Author: Cheryl Conklin

Though the pandemic has wreaked havoc on communities around the world, it finally seems like the fog is lifting. But if being under lockdown has disrupted not just your life but also your health and wellness routine, it’s time to start feeling like yourself again. Here are five cheap and even free ways to start feeling—and looking—better than ever.

Refocus Your Sights on Good Nutrition

The food you eat impacts much more than your waistline, which means your curbside pickup mid-pandemic maybe wasn’t the best wellness move. In fact, certain foods are known to help alleviate depression—like avocados, bananas, and sweet potatoes. Add these and othernutrient-dense picks to your menu for a bit of a pick-me-up.

The good news is, as pandemic restrictions lift, you’re more likely to find all your favorite ingredients in stock. That also means better odds of finding sales that make cooking healthy meals at home even moreaffordable.

Choose Your Method of Self-Care

Self-care is crucial for your physical and mental health. The thing is, self-care looksdifferent for everyone. The key is to find your favorite indulgence and make it fit your budget. For example, it never hurts to feel good about yourself and how you look. So, if beauty and skincare are your favorite forms of self-care, aim for budget-friendly buys. For example, shopping at Walgreens means access to plenty of beauty and wellness goods, and you can add Walgreens coupons and promo codes to save even more.

Get Back into a Fitness Routine

If yougained weight during quarantine, don’t worry—you’re not the only one. Evidence proves that stress can impact your metabolism and eating habits, so adding a few pounds while experiencing a crisis is understandable. What matters now is creating healthy habits you can stick with moving forward.

Start by setting small goals—and holding yourself accountable—and establish non-food rewards that motivate you. The best part is, getting in your daily aerobic activity doesn’t require a gym membership—so you don’t have to spend your entire budget on fitness.

Add Nature to Your To-Do List

Even mid-quarantine, many natural spaces were overrun by people desperate to get some fresh air. And while some areas are still busy now, as society opens even more, natural spaces should be high on your must-visit list.

Spending time in nature can help you feel refreshed on a day-to-day basis, but it’s more than that. As the BBC explains, nature is anintegral part of both physical and mental health. Spending time outdoors in your backyard, local parks, or even state parks (as theyreopen) can improve your long-term health and help you feel better about any stress that lingers due to the pandemic.

Do a Social Media Detox

Staying connected is vital for your mental health, which means we saw a rise in social media use during the lockdown. As people cautiously begin to venture out again, our reliance on video chat and other tools will likely continue. But with the positives of connectivity come even morestress and anxiety due to social media, notes Everyday Health. From undesirable feedback from your online friends to seeing news headlines that induce fear, social media can be emotionally draining. Taking a social media detox can do wonders for your wellness, and it’s free. Of course, staying committed to step away from the screen might require somedetox tips. Try detoxing with a buddy and finding other ways to connect with your friends and family, for starters.

Looking your best involves a variety of factors—including good mental and physical health, too. Whether you’re planning to stay put a bit longer or are itching to get back into the swing of daily life, taking these steps can help you ease into this next phase. The best part is that those cheap and free acts of self-care can make a significant impact on your wellbeing moving forward.

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