5 Ways to Self Care Right Now

With everyone spending more time online to stay connected, many of us are seeing more social media posts about how others are using this time at home to pick up new hobbies, learn new skills, redecorate, work out or engage in other “productive” activities.

This can lead to negative comparisons where we feel pressured to do more or feel guilty that we aren’t. While there’s nothing wrong with spending time doing new things, it’s important we also remind ourselves that different people cope in different ways.

We should allow ourselves to take things slow, especially if we are worried or finding the many changes to our “normal lives” difficult to adjust to. Many of us might find we are more tired and have less energy, feeling pressured to be more “productive” would just add to this exhaustion and can make it even harder to get anything done.

If you are feeling this way, focus on giving yourself what you need to feel better. This could be a phone call to a loved one, a comforting meal, a walk around the park, cuddles with a pet, a warm bath, a nice cup of soothing tea, or even just time and space to do nothing but focus on taking some deep breaths. Caring for ourselves and keeping safe are the most important and productive things we can do during these strange times, it helps us manage everything else in our lives. Give yourself credit for this achievement!
 

Here are more ways to self-care:

 

 

 

 

 

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There’s a lot going on right now...a lot to be anxious about... . The most stressful information for our mind and body system is that which is uncertain, unknown, and out of our control. With the most recent travel bans and precautions being taken all over the world, it makes sense for our “threat” alarm to go off, completely throwing us off balance and creating dysregulation in our whole system. . These suggestions are here for you as just a small reminder of the things that are within our control. I can also acknowledge the privilege in my words. It is truly a luxury in our culture to have the time to soothe, distract, and adjust our finances, especially for those who are barely making ends meet. . There will be so many of us affected by the changes that will roll out over the coming weeks. I wish I had words of wisdom to share, or answers, but there are none. Just the thought that this is a time to connect, share our human struggle, and support one another in the best way we can. . How are you keeping yourself calm during this difficult time?

A post shared by Maria Sosa, MS, MFT, Therapist (@holisticallygrace) on Mar 12, 2020 at 12:03pm PDT

Written by the MLC Counselling Team