It is soooo important to take time for yourself! You really should be making time to relax each and every day. This habit will go so far in helping you stay mentally healthy and emotionally stable. But, teachers and daycare providers only have so much money and time available! Here’s some ideas of ways you can actually relax at home, any day of the week, and it won’t cost you any cash.
7 Free Ways to Relax After a Hard Day Teaching
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1. Read or Watch TV
Personally, I don’t watch much tv. Hubby or the kids usually are in charge of the remote.
My go-to way to relax every night before bed is my Kindle! I love my Kindle. My first Kindle was the original Kindle Touch, but I upgraded to a Kindle Paperwhite a year or two ago for the built in light feature. I love love love it!
Since it connects right to my WiFi, I can get online from my computer and choose books to send to my Kindle. I have taken my Kindle to the beach, and it works fantastically in the harsh sun! But my favorite thing about my Kindle is how light it is. It really is so well designed for reading – much lighter and better sized than an iPad. And excellent for laying in bed and easily held with one hand when I’m half asleep or super comfy.
How to Get Free Kindle Books
Books can get expensive! But, being the frugal woman I am, I have figured out a couple of ways to save some money on books. Even if you don’t have a Kindle, you can get the FREE Kindle Reading App
- Local Library. Even my tiny little town offers ebooks that you can borrow for 2 weeks at a time like any other library book! I can sign in and download ebooks right from home.
- Prime Reading. Do you already subscribe to Amazon Prime
? (If you don’t, you should! You can get a 30 Day Free Trial here
- Bookbub.com. I’ve been using this site for a while now. Authors like to occasionally offer their books for cheap or free to gain new fans. Bookbub.com is a FREE website that you can subscribe to. Each week they send me a newsletter full of free books in the genres I chose. I have so many free books on my Kindle now, I will never run out of books to read!
Amazon also has an option called Kindle Unlimited
2. Bake
Baking is free therapy! When you put your time and effort into something like baking, then get to reap the rewards, the psychological satisfaction is just as sweet! (Yes, this might cost a few bucks to replenish your cupboards after a baking spree. But if you bake from scratch and use what’s in your cupboards, the cost is easily absorbed into your grocery budget!)
This year we really got into canning. I learned then what a great feeling it is to make something from scratch! Pies are my favorite thing to bake. The chopping and rolling are somehow therapeutic me.
My mom has always been a baker, too. There’s just something about making something from nothing that really makes you feel proud and accomplished. Plus, you get to eat!
3. Write, Journal, or Blog
Journalling is such a healthy emotional outlet. I never really consistently got into journalling, but if you like to write, go for it!
I’d rather teach than write for myself. That’s part of the reason why I blog! I get to be creative and share my experiences and knowledge with others who can learn from it. Did you know that you can start a blog for free at WordPress.com? Or if you’re serious about it and want to look more professional, you can get a great deal from my host, Bluehost.com.
And the best part about writing for relaxation is that it’s free!
4. Bubble Bath
Ahhhh. Bubble baths. I love a candlelit bubble bath. The soak itself can be physically healthy for you, but I think the best benefit is the mental cleansing that comes from a good long soak in the tub!
Taking the time just to do something for yourself, and the time to do nothing but focus on your day and your emotions has so many benefits that will last beyond those minutes in the tub.
5. Call a Friend
Or your mom. You know, someone who you can lose track of time with.
Texting has made quick conversations so easy and convenient. But those long conversations with someone who really gets you are still so helpful! There’s no way to convey emotion through texting. Sometimes that call can make all the difference after a stressful day.
I love having friends over to visit, too. But that’s just not always practical for us! A phone call is something you can do any day of the week.
6. Listen to Music
I’ve never been into the habit of sitting around doing nothing, just listening to a playlist. But it’s so wonderful for relaxing! I should do it more often.
Remember, music doesn’t have to be reserved for the background in the car or while you’re cooking. Take a break and just listen to your favorite songs for the enjoyment of it.
I personally love my Bluetooth Shower Speaker. I have given these as gifts too because I love it so much! Dancing in the shower to your favorite songs is a great way to start your day in a good mood!
7. Get Creative
I think everyone should find a creative outlet. Something that isn’t for money – just for fun. Adding money to the equation turns your hobby into work.
My creative outlet is photography. You can learn photography with little upfront investment. Just use whatever camera you have, even if it’s your smartphone. Or get a cheap starter camera used from eBay or yard sale groups. I started with a point and shoot camera I won from a work promotion at my old job. Now I shoot with a DSLR and get strangers asking me to shoot their wedding!
Digital scrapbooking is also a unique creative outlet. I did a scrapbook for my kids’ first years (I’m behind now!) and it can be really fun, and totally free if this is something you enjoy.
Crocheting and knitting sound old fashioned but are great ways to keep your hands busy while your mind relaxes too.
You can even create resources for yourself and other teachers! I often get on creating kicks and all I want to do is make new worksheets or centers. You can easily share these resources on teacherspayteachers.com and even make some money off of them!
Find Time Every Day
The most important thing is that you take some time for yourself every day. Some of us may need more time than others to fully relax and stay sane. I’m high maintenance – I’ll admit it!
I hope this list was helpful for you! I tried to include ideas I’ve done myself and that I know are practical both time and finance wise to do on a regular basis.
Please comment below with any other ideas you want to add! What do you do to take some time for yourself every day?
Other Balance Posts
- How to Find Balance When You’re A Teachaholic
- 5 Truths About Teaching That You Need to Admit
- 7 Free Ways to Relax After a Hard Day Teaching
- Why You Need to Set Personal Goals [And How to Do It]
- How to Get Work Done (When You Really Don’t Feel Like It)
What program did you use to make digital scrapbooks?
I started out using PowerPoint because it was a program I already had. You can change the slide size to 8.5×11 or 12×12 and save each slide as an image so you can upload to a site like Shutterfly when you’re ready to print as a book. You can download free digital scrapbook papers to use from all over the place! But after I added so many slides, PowerPoint really got lagging and would freeze up for me. When I saw it was a hobby worth investing in for me, I downloaded MyMemories. It worked great for what I wanted and I totally recommend! I didn’t subscribe to anything and rarely bought their bundles – theres so much free stuff available online, just Pinterest or Google digital scrapbook papers. I did buy a couple paper sets from Etsy though!