Hi! How is social isolation going for you? Stir crazy? Nervous? Corona virus has upended everyone’s lives. I do not need to tell you how hard this is. And each of us are battling different problems in our homes. Some of us are solo and need a little human contact. Some of us are overstimulated by the human contact with our little people running around our house.
It is moments like these that self-care is vital for sanity and managing the strain of being ripped from our daily lives. This is when you need to get back to basics. Here I will make a few suggestions that are doable for most.
The main point of self-care is to attend to our personal needs. It may sound silly but these are easily overlooked when we are busy, overwhelmed, depressed, anxious, etc. It will help manage your mood to feel that you are important and cared for. While attempting these tasks, do not look at your phone. It is important to concentrate on the task in order to feel relief. Music is allowed and encouraged.
Wash your face.
We are all experts in hand washing these days, but having a freshly washed face is good for your skin and helps you reconnect to your own skin. It is useful for a reset if you find yourself feeling stressed or bored. And it gives you another reason to spend a few minutes in the bathroom (and away from your housemates). Bonus points if you give yourself a little pampering lotion too.
Change your clothes.
I get it, you are working from home. You should be comfortable. But if there is no transition between day and night our brains get a little wonky. I have heard that many people are wearing dress shirts with sweatpants for video calls. Hopefully that fashion trend will stay at home.
Keep a routine.
With or without kids, this can be very hard. Following a routine is more important without the imposed routine of work schedules. Our brains and bodies work best when we have consistent times for food, activity, and sleep. Set limits on how much news you take in and wind things down 60-90 minutes before bed. An excellent time to wash your face!
Start small and you can build from there. Self-care will help you manage emotions being brought up by this stressful time. Before this happened we all had lives and worries that took up our mental space. Now that we are managing uncertainty it is important to not let self-care slip. Focusing on you, will help you manage emotions, think more clearly and creatively. Good luck to you and the special people in your life.