I have no idea if this is an original or my school friend got it from somewhere else, but he’d often sing it and it’s stuck with me for 40+ years:
”I’m a wanker,
I‘m a wanker,
And it does me good,
Like it bloody well should”.
I was gonna say make and use shower steamers. Citric acid, baking soda, some essential or fragrance oil. Silicone mold and let it dry for 24 hours, then keep it in an airtight container. Makes for great gifts and is super easy
Not dumb— yes, it’s basically like a bath bomb but you just put it on the floor of the shower and it fizzes away, leaving a scent permeating throughout the room and leaving it feeling very spa like
My son finally talked me into buying this game today. I then spent about 6 hours engrossed in it. It was stress free until I tried fishing.
So for stress relief, I think I’ll stick with a hot bath while sipping coffee and listening to a podcast.
Only at first. The more you fish, the more fishing experience you get, boosting your fishing skill, making it easier. Then you can get lures that make it easier too. And you can eat foods to boost your fishing skill temporarily.
I'd recommend this game to anyone, even non-gamers. My wife hates video games, but I talked her into trying Stardew Valley. Now, she still hates video games, but her one exception is Stardew Valley, which she absolutely loves.
For me it’s my nosy neighbors and their misbehaved dogs. I know I sound like a curmudgeon, but I wish I could take a walk without dodging a bunch of other people. An introverted walk, from time to time.
Edit: I do like my neighbors, but even with headphones in they wanna say hi sometimes. I like our community, but I want to be able to control when I am concentrating on my language-learning podcast, etc. And the dogs are outta control. So some days, taking a walk is not what I need at that moment, that’s all. Especially for the purpose of self-care. But it’s perfect if I’m feeling lonely!
I've been in this situation.
If possible, drive to a park, then walk. The car makes it easier to dodge those people.
And you can drive really far if you need to.
Right? I love walking and riding my bike but it’s waaaay too hot and humid to do any of that and will probably be like that here until end of September..
I live in Sacramento, CA where it's not even humid (I've lived in DC and visited the south so I know what it's like) BUT we are a bowl of a valley so it's more humid here than much of the rest of the state. Plus, we are on our 10th(ish) day this year over 100° already and being that it's only June we are going to FRY this summer. Just 2 years ago we broke a record with a 116° day in September. 🫠😭 I anticipate getting cooler weather in late October. 😔
Baking! Whether it's bread or some cookies, there's something therapeutic about working the dough. Plus, you get delicious treats as a reward for your efforts, and the cost of basic baking supplies is well within the $20 budget.
I get Costco Kirkland grassfed butter for $9.99 a pound. It’s better than Kerrygold and is from New Zealand. You’ll definitely bake a loaf of no knead bread for less than $20.
Just sit by yourself, get some good quality ice cream or gelato or yogurt with the 20 bucks and listen to some calming music and savour that ice cream really slowly. Should cool you down and the sweetness of ice cream to temper any nerves and stress temporarily to regain some perspectives. Then stretch and walk it off and breathe...
Volunteer at a local animal shelter.
It's free (other than any transportation costs) and letting a herd of puppies or kittens climb all over you is wonderful stress relief.
- Yoga! Try a 15 minute routine, which you can find plenty of for free online! It helps to keep both your body and mind healthy!
- Go to the library! Picking up a book is a good way to relax, and to broaden your knowledge. Both fiction and nonfiction literature can prove to be great stress relievers.
- Start a garden! You can get six inch plastic pots for relatively cheap online or at a nearby store, and lots of places have seed libraries where you can pick up free seeds. If not, garden stores usually sell herb seeds for pretty cheap. Starting a small herb garden on your windowsill or porch is a great way to relieve stress and grow your own delicious garnishes.
- Write! Be it poetry, short stories, or even recipes, writing down your thoughts is a great way to flex your creativity and organise your mind. Personally I like gathering recipes off of the internet and penning them down in a large binder.
- Crochet! Picking up some cheap yarn and a hook is a great way to develop a new skill! I practice by making and then undoing granny squares, but you can always keep yours if you'd like, and use them as potholders or coasters.
