Self-Care During COVID-19
To reduce anxiety, boost your mood, and savor the free time you have been gifted during quarantine, try one or more of these suggestions each day:
- Start a journal. Pick a subject to write about each time you make an entry. For example:
- Name 10 things for which you are grateful.
- Make a list of short-term goals.
- Write down 10 words to describe yourself.
- Name some internal and external resources you have to help you through the pandemic.
- Share something that has made you proud or happy in the past two weeks.
- Write about current challenges in your life.
- Make a list of everything you’d like to say “no” to.
- Take a walk outdoors – in your yard, on your street, or at the park.
- Go to bed 30 minutes earlier than usual. If you generally cut your sleep short because you have too much to do, this is a great time to be well-rested.
- Call someone you haven’t talked to in a while and enjoy catching up.
- De-clutter your desk or a room.
- Spend an entire day without looking at social media.
- Pull out a cookbook or go online for a recipe you’ve never made
- Watch a sunrise or sunset or appreciate something in nature you rarely have time to notice.
- Get rid of five things you never use.
- Write down a playlist of favorite songs from your past and listen to them.
- Unsubscribe from “junk” emails.
- Send an encouraging text message to five co-workers or family members.
- Wake up 30 minutes early to meditate, pray, or reflect.
- Listen to a podcast on a subject that interests you.
- Make a wholesome breakfast and focus on eating it without any reading or interruptions.
- Think of something you’ve dreaded doing and complete it. Then, cross it off your list
- Relieve your anxieties in the moment by paying attention to your breathing and noticing if you are OK right now, with no thoughts of the past or future.
- To slow yourself down, eat an orange very slowly, segment by segment. Savor the taste, touch, sight, and smell as you take each bite.
- Let go of the guilt of something you “should” do and replace it with something you want to do.
- Unfollow social media accounts that don’t bring you joy.
- Clean out your garage, or a closet, drawer, or shelf.
- FaceTime or video chat with one or more family members.
- Try a five-minute meditation on your own or do an Internet search for a guided meditation.
- Say a mantra that brings you comfort, such as “I am confident,” “All will be well,” or “May I be happy and healthy.”
These small gifts you give to yourself can help you to be more resilient and grounded, even in uncertain times.
Source: Premier Healthy Living