As we are all coping with being at home during the pandemic, self-care has become more vital than ever. It’s a stark transition from pre-quarantine life and it’s important you establish healthy ways to cope with your stress.
Self-care at this point in time means finding an activity that can help with your mental and emotional needs while you’re at home. Taking care of yourself can take many forms, but you always want to find activities that can help improve your well-being.
Here are a few ways to practice self-care during the quarantine.
Deep Breathing:
We get so busy sometimes, we forget to just be still and take a breath and being at home is no exception. Taking a few moments to slow your breathing and taking several deep breaths throughout the day can help relax your body.
Once you have this technique down, mediation and yoga are much easier to get into.
Follow these steps to practice deep breathing:
Sit somewhere comfortable, straighten your back, breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.
With each inhale, fill the chest with as much air as you can, you should feel your chest expand.
On the exhale, push out as much air as possible you should feel your abdomen rise and fall.
This sends a message to your brain that tells the body to encourage a lower heart rate, lower blood pressure, and an overall sense of relaxation.
Self-Massage:
Massages can help build your immune system by increasing circulation in your body—even if you don’t have access to your favorite spa. Even though this technique isn’t as skilled as a massage therapist, there are several methods you can use to release tension while in quarantine.
A gentle tapping or kneading can be done on your neck, shoulders, legs, arms, and feet. Incorporate your favorite essential oils as a mood booster or a lotion.
The use of a self-massaging tool can also be helpful, just be sure to stay on the muscle and away from the bones. Keep it on a lower setting to not cause any tissue damage.
If you need more information for self-massages, contact your local massage therapist for additional resources and assistance on massages that you can perform at home.
Taking a Bath:
Baths can be a soothing and relaxing way to practice self-care with little-to-no materials required. Treat this time as a tranquil escape from the kids, work, and worry. Increase your relaxation by lighting a few candles or playing your favorite tunes.
Choose the right temperature for your body (not too hot, not too cold).
Add your favorite bath bombs, essential oils, or epsom salt.
Keep your iPad handy to catch-up on the latest Netflix show or your favorite book.
If you’re not a bath person, you can diffuse your favorite essential oil and place a heating pad on achy muscles.
Couple’s Meditation:
For those who are quarantined with their partner, it’s important to have healthy coping skills that can help manage your moods.
Meditation is a way to help decrease your stress levels and help regulate your emotions.
Sit in the closet facing each other on the floor.
Set a timer for 5-10 minutes.
Enjoy the silence and focus on taking deep breaths.
This is a great activity to connect with your partner and relax right before bed. My partner and I actually do this when we feel stressed out or overwhelmed and it works for us!
No partner? No problem. Do the same exercise by yourself, add the use of a meditation app or music if you have a hard time with the silence.
Get Active
Even though gyms are closed, it doesn’t mean you have to stop moving. There has been a big surge of virtual and online classes that can help you stay active at home. If a home workout isn’t your jam, there are still plenty of ways to keep yourself active and moving while quarantined.
Get in the groove, be silly and move your body with one of the latest TikTok challenges.
Go outside for a walk.
Play a game with friends on Houseparty or Jackbox
Host an online happy hour and invite your friends to join in. Just make sure to hydrate before and after the wine!
At the end of the day, do what makes you relaxed and stress-free.