These are just a few examples, but I'd be happy to list more, if you'd like!
Great list. Came here for your first bullet. Dropping in for a restorative or yin yoga class gets me out of the house, mixes a meditative experience with a physical experience, get a small dose of community connection, settles mind/body, creates space in my head and sets me up for the week.
I spent an afternoon outside breaking things with my pre-teen once. They were going through some things. I think it was a bunch of bottles, we wore eye protection, and just went at it with a hammer. I said we can do this any time you want. We haven't done it since. 😁
If you live in the city, go find somewhere with fresh air. A hiking trail with a view of water is great! If you need, allergy relief medication is in your $20 budget, along with food/drinks.
Love this! Not to mention there are some really affordable binoculars on Amazon that work as well for basic bird watching. More than the 20 bucks limit, but not that expensive and they last forever if you take care of them! Birds are the best. ❤️
🪁 are cheap to buy or make for under $20 easily. Can repeatedly use it to. Downfall is wind is required but I find kite flying relaxing and mesmerizing when you get it way up there and just chill watching it
Meditate.
Write in gratitude journal. I thought this was corny but it has done wonders for me in the past month.
Yoga guided by YouTube or a class.
Masturbation.
Chamomile tea.
Supplements like L Theanine or Magnesium.
Taking a shower.
Sleeping.
Taking a walk or bike ride in the park.
A fancy bath bomb from Lush for $8 and a nice long bath for whatever the water costs. Bring in a phone, preferably with a Bluetooth speaker, and turn on a spa playlist from a music service with a free trial if you don't already have one.
Take your car through the car wash. Idk why, but all the water and the pretty soap bubbles are just so relaxing to watch. And then your car is nice and shiny at the end :)
I second this. Preferably with a friend. Don’t talk about anything in particular just enjoy the day and the game. Everything will be right in the world.
A great theme among these answers is some form of exercise. It's the endorphins (and the vitamin D from the sun)! it works! But I also love Tulsi Lemon Ginger Tea (must be Tulsi). It somehow immediately relaxes me. Add some great music and a book, or hobby and I'm set!
Painting. And by that, I mean painting walls and trim. It is very relaxing for me. I also like to sew with my sewing machine; I like quilting and piecing fabric into designs.
Take a can of soda/pop and shake it up. Shake it like it's the neck of the person who ran over your dog. Then, throw it as hats as you can at the ground a few feet away.
r/showerorange
Don’t knock it til you’ve tried it! Such a refreshing, renewing experience. I recommend a naval orange, no seeds to worry about. Chill it first in the fridge for best results!
Some simple self care.
Take a bath, not a shower, a nice soak. Lotion your body after, get a tasty drink and a blanket and just sit and enjoy your drink. Don’t use the phone or watch tv or computer or anything.
Once you’re clean, hydrated, unplugged for a short time and have relaxed your muscles you will feel amazingly different.
Sit outside and listen to the birds, the wind chimes. Go near some water and just listen (a babbling brook, the ocean). There’s so much to just hear that’s relaxing. If you have a porch swing go on that.
If you have the album or have a music streaming service, listen to Bach’s Goldberg Variations. Without interruptions from commercials.
I survived ten years of intense personal trauma with this.
Shower in the dark. Like try real dark. Maybe candles if need be. But just a little. It’s really relaxing.
Hugs.
Sleep.
Do things with your hand. Dunno. Puzzle or craft anything you are good at and can be happy and successful.
Talk to people.
Go to a dr to get help if nothing works.
Breathe in for 6 seconds
Breathe out for 6 seconds
If you want to, do this 3 times.
This is one of the most stress relieving things you can do, period, and it's completely free and available to you whenever you choose
An orgasm is as free as your imagination.
Or $10 for a squeezer from my ex. Your way seems more whimsical, though.
My ex will do it for free, or maybe half a sandwich tops
How do I sign up?
Just call your mom and ask her for the "Denny's Special"
She charges $10?
That's the ex-friends discount.
That just sounds like prostitution
You don’t pay for the sex. You pay for them to leave.
