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Finding things that restore your soul does not have to be about getting your nails done or having a facial, says public health specialist Cieran Fox.
He says just getting to take a 10-minute bath by yourself, without the kids knocking at the door, counts as boosting your wellbeing.
Fox works with the National Public Health Service based in Christchurch. In the latest episode of RNZ podcast Thrift , he helps find some different pathways to wallet- friendly wellbeing.
One of the things he would like to do is rehabilitate the way people think about self-care.
"Wellbeing and self-care. I feel like these are words that make people think of having to spend money. You know, these are kind of treaty, pampery kind of terms."
Crucially, self-care is not always just the stuff you do. Sometimes it's what you don't do, Fox says.
"It can be about having boundaries, saying no to things, carving out time for yourself and for your family. It's kind of what our minds and bodies need quite often, good old-fashioned rest."
Follow and listen to Thrift on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart, YouTube Music or wherever you get your podcasts.
Five free ways to boost wellbeing
1. Walk it off
Just stepping out and going for a walk is one of the three ways to wellbeing that is good for us, Fox says.
"It can be really simple. It doesn't need to be about expensive fitness equipment or gym memberships."
Walking does not cost anything and frees the mind, he says.
"We're free to think and to talk and to take our time."
It is the opposite experience to driving, he says.
"You're always looking straight ahead when you're driving in a car. And I kind of like looking sideways."
Don't think you've got time to walk? Fox suggests turning one-on-one meetings into walking meetings, where both people get a wellbeing boost instead of being in an office building.
2.Tune in and turn off
Fox says it is important to take notice, tune into our senses and savour what's going on around us.
"The human mind and body isn't equipped to be continually switched on and productive all the time. We need opportunities to unplug and to allow our thoughts to happen."
3. Exercise the learning muscles
Any kind of learning - whether that is quizzes, problem solving, a language or an instrument - will boost the brain.
"I like to think of it more as being curious. Stay curious. So, asking questions, trying to figure things out, make connections, learn new tricks."
4. Be generous
"We're really hard wired for co-operative behaviour, altruistic behaviour, and we get such a strong psychological reward from being kind, that it's a really remarkable thing."
That could be as simple as saying hello to someone on the street, he says.
"That might be the only time that someone said hello to a person all day, a simple act of human recognition and an offering of I see you, G'day, is tiny, and every single one of us can do that."
5. Reach out and make a connection
We all know it is important to connect with family and friends, but how we do it need not to cost anything, Fox says.
"We have such socially structured ways of interacting. We go to cafes or pubs, and that involves spending money. But you know, maybe we can go for a simple walk. Maybe we can just catch up and chat sitting by a river. It really is just about reaching out."
Catching up with people is about more than just having a laugh with a mate, he says.
"That sense of being connected to others is incredibly powerful for recharging our sense of well-being. So, it's a vital act of self-care."
Thrifty selfcare tips
- Go for a walk, a meander, let your mind roam
- Stretch your mind by learning something new, a language, an instrument, or doing quizzes
- Tune into what's going on around you
- Give to others your time and your energy
- Connect with people, find ways to catch up without spending money