100 Ways To Relax and De-Stress For Under $10 (Without Screens)

After a hard day at work–it’s easy to talk yourself into treating yourself. After all, you deserve it right?

But after all this deserving talk–you wake up having spent a few hundred dollars on clothes online. A few weeks later when the credit card bill comes in, chances are there’s some second guessing going on.

Instead of resorting to online shopping or TV to wind down–here’s 100 ways to relax and de-stress for under $10–without screens.

100 Ways To Relax and De-Stress For Under $10

1. Start by putting your phone on do not disturb and plan not to be on it for the remaining of the day
2. Treat yourself to a high quality bar of chocolate. Two favorites of mine available in most grocery stores are Lindt and Green & Black.
3. Get a Happiness Journal. Try 52 Lists for Happiness.
4. Visit a nearby garden or forest preserve
5. Browse a physical bookstore and treat yourself to a book or magazine
6. Visit a coffee shop and bring a magazine, plan to stay for a few hours
7. Cook dinner for a friend
8. Read a book about happiness. I really enjoyed Joy on Demand. 
9. Try a new craft brew or bottle of wine with a friend
10. Look through travel magazines to start getting ideas about your next vacation (related reading: Travel Hacking Hawaii
11. Buy a bag of high quality, decaf coffee
12. Make a healthy dessert
13. Order takeout from one of your favorite restaurants
14. Go out for ice cream or dessert
15. Go to a yoga class
16. Visit a museum
17. Pack a picnic and head to a local park
18. Go to a high quality butcher and get a special cut of meat
19. Go to bed really early
20. Go for a bike ride, even if you have to rent a bike
21. Brew a homemade drink such as tea, coffee, or hot chocolate
22. Treat yourself to a pair of high quality socks
23. Take an epsom salt bath
24. Call up an old friend or family member, you haven’t talk to in a while to catch up
25. Give yourself a vision
26. Declutter your home
27. Perform a random act of kindness such as buying the person behind you a coffee
28. Draw in an adult coloring book
29. Hold a baby
30. Practice breathing exercises
31. Listen to your favorite album all the way through
32. Decorate your home with some flowers
33. Take a new fitness class
34. Look at past photo albums
35. Watch an inspirational documentary like Planet Earth (you’re 1st exception to using screens)
36. Watch an inspirational documentary like Cosmos   (you’re 2nd exception to using screens)
37. Visit a farmers market to buy some high-quality produce
38. Go for a swim, then get in the hot tub at a local gym
39. Take a long shower
40. Attend a free musical festival
41. Groom yourself (nails, facial hair, hands, etc…)
42. Do a brain dump (set a timer for ten minutes and write down everything that’s on your mind)
43. Go see a live show (comedy, dance, musical, etc…)
44. Host a potluck dinner with friends
45. Start a garden (indoor or outdoor)
46. Get the Sunday paper and read something new and non-work related
47. Turn your phone on do not disturb, especially for group text chats
48. Write a letter of gratitude to someone you really respect, even if that person is famous
49. Volunteer for an organization you support
50. Take a 20-minute power nap
51. Visit a local health club (get a one day pass if not a member) and take a sauna or steam
52. Draw something for someone
53. Make your bedroom as dark as possible (get a sleep mask/buy blackout curtains)
54. Visit a local plant shop and purchase an indoor plant
55. Visit a conservatory
56. Try a new guided meditation
57. Go do something you did as a kid with a friend (play catch, basketball at the park, ride bikes)
58. Shave with a high quality razor
59. Dance
60. Take a cold shower
61. Visit a beautifully built place of worship
62. Give yourself a massage or exchange massages with your spouse
63. Make a “I’m Happy When List…”
64. Watch the sunset
65. Try a new recipe you’ve been wanting to try
66. Invite a friend over to cook dinner with you
67. Order food from a restaurant on your bucket list
68. Order food or make food from a cuisine you’ve never had before
69. Visit an animal shelter or pet store
70. Head to the library just to browse
71. Light some incense in your home
72. Try a guided visualization exercise
73. Buy a fictional audio book and go for a walk to listen
74. Buy a gift for someone else you love
75. Gather items in your home you don’t use and donate them
76. Play musical instrument you have on hand
77. Write a letter to your future self
78. Buy a gift or write a thank you note to someone who helps you everyday (coworker, doorman, mailman, janitor, etc…)
79. Focus on redecorating and rearranging a small corner of your home
80. Call a friend to ask for their advice
81. Use your fireplace or outdoor fire pit
82. Invite your friends over for a card game
83. Delete something from your calendar in the future that doesn’t excite you
84. Buy yourself and overpriced self-care product you normally wouldn’t, e.g. soap, lotions, oil, etc…
85. Visit a local market to buy something unique for your home
86. Schedule in any vacation days you have available to you at work
87. Make a list of people who make you happy–then schedule some dates with them in the future
88. Read a classic work of literature
89. Put together a scrapbook for a family or friend and give it to them as a gift
90. Play one of your favorite board games
91. Visit a winery or brewery
92. Have sex
93. Make a gratitude list
94. Head to the driving range and hit golf balls
95. Complete a local fitness trail circuit near your home
96. Go visit a family member you haven’t seen in a while
97. Write a letter to one of your kids
98. Go for a walk where there’s beautiful architecture
99. Make homemade bread
100. Recreate one of your family restaurant meals from home

 

 

 

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