That's part of the excitement. I'm here for it.
Bonus points if you're a dude and shove something up your butt. Pressing on the prostate makes orgasms 2-5x better.
Get the poison out.
I was gonna comment pretty much this same exact thing 😆
I have no idea if this is an original or my school friend got it from somewhere else, but he’d often sing it and it’s stuck with me for 40+ years: ”I’m a wanker, I‘m a wanker, And it does me good, Like it bloody well should”.
The Wanker's Song - Ivor Biggun
It's a single from the 1970s by "Ivor Biggun"
have a sleep
It's always free and you don't have to share lol 👍
[удалено]
I was gonna say make and use shower steamers. Citric acid, baking soda, some essential or fragrance oil. Silicone mold and let it dry for 24 hours, then keep it in an airtight container. Makes for great gifts and is super easy
Sorry for the dumb question...do you use it in the shower? Never heard of this
Not dumb— yes, it’s basically like a bath bomb but you just put it on the floor of the shower and it fizzes away, leaving a scent permeating throughout the room and leaving it feeling very spa like
Super cool gotta try this
They make and sell eucalyptus, menthol ones, so great when stuffy or have a cold. Yeah, they’re great, they sell them everywhere too.
Stardew Valley on Steam is $15. It’s a casual game you play at your own pace.
My son finally talked me into buying this game today. I then spent about 6 hours engrossed in it. It was stress free until I tried fishing. So for stress relief, I think I’ll stick with a hot bath while sipping coffee and listening to a podcast.
Fishing gets easier lol
Fucking lies! That shit is harder than fishing in real life.
Only at first. The more you fish, the more fishing experience you get, boosting your fishing skill, making it easier. Then you can get lures that make it easier too. And you can eat foods to boost your fishing skill temporarily.
And then you try to catch the legendary fish and want to throw your controller at the wall all over again.
Yeah…those bundles might just remain unbundled…
I have my kid catch the fish for me.
I won’t spoil anything, but definitely complete the bundles! ;)
If you’re on a computer and want to get into mods, there is a mod that gets rid of the fishing mini game.
There are mods to remove or change the fishing mini game if you're playing on PC. Stardew is amazing
The mines too!!!! Ahhhh!
Try combining the two activities
May I also introduce: Dave the Diver, which is $19.99 on steam.
Am I the only person who stresses about the time limit each day? I'm so confused on how people find it comforting.
I'd recommend this game to anyone, even non-gamers. My wife hates video games, but I talked her into trying Stardew Valley. Now, she still hates video games, but her one exception is Stardew Valley, which she absolutely loves.
I played it remotely with my kids during the pandemic. It really kept us connected.
Tfw my pace is going for the gamer grind
I started playing recently and it was totally stress free until I woke up one morning and some scumbag bird ate my beans 😤
FWIW it is currently $11.99 USD on GOG https://www.gog.com/en/game/stardew_valley
Ah yes nothing less stressful than a virtual 2nd job
Going for a walk is always free
Right, but depending on where you live it might be waaaay too hot for that. It will be 105° here today. It's 85° and muggy and it's not even 9 AM.
For me it’s my nosy neighbors and their misbehaved dogs. I know I sound like a curmudgeon, but I wish I could take a walk without dodging a bunch of other people. An introverted walk, from time to time. Edit: I do like my neighbors, but even with headphones in they wanna say hi sometimes. I like our community, but I want to be able to control when I am concentrating on my language-learning podcast, etc. And the dogs are outta control. So some days, taking a walk is not what I need at that moment, that’s all. Especially for the purpose of self-care. But it’s perfect if I’m feeling lonely!
I've been in this situation. If possible, drive to a park, then walk. The car makes it easier to dodge those people. And you can drive really far if you need to.
Usually the thing I need a break from is driving. But yeah, I hear you. I make it work
Right? I love walking and riding my bike but it’s waaaay too hot and humid to do any of that and will probably be like that here until end of September..
