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With all the stress of today’s crisis, having good self-care rituals are a must. Not only must you take care of your body physically, but you must be in a good mindset emotionally and spiritually. Learn about some ways you can be proactive in taking care of yourself during the crisis we are in.
Why Do You Need Self-Care in a Crisis?
The crisis we currently are in has never happened before. Schools, shops, and many jobs are shut down, forcing the American worker to stay home and be increasingly physically distant from others.
Not only that but don’t forget the main reason. There is a potentially dangerous virus going around that threatens our way of being.
We want to combat this virus as hard and as smart as we can, which includes making sure we are not giving into fear, vulnerability, and stress letting it take over our minds and bodies.
The only way to be proactive is to take care of yourself. We all must take care of ourselves on a physical, emotional, and mental level.
There are a few key things that I do to practice self-care in the crisis we face. Many of these things are simple, you can do at home, and will leave you feeling productive and healthy.
Wake Up Early and Exercise
When you are on a staycation and cooped up in the house, it’s easy to lose track of the time. We fall into habits of sleeping in and being lazy. That is why it’s good to make a conscious effort to wake up early and stay healthy by practicing exercise.
Regardless of what time it is, you should wake up at least an hour early before the rest of your family.
The first thing I typically do is brush my teeth, using mouthwash to get all the overnight germs out of my mouth.
Drink a glass of water
Drinking water first thing in the morning has several benefits: rehydrates the body, increases alertness, helps fuel your brain, fights sickness and strengthens the immune system, jump starts your metabolism, and gets rid of toxins.
Boost Your Metabolism with Exercise
Doing yoga in the morning is a great way to strengthen the mind and body at the same time as well it boosts your metabolism.
As well, doing cardio exercises such as running in the morning on an empty stomach will help boost your metabolism and burn fat the rest of the day.
Feed Your Body Immune-Boosting Supplements
Boosting your immune system with some simple household supplements is the best thing to do when your physical health is challenged by a global pandemic
Many of these supplements you can find in your pantry right now. Whether they be in food form or supplement form, they will help fight sickness.
Vitamin C – immune-boosting supplement found in orange juice or in vitamin C supplements.
Vitamin E – essential to a healthy immune system, vitamin E can be found in almonds, broccoli, and more.
Tea – there are widespread benefits of drinking tea. Green tea is packed with EGCG, a powerful antioxidant. Ginger and turmeric teas (my favorite turmeric tea) are great for decreasing inflammation and lowering cholesterol. Other teas such as Kombucha are known around the world for it’s healing benefits.
Garlic – Not only is garlic anti-inflammatory, it is also anti-viral.
Yogurt – Yogurt is packed vitamin D which helps regulate the immune system and is thought to boost our body’s natural defenses against diseases. Source: Healthline
Stay away from the junk food and make sure that you are getting these immune boosters in your body.
Work on your Posture
Being home, it is easy to slouch around and slump over our devices or laptops to stay entertained. Keep in mind your posture so you don’t have back problems when you are older.
I personally use a posture corrector like this one when I am home, especially when I am working on my laptop. You can also invest in a good seat cushion so your back is not strained.
If you are working from home online, don’t forget to get up and stretch at intervals. A short break will allow you to not get burnt out and be more productive overall.
Get Some Sunshine
Sunshine is the perfect remedy for anything.
Studies show that when sunlight hits the skin it triggers the production of Vitamin D, a crucial ingredient for overall health; protects against inflammation, lowers high blood pressure, helps muscles, improves brain function and may even protect against cancer.
Be Productive on Projects
Have a project that you never had time for?
Now you do.
Work on projects that will help improve your life and make you feel more fulfilled for accomplishing them.
Here are some projects that I plan to work on:
- Organizing papers and bills (use this paper organizer)
- Spring house cleaning
- Clean the garage
- Sell items I don’t need anymore
- Start meal planning and meal prep
- Organize a kids room (make it easy with this kids organizer)
- Landscape the yard
Think about some of the tasks you have been putting off because you didn’t have the time and take action on those things.
Get Sleep
While you shouldn’t remain in bed constantly, maybe this time home can be the opportunity to catch up on some much-needed rest. Sleep is essential for the body and will help you become healthier and more revitalized.
Keep your Mind Busy
Don’t let your mind get idle. Practice keeping your mind away from junk (like too much news and mindlessly scrolling Facebook). Focus on mind improving activities.
Some examples could be:
- Learn a new skill (I love Skillshare for learning new skills, especially useful internet and leadership related skills)
- Listen to podcasts (Feed your mind with interesting podcasts such as these that will motivate you to start an online business)
- Play mind-stimulating games (Words with Friends, Family Feud, and Wordscapes are just a few of mine)
- Writing (check out these free simple writing prompts to help with self discovery from theblissfulmind.com)
I’d like to hear what you are doing on your hiatus. Explain to me how you practice self-care during this crisis.
