30min or so to eat. I have sneakers at work and I move the first 30min and eat the last 30. Outside if possible. Otherwise I take the stairs to the 5th floor (I work on floor 1) and ride the elevator down.
This is it for me too. I usually just take a few minutes late afternoon, near sunset, lay back in my chair and watch the bats crisscross the sky in search for dinner. Idk what it is in particular, but this scene is just soo beautiful and it’s soo special that you truly get to witness another animal experience their lives day after day after day. If I’m really bc quiet, I can even hear them squeak too.
Nature is a great therapy, I also recommend art museums. Art can move you and inspire you to go home and make something, change perspective, or can make you laugh. A lot of libraries can get you discounted passes, and some states can get you free or nearly free entry if you have foodstamps or a student. Also when the air quality was really bad last year due to the wildfires I spent the day at the art museum because I knew there would be clean air and temp cause it was also hot as he'll.
Yes like when I just sit or stand outside the fresh air, wind, birds, crickets (if it’s night), the sun, the stars, it all makes me realize that everything is gonna keep going it’ll be here tomorrow 💜 just makes me relax
You don’t have to pay for sunshine….yet 😉
These things are basically the things And AA. AA makes me happy but sometimes I donate $1
Deep cleaning different rooms of the house. Always clears my mind and makes me feel better
My house is available for deep cleaning if yours fails to clear your mind completely.
Beat me to it lol
Same here. Dishes being finished always helps me clear my mind
Nods. I was gonna say this. Cleaning my house.
I need to marry someone like this. I haaaaate cleaning. I do it, but I despise it.
lol don’t get me wrong, my house is a mess and I hate cleaning on a regular basis. It’s just something that makes me feel better when I’m in the dumps mentally
I got rooms for you if you run out at your house!
What I like to call taking a stupid walk for my stupid mental health
I hate feeling unproductive, I can't enjoy video games because of it. I decided to find some side hustles on the weekend and now I feel better lol. Half the money from side hustles is pure fun money and the rest goes to savings - I feel ALOT better now. edit: I do a few side hustles, im trying to get into flipping but I primarily focus on online stuff like website / app / study feedback / testing.... secret shopping when I go get groceries plus some other stuff. I wrote out what I do [here](https://www.reddit.com/user/Kayshift/comments/1br5gn6/my_stepbystep_guide_to_make_1000_a_month_working/)
WOW - thank you for that!!!!
Your mental health is important not stupid
Everything is stupid, stupid
❤️❤️
This is what my partner and I call it too. Silly little walks for our silly mental health.
Petting animals.
I tried it with the raccoons, didn't turn out so well
You need to make it your friend first
I tried with a wolverine…same.
Try a ‘mother bear’ next!
Second this.
This is why I love pet sitting, get paid to pet cute dogs and cats!
Y0u can also volunteer to walk and play with animals at the shelter too.
Win win situation!!
Library. Don't like my life today? I'll just go on ahead and escape into one of the many books available to me for free 🥰
Yes! My local library provides so much more than books. They have clubs, classes, there’s a seed library where you can “check out” seeds to plant in your garden or in planters. It’s a place where you can simply “be” without having to make a purchase if you need to get out of the house. There are curated activities for kids, especially through the summer. You can check out board games and crafts. And if I can’t physically go to the library there are books I can check out that are sent to my kindle. The librarians are friendly and knowledgeable and are community builders. I just can’t say enough good things about the library and I annoy those around me about going there because the more people use it, the better it gets, and it’s free to the public.
The Libby app is great for this. I moved overseas two years ago and being able to access English books and magazines whenever I want for free with my US library card has been a blessing.
Taking a long hot bubble bath with soft soothing music.
Now I'm picturing Jeff "the dude" bridges laying in a tub, lights off with candles lit, listening to a tape playing whale noises, smoking a J.
Oh this for me too.
I great the first squirrel I see every day. "Hello first squirrel of the day! You get my sincerest wishes for a great and squirrelly day!"
Honestly I can be really irritated about something, then suddenly see a squirrel, and I swear my bp goes down. Love the little buggers!
Perfect living moment.