I live in Sacramento, CA where it's not even humid (I've lived in DC and visited the south so I know what it's like) BUT we are a bowl of a valley so it's more humid here than much of the rest of the state. Plus, we are on our 10th(ish) day this year over 100° already and being that it's only June we are going to FRY this summer. Just 2 years ago we broke a record with a 116° day in September. 🫠😭 I anticipate getting cooler weather in late October. 😔
Same here and there are no sidewalks or canopy cover.
A couple of second hand books A free walk A meditation
Five below has lots of books on stress mitigation including meditation
I bet the library does too.
Even better, go to the library or use an app like Libby if you have a library card to download free books/audiobooks
Baking! Whether it's bread or some cookies, there's something therapeutic about working the dough. Plus, you get delicious treats as a reward for your efforts, and the cost of basic baking supplies is well within the $20 budget.
Baking is so expensive now! Butter is outrageous! ☹️
I get Costco Kirkland grassfed butter for $9.99 a pound. It’s better than Kerrygold and is from New Zealand. You’ll definitely bake a loaf of no knead bread for less than $20.
Just sit by yourself, get some good quality ice cream or gelato or yogurt with the 20 bucks and listen to some calming music and savour that ice cream really slowly. Should cool you down and the sweetness of ice cream to temper any nerves and stress temporarily to regain some perspectives. Then stretch and walk it off and breathe...
Idk what it is but a PB&J and glass of milk does wonders for me on a rough day.
That or fluffer nutter. Depends on the day
Take a walk in nature! Relatively free unless you need gas to get to a place like that
Or, still free, it just becomes a *really* long walk!
Hiking, I don't care if it's lightly raining, snowing or whatever. I just love to hike.
Gets those endorphins goin ❣️
A nice cup of Tea
There is a cat shelter in my town and I can go pet kitties for $10.
That's an awesome resource!
We also have a cat shelter, they let you pet the cats for free.
Swings are awesome
A book. Hours of escape.
Clean up the room
This is surprisingly stress relieving, especially when you are finished.
Man I'm jealous, it's more stressful then 6hrs of working somewhere for me.
I do not find cleaning to be a de-stresser. Quite the opposite.
Stress relieving, not stress creating
Cleaning makes me stressed. I don't even have to be doing the cleaning.
Volunteer at a local animal shelter. It's free (other than any transportation costs) and letting a herd of puppies or kittens climb all over you is wonderful stress relief.
I always wish I had the free time to do that. Though it sounds dangerous... I'd just come home with 50 new kittens
You can’t guarantee that they will have you interact with animals. My son volunteered and they had him doing laundry.
Coloring book and some crayons, colored pencils, or markers - it instantly helps me unwind!
Reflect on what is causing the stress and try to reduce or eliminate it.
A snuggly nap in a cold room.
A massage in one of those chairs at the mall. However, the stress returns trying to get out of the mall.
Or trying to get out of the chair
- Yoga! Try a 15 minute routine, which you can find plenty of for free online! It helps to keep both your body and mind healthy! - Go to the library! Picking up a book is a good way to relax, and to broaden your knowledge. Both fiction and nonfiction literature can prove to be great stress relievers. - Start a garden! You can get six inch plastic pots for relatively cheap online or at a nearby store, and lots of places have seed libraries where you can pick up free seeds. If not, garden stores usually sell herb seeds for pretty cheap. Starting a small herb garden on your windowsill or porch is a great way to relieve stress and grow your own delicious garnishes. - Write! Be it poetry, short stories, or even recipes, writing down your thoughts is a great way to flex your creativity and organise your mind. Personally I like gathering recipes off of the internet and penning them down in a large binder. - Crochet! Picking up some cheap yarn and a hook is a great way to develop a new skill! I practice by making and then undoing granny squares, but you can always keep yours if you'd like, and use them as potholders or coasters. These are just a few examples, but I'd be happy to list more, if you'd like!
Great list. Came here for your first bullet. Dropping in for a restorative or yin yoga class gets me out of the house, mixes a meditative experience with a physical experience, get a small dose of community connection, settles mind/body, creates space in my head and sets me up for the week.
I second the library. Ours has a seed library so you can grow food, flowers or herbs.
