Many people are struggling with their overall well being these days. With everything going on in the world right now because of the global pandemic caused by the COVID-19 virus, including stay-at-home quarantine mandates, stress levels are up. If you’re feeling overwhelmed or stressed out by it all be reassured that this is a very normal human response. It’s important to go easy on yourself and to take time for self-care and self-nurture. Here are 9 ways to take care of yourself during these stressful times.
STAY ACTIVE
It is known that exercise is really good for both our physical and mental health. You don’t have to do the same exercises over and over. And if you live in an area where the gyms are still closed due to quarantine there are lots of different exercises you can do from the comfort of your own home.
HERE ARE MY FAVORITE YOUTUBE & APP-BASED EXERCISE PLATFORMS
Yoga With Adriene Is a yoga channel that offers yoga classes lasting anywhere from five minutes to an hour. She offers a wide variety of yoga levels and styles.
Nike Training Club Can help you stay active during this time by offering heaps of free workouts you can do from home. It also features wellness and nutrition guidance from experts.
These are 2 ideas exercising inside. But, Covid-19 quarantine doesn’t mean that you have to stay inside. As long as you social distance you can go outside! Consider going for a walk or run while taking in your surroundings. Being outside is great for your overall well being!
TAKE 10 TO BE ZEN
When we are stressed about something in our lives (such as COVID-19 in particular or quarantine in general), our thoughts tend to speed up. Taking 10 minutes or so to practice mindfulness can help produce a sense of calmness. Here is my favorite free mindfulness app:
Insight Timer has over 25,000 free guided meditations, from 1 to 90+ minutes. Try searching by a topic that interests you (example: stress, learning to meditate, sleep).
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If Meditation isn’t for you, try doing an everyday activity in a mindful way. Put aside distractions and focus fully on one small task. For example, while you’re having a cup of tea, pay attention to your senses (the smell of the tea, the warmth of the cup in your hand, the taste)
TALK WITH FRIENDS
Even though interacting in person right now with friends is off the table because we are social distancing, try to stay in touch with your friends using free apps such as Messenger or WhatsApp. iPhone users can use FaceTime. Or, go back to the basics with a good old fashioned phone call. Ask them how they’re feeling and share your own experience if you feel safe to do so.
Social contact, even through a screen or phone, is essential for your well being!
MAKE A HOMEMADE MEAL
Good nutrition is always important, but during stressful times there’s nothing better than a tasty, healthy homemade meal – especially if you made it yourself. You could ask a friend or family member for their fave recipe. For many people it may be challenging to get some ingredients at the moment. If you’re running low or not able to get certain things, it’s totally fine to keep it really simple. You could also get creative with substitutions or Google “ingredient substitutes” for ideas.
HERE’S A WAY TO BREAK THE QUARANTINE MEALTIME BLAHS: HEALTHY COOKING AND MEALTIME VARIETY – LESSONS FROM QUARANTINE
TAKE A BREAK FROM THE NEWS
Between the news and social media, we’re all feeling saturated by coronavirus updates right now. And while we’re all concerned about the well being of our country and the world and thus, It’s important to stay informed, try to limit your media intake to a couple of times a day. If you catch yourself turning to social media because you’re feeling isolated, take a break and spend time on another activity like exercise or reading or phoning a friend.
MAKE A MUSIC PLAYLIST THAT LIFTS YOUR SPIRITS
Hop on Spotify or Pandora and make a playlist with your favorite songs. You could make a group playlist and ask your friends to add five of their favorite songs as well. If you want to get fancy, you could make several playlists for different moods/vibes (example: rainy day, feeling happy, etc.) And why not have a virtual quarantine dance party? It can be a ton of fun!
RELATED POST: RESILIENCE AND THE HEALING POWER OF MUSIC
DECLUTTER FOR FIVE MINUTES A DAY
If you’re suddenly spending a lot more time at home, it can help to have an environment that feels good to you. Try decluttering for five mins a day. Set a timer for 5 minutes and pick a shelf or box to start with or pick up five things and find a home for them.
RELATED POST: HOW TO DECLUTTER YOUR HOME AND CREATE A PEACEFUL ENVIRONMENT
WATCH OR READ SOMETHING UPLIFTING
Distraction can be a good thing. Watch something that you find uplifting and allow yourself to zone out from what’s going on in the world. If reading is more your thing, go to your bookshelf and choose an old favorite or something you’ve been meaning to get to for a while. Or if you don’t have physical books then e-books or audiobooks are a great option.
LEARN SOMETHING NEW
Have you wanted to get into drawing or learning a musical instrument? Now’s a great time to make a start. If you want to teach yourself a new language YouTube is a good start. YouTube has free tutorials on different things to learn for a lot of things.
If you want something with a little more depth and quality try searching Google for your favorite subject and “online course.” There are thousands of options out there on all different subjects!
Taking care of your well being is even more important during the stressful times of Covid-19 and quarantine. I hope my tips are helpful for you! Let me know in the comments if you try any of them and which you like the best!
To Your Well Being!
Daija
Daija Howard is the CEO of Beauty Boss Labs, an #1 International Best Selling Author and Chief Executive Editor at Heart Centered Women Publishing.
She is a Celebrity Make-up Artist, Photographer and Beauty Writer for Peaceful Living Wellness Magazine.
She has edited and contributed to helping over 1000 books become international best sellers. She is passionate about transforming women’s personal and professional lives.
In her free time she travels and explores beautiful vacation destinations with her family. She also loves hair styling, working out, listening to music and watching movies.
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