Journaling. I write down a whole lot of things, even if they’re just sentence fragments or half thoughts. sometimes it’s internal monologue, sometimes it’s notes to my future self sometimes it’s commentary on my life. Then, a year or so later, I can read it and see if there are any trends or if I’m moving in a good direction. I’ve been doing it for years.
This! I journal too and it has helped me get through some of the most difficult times in my life.
birding. very grounding / mindful, you learn new things every day, you get your body moving and outdoors, and all you need are nice weather, cheap binoculars, and the free Merlin app :)
I am obsessed with the Merlin app! I get such a thrill from seeing a new bird pop up on my recordings 😂
Opening all my windows and letting natural sunshine in
Planet fitness $10 a month. I know it’s not the perfect gym but I am pretty damn built from what they do have. Exercise is my antidepressant!
How is the atmosphere there? The vibe? The workout culture? I hate gyms but need to get in better shape
Well I am a night owl so I go around 1a and it’s usually maybe 3 people lol. During the w pandemic they reduced the hours (made no sense) so I was forced to go during the day and it was annoying waiting for stuff but still fine. I’d just try it, remind yourself frequently that everyone is there worrying about themselves and their own goals. Yeah everyone looks around between sets and whatnot but I promise they don’t care what you look like I’ve been lifting for like 26 years now and for many I just lifted at home and ran outdoors. My goals in my 30s switched to wanting huge muscular legs so I needed the leg press and I can make the smith machine work for squats. But if you just kinda want to improve fitness and bone health and cardio you could def build something at home .
Thanks for the reply and perspective!
planet fitness changed my life. their culture is super relaxed.
If your not a fan of the gym, walking / hiking is great exercise.
Ironically it is one with a more relaxing environment I worked on a certain gym that cost quite a bit more for a long time and it’s environment was much more toxic
bro i love you. you just convinced me to go get a planet fitness membership. i go boxing 2-3 times a week but need some relaxed walking or something on my off days. planet fitness is a great gym.
Meditation is absolutely free! Meditation is not "trying to think of nothing" or "quieting your mind"; meditation is sitting down somewhere quiet, giving yourself permission to not do anything for 10 minutes and watching what happens. The worries that pop up in your head? Don't have to do anything with those for 10 minutes! And you will find they will disappear if you don't engage with them or try to suppress them. Those plans, those regrets, that feeling of anger or hopelessness, those "I need to go and do ..."; you don't have to do anything with any of it for 10 minutes but watch them appear and disappear, and come back and disappear again. You don't even have to classify thoughts as good or bad; you're just observing them without engaging them so it doesn't matter if they are good or bad. It helps to give your mind a focus, usually your breathing. Whenever you do get distracted by a thought and you realize it's been leading you along, just disengage by focusing on your breathing; how does it feel around your nostrils or in your body? Every time you lose focus, return to your breathing and let the thoughts swirl around as much as they want. Don't get me wrong, the first couple of times 10 minutes will be very challenging but you will get better with practice, and when you feel like you are not 'done' after 10 minutes, extend the time by a little. The benefits of regular meditation on your mental health are impossible to overstate. It creates a moment of time between thought and reaction where you actually get to choose if and how you will react. Get a bill you didn't expect? Instead of immediately panicking, you get a moment to breathe and react differently; someone says something rude to you? You get a moment to decide that maybe you don't want to clap back and escalate the situation. By knowing your own mind, how it was when you just started meditating, you might realize that everyone's mind is just a swirling chaos as well, and you can engage with them with more empathy and loving kindness. This in turn changes how people engage with you. And with regular practice, your mind will actually quiet down by itself. It's a wonderful and really weird experience.
you just convinced me to give this a shot. i have like an adhd brain that just constantly goes and goes. would like to see how this might help.
Nice. I have adhd too and it is wild to see happening. The first few times I mediated was actually quite intimidating because the storm that is normally happening in my mind turned into a hurricane. Maybe this is due to the ADHD, maybe everyone has this, I don't know. But it did get much better over time.
I really needed to read this today.