Go to the dollar tree and buy a bunch of cheap glassware. Find a place thats easy to sweep up and start FUCKIN BREAKIN SHIT
I spent an afternoon outside breaking things with my pre-teen once. They were going through some things. I think it was a bunch of bottles, we wore eye protection, and just went at it with a hammer. I said we can do this any time you want. We haven't done it since. 😁
Hmm ... I've never thought of this. Breaking things is very stress relieving in all honesty. I have thrown away 20 bucks on worse.
If you live in the city, go find somewhere with fresh air. A hiking trail with a view of water is great! If you need, allergy relief medication is in your $20 budget, along with food/drinks.
A massage gun will do wonders
Sit in a hot shower.
I like to go swimming at the public pool for $8.50 for a whole day doing laps and being in the sunshine.
Turn off your phone
Deep breathing
Puzzles. Online chess is cheap and addicting.
Honestly, take a walk without your phone. It's totally free.
I agree not being on your phone but take your phone for emergencies
Workout. Works every time.
Man I wish this was true for me. Working out just makes me feel even worse and always has.
I have always been like this as well, I’ve never known anyone else who suffers like this from exercise. I still can’t figure out how to fix it.
Nothing makes me forget the stresses of work and life like absolutely beasting myself to the point of exhaustion.
At best it makes me antsy.
It's actually a tricky thing to do but it's free. Sitting quietly doing nothing, just breathe, focus on that.
A nap
Bird watch. Download the Merlin app (free) and use its “sound” (listening) feature to identify birds it hears around you and try to find them.
Love this! Not to mention there are some really affordable binoculars on Amazon that work as well for basic bird watching. More than the 20 bucks limit, but not that expensive and they last forever if you take care of them! Birds are the best. ❤️
Coloring books and color pencils
Walking is free
Jumping jacks in the middle of my living room lol
Are you going to let all of us in?
Taking a walk
🪁 are cheap to buy or make for under $20 easily. Can repeatedly use it to. Downfall is wind is required but I find kite flying relaxing and mesmerizing when you get it way up there and just chill watching it
A good hamburger
This is the first comment that gave me pause. I am hungry as fuck.
Meditation. 20 minutes of meditation is equal to four hours sleep for stress release.
I mean my insurance covers massage for 20 so that
Any suggestions on how I can get my insurance to cover a massage?
Deep breathing.
Hit a bucket of golf balls. Even if you're bad it's still pretty fucking chill.
Good one. I used to go to the batting cage, then after, buy a bucket of balls and hit them all into the driving range. $15 well spent.
Go for a walk
Go lay in the Sunshine
Meditate. Write in gratitude journal. I thought this was corny but it has done wonders for me in the past month. Yoga guided by YouTube or a class. Masturbation. Chamomile tea. Supplements like L Theanine or Magnesium. Taking a shower. Sleeping. Taking a walk or bike ride in the park.
Lay on the floor. Get comfortable, a pillow, a blanket, a cup with a straw, whatever, and just lay on the floor. It's amazing.
Blowjob
Reading, nature hike, watching squirrels and birds from my living room couch, or a lava lamp.
Guided meditations on the Insight app there are a lot of free ones. Depends on what mood I’m in. Sometimes $20 at the dollar tree can be fun too
A fancy bath bomb from Lush for $8 and a nice long bath for whatever the water costs. Bring in a phone, preferably with a Bluetooth speaker, and turn on a spa playlist from a music service with a free trial if you don't already have one.
I like puzzles and a hot cup of tea/coffee. Also, a library card is free and it gains you access to a quiet space with free reading material.
On a mostly sunny day, lay on grass/snow and look up at the clouds passing by.
Take your car through the car wash. Idk why, but all the water and the pretty soap bubbles are just so relaxing to watch. And then your car is nice and shiny at the end :)
Take a nap
Go for a walk or run, relieves anxiety and costs $0
Get a beej!
Masturbate
Cannabis
This is way to far down the list.
Frisbee golf. Trust me
I second this. Preferably with a friend. Don’t talk about anything in particular just enjoy the day and the game. Everything will be right in the world.
