Staying indoors should not hinder you from boosting your health and wellness. Whether you’re quarantining or simply following orders to stay at home to stop the spread of the virus, social distancing poses a unique set of challenges for all of us. Now more than ever, practicing self-care is essential to take care of our emotional health and well-being. Self-care is not being selfish, it is merely focusing on what makes you feel nourished, what gives us meaning and finding countless practices that are enjoyable and can promote physical, emotional, and mental health. It is the behaviors you do to take care of your own health, which includes your nutrition, activities, exercise, hygiene, and much more. Amidst this global pandemic, the need to care for our own health is of utmost importance.
Make sleep a priority. Your mood and immune system are practically depending on the quality of your sleep. Getting enough, good-quality sleep keeps your immune system at its peak and best condition to fight off infections and viruses. Getting a good doze is also one of the top ways to help keep stress in check. Sleep deprivation can ramp up your reactions, make you less focused and patient, and leads you to making poor decision, moody and irritable. These in turn, will most likely lead to a bad day for you and could ripple to other people around you.
Stay active. Being stuck at home should not mean you get to be a couch potato. Keep your risk of chronic health issues down by staying active thru exercise and physical activities. It releases endorphins (feel-good hormones) and helps up your mood, sharpens focus, boosts energy, and improves your overall feeling.
Intuitive eating. This is a practice where you do not need to count calories or restrict yourself to any specific foods. It is eating while listening to your body and paying attention to what you just need at the moment. You eat when you feel hungry and you stop eating when you are full. This practice is best to apply even if you are spending days within arm’s reach of your snack drawer. Intuitive way of eating is all about giving your body what it needs when it needs it.
Meditation break. This doesn’t require anything specific, you can do it anywhere, at any time. Meditation is simply thinking deeply or focusing your mind for a period of time. It eases symptoms of depression and anxiety and can help reduce stress. Do not worry, there is no shortage of meditation apps available for you. Just go and explore.
Get on the groove. Go for some mood-boosting tunes. Music therapy helps people cope with emotional needs. It’s not rocket science to understand that blasting your favorite song will put a smile on your face. So, a good jam will definitely help lessen symptoms in people with mood problems and will give a lift to their self-esteem.
Stay connected. Social connection can do wonders for your mental health. Close relationships and social connections are associated with a vast list of benefits for our mental well-being. Make it a priority and stay connected with your family and friends. Perhaps, create a schedule for catching up on a regular basis.
There are a lot more things that can be added to the list. In a nutshell, self-care is putting yourself first and ensuring your wellness above all. It is deliberately doing what you enjoy while promoting your physical, emotional, and mental health. It is balancing your day and also empowering yourself and inspiring your health, keeping your mind and body stress-free and more resilient. After all, you’ve got you and yourself to count on during this time of global pandemic.