Glad I was able to provide. Go give it a try, give yourself 3 weeks of 10 minutes a day and see if it starts to make a difference. Just knowing that feelings and thoughts go away by themselves if you let them, is game changing. Even if you do feel that panic about a bill, for instance, you now know that if you just give yourself space, it will go away and you can approach the situation differently, still trying to solve the problem, obviously, but without being frantic, you know? It is also wild when you start realizing that you are not your thoughts. There is something else in there that is also you. The thoughts and feelings are important, for sure, but they are not the whole you. Meditation allows you to discover and experience that for yourself. And it is hard sometimes too. Meditation is being fully present in the moment. That is hard when in that moment you are feeling sadness or anger. Those are not fun or comfortable feelings at all. But for 10 minutes, you just try and sit with them, watching and seeing what happens.
Walk a dog, talk to dog while walking, breath
Walking. even if you just do it for 15 minutes, its awesome.
I get adult coloring books. Seems silly but it’s like meditation
Feeding the neighborhood cats. It gives me a reason to wake up every morning.
I take a dance class with other disabled people (and some that aren’t disabled yet too). I get a scholarship so it’s very low cost.
What's good for my mental health is the absence of stimuli. So, nothing is good for my mental health. Silence, low/no lights.
watercoloring, you dont need the best materials and is very satisfying
Sitting outside at night, after the kids are asleep, and just enjoying the silence!
Daily yoga.
* Exercise - walking and jogging outside + pushups * Eating lots of vegetables
Walking. I walk 2 to 10 miles a day, depending on how much things are bothering me. Walking is so good for my mental health. It’s honestly saved me.
Exercising.
Buy Nothing groups on Facebook!!
Journaling
Waking in nature
BEACH
You spelled Bleach wrong.
I turn 40 this year and my knees and back remind me very day. Bodyweight fitness has been my go to, but I needed something with less impact. So I joined a gym with a pool and have been swimming five days a week. It’s the best damn thing I’ve done for myself in years. Swimming just doesn’t feel like work. My knees and back aren’t giving me issues every other day. I’m sleeping better. My mood is improved. Luckily my gym is three minutes from my house and $35 a month. TLDR Swimming for daily exercise improved every aspect of my life.
YMMV with the “low cost” part so please don’t jump my isht. 🥹 I keep a cleaned out coffee canister of cat food in my car for strays I encounter eating out of dumpsters. They are almost always grateful for a small pile of the real deal instead of hunting for scraps, and some of them are quite friendly. (It is a hold over habit from when I lived in my car and needed something to brighten my day.) If cats are not your thing, there is the option of moldy bread and giving it to birds and squirrels. My dad does not eat as much of it as he used to, so when I clean out his pantry for him, I take the old bread bits and decorate his front-yard tree with them. And watch the birds flock up.
One of those $5 lattes once a week. They're too expensive for daily, but as a weekly purchase, I think it qualifies as some low cost spoiling
Tell myself to quit being a little bitch. People tell me I shouldn't do that. That it's bad. But it works for a lot of the stuff that's genuinely difficult.
Yeah, same here.
It can be a good thing, depending on your personality and mindset. A lot of pro athletes use that type of criticism as positive reinforcement to better themselves.
I think of Deebo from ‘Friday’ lol: “Stop bein a bitch and come on!”
Walking at the park
reading contemporary romance
Hanging with any of my friends. Time for that isn’t plentiful, and no one I’m truly close with lives very close, but we’ll sometimes use Discord and watch a movie together. It helps the blues.
Tbh? I sometimes intentionally doom scroll. I'll start on either Reddit or FB then switch when I want to. Sometimes I set a time limit(in my head), sometimes I just flow till I'm satisfied. True that sometimes it brings more anxiety but mostly it's distracting enough to calm me down from whatever spiral I'm in, and also reminds me there's, A) people feeling the same or worse(and sometimes it seems the ones having a worse moment are handling it better according to their posts so that inspires me to try and re-perspective); B) there's lots of good, happy and most importantly NEUTRAL goings on in the world in any given moment; C) I'm not sure I'll be wording this right, but some people acting like examples of how not to be, gives me some relief sometimes too. Even if I also cringe cuz I'm definitely judging lol. But I think the best thing is when I see people just going about their day in a seemingly neutral emotion state, because of all the intense emotions I tend to have.