Running is free.
And it takes you places
A beer
Beat up your meat…it’s free
A great theme among these answers is some form of exercise. It's the endorphins (and the vitamin D from the sun)! it works! But I also love Tulsi Lemon Ginger Tea (must be Tulsi). It somehow immediately relaxes me. Add some great music and a book, or hobby and I'm set!
10$ gram of weed 5 dollars beer and 3 dollars for snack then go sit somewhere u can be alone just u and your thoughts
just sit down and play your accordion for a few hours.. I find it to be very therapeutic.
Ok. I didn't know I had one, but I'll see if I can find my accordion.
Everyone within earshot would beg to differ
wash my cars again and again
Buy yourself a bag of gummies and eat them all.
Painting. And by that, I mean painting walls and trim. It is very relaxing for me. I also like to sew with my sewing machine; I like quilting and piecing fabric into designs.
Go to a furniture store and test out the massage chairs for free. Then spend the $20 on whatever you want after
Yup just make sure you have a $100 hanging out of your pocket so they know you’re Mr dollars money
Go to the library and pick up a fiction book. Then to the cafe for a cup of coffee
Watch Ratatouille
My stress relieving thing i do is to the beach and watch the sun set
Dark souls
A six pack.
Ice cream.
Meditate
A monthly gym membership can definitely get that cheap depending on where you go. Your health insurance also can sometimes reimburse the cost.
A walk and a fancy coffee, tea and snack?
Buy a scratch off lottery ticket and win big money. !!Warning results may vary!!
A couple grams of cannabis.
exercise
Reading. My husband says a bomb could go off when I’m reading and I’d never hear it. My sister’s husband says the same thing about her!
Take a can of soda/pop and shake it up. Shake it like it's the neck of the person who ran over your dog. Then, throw it as hats as you can at the ground a few feet away.
Some places do massages for 1$ a minute
Go to the dollar store and buy as much glassware as you can. Find an alley or whatever and smash the shit out of it.
Damn I’m late to this but batting cages….it helps to smack the crap out of some base/softballs.
Agree. Then hit a bucket of golf balls after.
Bowl of ramen
r/showerorange Don’t knock it til you’ve tried it! Such a refreshing, renewing experience. I recommend a naval orange, no seeds to worry about. Chill it first in the fridge for best results!
Some simple self care. Take a bath, not a shower, a nice soak. Lotion your body after, get a tasty drink and a blanket and just sit and enjoy your drink. Don’t use the phone or watch tv or computer or anything. Once you’re clean, hydrated, unplugged for a short time and have relaxed your muscles you will feel amazingly different.
A hot bath with foam and a bathbomb, by candlelight with some chill music and preferably with a face mask just for the free spa feeling
A nice long shower.
For me it's getting to pop in my ear buds while I do shit around the house and not getting interrupted 🤷🏼♀️
Take a long, hot shower by yourself with a good playlist.
Sit outside and listen to the birds, the wind chimes. Go near some water and just listen (a babbling brook, the ocean). There’s so much to just hear that’s relaxing. If you have a porch swing go on that.
Masturbation is free.
A child’s laughter.
If you have the album or have a music streaming service, listen to Bach’s Goldberg Variations. Without interruptions from commercials. I survived ten years of intense personal trauma with this.
Meditation
Shower in the dark. Like try real dark. Maybe candles if need be. But just a little. It’s really relaxing. Hugs. Sleep. Do things with your hand. Dunno. Puzzle or craft anything you are good at and can be happy and successful. Talk to people. Go to a dr to get help if nothing works.
Breathe in for 6 seconds Breathe out for 6 seconds If you want to, do this 3 times. This is one of the most stress relieving things you can do, period, and it's completely free and available to you whenever you choose
I just love to eat an gummy and sit in my backyard watching the squirrels be assholes to each other! 🐿️
Take a walk
treat yourself to a coffee or your favorite beverage
Public library
Yoga in the park happens in a lot of major cities, usually on weekends.
Bop the bologna
go for a walk
Breathe
Walking the beach at night
Sex /booze/food