Your Daily Self-Care Plan
The need for distancing in public and staying at home to keep yourself and others healthy is critical to reverse pandemic infection rates. But’s let be honest - it’s also very hard. Humans are social creatures by nature. A daily approach to focusing on yourself during this isolating time can you stay invigorated, feel more energetic and find joy in daily living.
Self-care is everything you do deliberately to maintain your mental, physical, and emotional health. “Deliberately” is the key word - you need to be conscious of your wellbeing to truly take care of yourself. There are seven simple elements of self-care that are easy to plan for and incorporate into your life:
Movement. Increase your energy and improve your mood by moving your body. Regular exercise has multiple physical and mental health benefits. You can also incorporate stretching, a short yoga practice, and breathing exercises.
Water. Your brain is mostly water. Staying hydrating helps you think, focus, concentrate better and be more alert. Post reminders on your computer, bathroom mirror or refrigeration to refill your water bottle and keep drinking.
Fresh Air. A quick walk around the block gets you outside and improves your attitude, but so can opening a window for a few minutes to breathe in clean air and positive energy, if that’s more practical.
Curiosity. Break up the monotony by learning new things - you will feel more alive! Take an online class, read articles and books or listen to podcasts about topics that interest you.
Gratitude. Intentionally seeking out what makes you grateful, every day, is a powerful practice to shift your mindset. Establish a reflection routine - first thing in the morning, while you brush teeth, when you sit down to dinner or in a gratitude journal.
Connection. Having a strong social support network builds resilience, our natural ability to “bounce back” in the face of adversity.
Letting Go. Even in the midst of the uncertainty created by this pandemic, you can take control of designing a new “normal”. Working to acknowledge and then release unmet expectations and dreams, a little bit each day, helps you give space in your life for new hopes, goals and routines.
Change is unsettling and it’s okay to feel uneasy with the unknowns. Taking time to check-in with yourself daily will help you feel more centered and able to move forward into this new season of life from a place of peace.