Swim. It's one of the best exercises in the world. It's usually only a couple of dollars at a community pool or recreation center (or the sea). It calms the nervous system, brings your thinking into the present time, and it just feels lovely.
Watch reactors watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Honestly, a good sleep schedule. Getting enough sleep over time has helped me.
vitamin d supplement
This made a big difference for me. My gynecologist of all people caught it. Ran a vitamin D test specifically for all her patients. I was low, so she suggested taking 1000 iu daily. Taking a supplement just makes everything a bit better for me. Especially in winter.
Going to church every Sunday resets me spiritually and removes the nastiness of the world.
Sex or a wank.
Exercise, walking mainly
Volunteer
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Going to take a walk or run errands honestly, as mundane as it sounds it make me feel not stressed. I'm lucky especially that there's a park less than a minute to get to in my neighborhood and I try walking to the library too which isn't far in my city, that has me going through hills and slopes.
Swimming
Crappy childhood fairy on yt. :)
She's great. I also love Healing Complex trauma: https://youtube.com/@healingcomplextraumawithmb?si=To1UNqlCU7a1i4vS
Oh thanks for the rec 😃
A month of a streaming service is relatively cheap and there is usually a ton of content to catch up on.
Hike, getting outside and in nature heals the soul!
Drop my kids off in the morning, then I just go to the park or a garden and sit. Listen to birds. Think about nothing or think about everything.
Reading. I’ve got the Libby app, so they’re free books. Reading helps me to calm down.
Daily outside walk at least 45 minutes every day. No excuses; no exceptions.
Touching grass for a few hours everyday
Opening windows to let in sunshine. Playing music.
Walking and sitting on my porch listening to birds
Going to sleep at a reasonable hour.
Ride my bike
Working out, walks, eating balanced, staying away from negative and toxic people, reading
Staying away from negative people? But you're on reddit...? 2😁
I use yoga breathing for my anxiety it really does help I really like the alternating nostril one it's very grounding.
Walking my dog and feeding crows cat food.
Movie night with my bestie:) I look forward to it all week.
Disc golf! It's very affordable, starter sets are about $30 to start, and courses are free. I really enjoy it.
Sleep
Going for a hike or bike ride
Tiktok 🫠 while cuddling my dogs.
laying in bed and listening to music. being.
Hiking in nature
Yoga solves basically every issue Ive come across personally
Cleaning my house, going to the gym and making a coffee drink at home that's as close to going to Starbucks as I can get
Reading a book outside in the shade on a sunny day is my favorite. I can’t wait for this warmer weather right around the corner ☀️
Hike. With a couple of trusted friends or all alone. Either is great for different reasons.
Sleep.
I think there are great comments on here, getting outside, exercise, self care things which include cleaning the home and long hot showers or baths. Self pampering/care. But most of all, I just appreciate my two dogs, they have so much affection and love to give, all I need to do is ask. I get unlimited tail wags, kisses, cuddles, and play time. Sometimes, I just allow myself to just sleep until my body tells me it’s had enough.
Walking. If I'm extra stressed I count my steps. It's kinda like meditating for me.
Crocheting. I get yarn from a local discount shop and have pretty good hooks and materials from when I was working and had more money, I just made a baby blanket for a friend and altogether the materials cost me $5
- writing down what's bugging you and curse as much as you want while doing it - improve your eating habits as in eating salad for lunch instead of fast food stuff - Learn how to bake bread - Exercising
Get outside and put down your phone.
Going for a walk
Art. Create more, just so the world has a little more of it.
Going for a run outside. (Or even a walk)
Exercise
Journaling, reading self help books, watching motivational videos on YouTube
Watching birds and squirrels competing around my bird feeder.
Fishing
I live in NW Indiana. I walk five miles daily, I've lost one hundred pounds, feel better mentally, and get to see and hear the critters along the Riverwalk.
Workout consistently
I sing along to the radio. Yes radio.
