My Favorite Wellness Practices That Don’t Cost a Thing
Somewhere along the way, wellness became loud.
Expensive.
Marketed. Packaged. Sold back to us as something we’re missing.
If you scroll long enough, you’ll start to believe that taking care of yourself requires a new supplement, a trendy device, a perfectly curated routine, or a subscription you didn’t ask for. And while there’s nothing wrong with enjoying those things if they genuinely support you, I think we’ve lost the plot a little.
True wellness isn’t something you buy.
It’s something you practice.
When life feels overwhelming, when motivation is low, when you feel disconnected from your body or yourself, the answer is rarely more. More information. More products. More noise.
It’s almost always less.
Getting back to the basics. Stepping away from the constant media exploitation of “self-care” and remembering that your body and mind are incredibly wise when you actually give them space to speak.
These are my favorite wellness practices that don’t cost a thing. No links. No discount codes. Just simple, grounding habits that have stood the test of time.
1. Going Outside (Without a Purpose or a Podcast)
Not a workout.
Not a step goal.
Not a productivity hack.
Just going outside.
Fresh air, natural light, feeling your feet on the ground, noticing the temperature, the wind, the way your body feels when it’s not being rushed. We underestimate how regulating this is because it doesn’t come in flashy packaging.
You don’t need to optimize it.
You don’t need to track it.
You don’t need to turn it into content.
Step outside and let your nervous system exhale. Even five minutes can shift your mood, lower stress, and reconnect you to something real. Nature doesn’t ask you to perform. It just invites you to be.
2. Eating Regular, Balanced Meals
This shouldn’t be revolutionary, but here we are.
Consistent meals.
Enough food.
Protein, carbs, fats.
Eating before you’re starving.
Wellness culture loves extremes. Restrict this. Eliminate that. Push through hunger. Ignore signals. Then sell you the solution when your body starts pushing back.
Taking care of yourself can be as simple as not skipping meals and not moralizing food choices. Feeding your body regularly is one of the most stabilizing things you can do for your energy, mood, hormones, and relationship with food.
No cleanse required.
No “starting Monday.”
Just nourishment, again and again.
3. Creating Quiet on Purpose
Silence has become uncomfortable for a lot of us. We fill every gap with noise…music, podcasts, scrolling, background TV,because stillness forces us to actually feel what’s there.
But quiet is where clarity lives.
This doesn’t mean meditating for an hour or sitting cross-legged in perfect calm. It can be as simple as driving without the radio, folding laundry without a show on, or sitting with your coffee before the day grabs you.
When you create quiet, you give your mind a chance to settle and your body a chance to regulate. You stop outsourcing your awareness and start tuning back into yourself.
That’s real self-care.
4. Moving Your Body Gently and Consistently
Movement doesn’t have to be punishing to be effective.
Walking. Stretching. Mobility work. A slow strength session. Moving in a way that supports your life instead of draining it.
So much of the fitness side of wellness has been turned into “go harder or you’re failing.” But your body doesn’t thrive under constant pressure. It thrives under consistency, respect, and recovery.
Movement should help you feel more capable in your day-to-day life, not exhausted and disconnected from it. When you stop chasing intensity for validation and start moving because it feels good, everything shifts.
5. Checking In With Yourself Daily
Not asking, “What should I be doing?”
But asking, “What do I need today?”
This practice costs nothing and changes everything.
Some days the answer is structure and discipline.
Some days it’s rest and softness.
Some days it’s support.
Some days it’s a boundary.
Wellness isn’t one-size-fits-all, and it’s definitely not static. When you build the habit of checking in with yourself instead of outsourcing your needs to trends or influencers, you reclaim your autonomy.
You become the expert on your own body and life again.
Coming Back to What Actually Matters
I’m obviously not anti-wellness. I’m anti the idea that you’re broken until you buy something to fix yourself.
You don’t need to be optimized.
You don’t need to be constantly improving.
You don’t need a perfect routine to be worthy of care.
The most powerful wellness practices are often the simplest ones,the ones that ground you, nourish you, and bring you back into your body and your life.
Back to basics.
Back to presence.
Back to yourself.
And the best part?
They’re available to you right now, exactly as you are.
XO,
M