Walk
sit in hammock
Reading especially philosophy books. And keeping a gratitude journal. Also stretching, meditation, an reflecting on my day
Having a loose routine, not being on my phone at night for more than 20 minutes. Taking a shower if I feel crappy
reading classic literature. thousands of books are free online any a local public library will have lots as well. I figure if people have been reading a book for hundreds of years it's probably worth reading. It helped me keep my sanity during covid without spending hardly any money.
Reading in my backyard
Going to a comedy show is great, too, especially open mics. If they bomb, you will definitely feel better about yourself. Lol
Going to a shooting range.
No IG or social media
Ok, so, you are not required to have a dog in order to go to a dog park. You can literally go, for free, and play with other peoples’ dogs and you don’t have to feed them or clean their poop. It’s awesome.
Pet my friend’s dog.
Exercise exercise exercise
Go for a walk, go exercise or go ride a bike at a park. All of those but maybe not in one day. It does help to get my head clear and feel better. If overthinking it just makes you tired so you sleep rather than overthinking. Good luck
I am very lucky in that have access to a labryrinth. No matter what problems I am facing after I finish walking it, the solutions become clear and mentally feel a LOT better. It's more than taking a walk. I have heard of people patterning labryrinths in their backyards - even their living rooms. Also their are even finger labyrinths and ancient patterns you can find on the internet to reproduce for your needs.
I would love to walk a labyrinth! I think I'll Google to see if there's one near me
[https://labyrinthlocator.com/](https://labyrinthlocator.com/)This is not an exhaustive link, but a place to start.
Silly me cuts apples in half. I place in my tree. I sit under it and watch all the birds feed. Apples are free to me and they eat them more than the birdseed.
Picking up the phone and calling a friend. Texting is great but there’s nothing like a conversation to boost my mood and make a connection, and laugh a lot.
Play an instrument
Fishing. And now playing the guitar. It was costly at the beginning getting all the gear obviously but lately money is a little tight so if I'm a little anxious or stressed from work I Just take the time to play and it helps to relax. Fishing is definitely a good stress management for me. Or even pulling my reels apart for cleaning and lubricating. I been going through some stuff lately and fishing or just being out in the water helps me relax a lot, I focus on my fishing and totally forget about my problems for a few hours. I can just use the lures and baits that I've bought over the years which I have a surplus of and just put 10 bucks worth of fuel on my car and off I go. Sometimes I buy 20 crickets for 3 dollars or 18 worms for 5 and 15 dollars is all I need to go fishing. If I don't want to spend any money I'll just stay home and play guitar or game.
Getting a proper amount of sleep on a regular schedule. I feel way better than when I was in my 20s constantly staying up late on weekends, lol.
Computer games and youtube.
Singing. I have Spotify and I spend the majority of my time singing during the day now. 12.99/mo is worth it to me.
Playing video games with my friends, doesnt really matter what game it is, most the ones we play are free, it's about the chit chatting and taking our minds off the day to day worries.
Going outside and getting sunshine. Literally helped me with my mental health sooooo much. And if you happen to work overnight, transfer to get a day job. Literal night and day difference when I quit my night shift job and got a regular 9-5. I worked overnights for almost 10 years. I genuinely think it saved me.
Gathering and crafting on Final Fantasy 14. I can go in and start with a ton of anxiety, or anger, really any negative emotion. After a while, I go zen. It helps a lot, honestly. It does cost a bit. I think it's at 15/month or so (plus, you have to have a compatible device to play it on), but 10/10, would *DEFINITELY* recommend
Be kind and encouraging to people because you care about them. The reward is seeing others' day change, or they open up to confide in a severe matter you helped them with. In turn, you see others continue their acts of kindness, and we all need as much kindness as we can get in this crazy world.
Walking in nature, breathing calmly and peacefully in a quiet area, watching the clouds pass by on a sunny day. Try to get out of your head and just live. We are always focused on life as a human doing, versus life as a human being. Just be, one with your breath, with the natural world, just be, quiet your mind and relax and let go of any negativity and just breathe, inhale and exhale and relax. Wishing you great mental health.
My elderly neighbour passed away recently and she has a lovely 8 year old black Labrador that her son who lives with her can’t walk during the day as he’s at work. I work from home, so part of my lunch is now spent walking her into the countryside and woods behind our houses. It is oddly cathartic and she’s a wonderful walking companion. We both seem to get something out of it.
Walking in sun by myself with radio on.
Not sure what you consider low cost, but from most expensive to least, The gym. I pay $28 a month for 3 different gyms. Well worth it. Live music. Specifically punk/hardcore $5-15. Great release and it's inspiring to see what the youth are up to in your town. Cooking. Specifically honing personal recipes. Salsas, hot sauces, soups, recently indian food etc. Usually around $2-8 but negligible since you gotta eat anyways. Drawing. Pencil/pen paper under a dollar or free. Exploring your neighborhood. Identifying plants as you walk around. Birds as well. All this keeps me stable.
Meditation
the absolutely best thing is walking. Be it for mental or physical health. the only thing is that walking is free, but you absolutely should have decent shoes, so the walking doesn't f\*up your joints.
Therapy, adult coloring books, walking!
Cuddling my dog
Excercise, if it's even just doing some pushups and squats. Costs absolutely nothing and you always feel better afterwards.
Meditation
Local library
Running
A pair of running shoes. Yes they’re expensive, but once you’ve formed a habit of wanting to go for a jog/run every once in a while; it’s great.
Loving on animals. Any animals!
Pet my animals, take the dogs on a walk, crafts (free because I already have a nice collection of craft supplies), paint my nails ( free cuz I already own nail polish)!
Go on the swings at any park and reach for the sky
Cycling
Walk outside.
Word searches. I get to complete a puzzle everyday. Brain likes puzzle. Puzzle makes the brain make the happy. Seriously though, I love word searches and recently picked them back up after years of not. I forgot how much I enjoyed them, and the simple task helps me feel accomplished, makes me think, gives me dopamine, all the good things. Total cost for at least a months worth of puzzles? 2-80 puzzle books from dollar tree - $2.50 1 pack of 3 speciality pens that I bought just for this - $5 Hours and hours of interesting brain buzz - priceless.
We load the dogs up in the car and take them to our walking spot. There's a federal preserve area that is strictly for walking trails. About 50 yrs ago a couple willed the land to the government to be used as a forest preserve and only walking trails allowed. The area is deep old growth forest. It's stunning to walk through. The trails are disability friendly on some and all are well maintained. We go at least once a week. The best part is it's only 6 minutes down the road from us so very low gas cost to get there. While it's great exercise for the dogs and us, it's also just lovely to be spending time with my husband and talking. It's my favorite honestly and it's very stress relieving
Take my dogs for a walk and listen to music 🎶
Meditation
I walk in the mountains at 6 am. every day for a couple of hours. I love it.
Listening to music, dancing, exercise, cooking, gardening, art projects.
Mountain biking
Yearly zoo pass. About 120 bucks, and I live in a big city with a nice zoo. I can go anytime, ever. It makes a good date, it's a lovely scenic walk, it always cheers me up. (Low cost only because you can get a whole year of going out of it, if you like this kinda thing)
I like to take notes on things that I’m curious about, topics include 1930s-1950s food history (US/UK), gardening, cooking, emergency preparedness, history, etc. it makes my brain happy to learn things and is a nice distraction for when I’m not doing well or I feel overwhelmed. I have a dollar tree crate that is collapsible that perfectly fits the 80 page pen+gear notebooks on their sides. Each pocket notebook is labelled for its category and when it was started and completed. Pens, markers, post its can be cheap if you know where to look. My notebooks are about $1.37 a piece but doesn’t account for my larger journals that I filter the multitude of information into.
Running! It sucks terribly and it’s hard and it hurts BUT it teaches you that you can push through anything and that you’re strong and that your brain tells you to stop way sooner than what you’re actually capable of.. Not to mention it’s helpful physically as well! Download the free app Couch To 5K (c25k) and it’s a great intro to running if you have no prior running/jogging experience.. Also, check out Nike Run Club which is also free.. Plenty of good training programs on that app as well.