Self-Care During Quarantine

It’s totally normal to feel stressed or anxious during an uncertain time like this, but it’s also ok to take time away from the noise and focus on yourself. Self-care isn’t necessarily about being self-indulgent. It’s about being self-aware and recognizing your own needs. Here are some tips that might help you take a step away and refocus:

Take a break from the news and social media
To avoid feeling overwhelmed, take breaks from the news and social media. The constant news updates are hard to avoid between push notifications and social media posts. When you’re spending time doing another activity, you’re removing yourself from the continuous stream of media. Leave your phone in another room while you put together a puzzle or even just turn on some music while you’re cooking dinner. Also, to truly embrace giving yourself a break, consider not posting to your favorite social media channels during this time. Taking this step can feel empowering.

Exercise
Exercise of any kind helps boost and support the immune system. It’s also a great tool for managing anxiety and stress, and will help you pass time throughout the day. While the weather is still nice, go for a walk, run or bike ride outside. You can even find workout classes on YouTube. If you have any previous medical conditions, make sure you talk to your doctor before you start a new workout routine.

Yoga and Meditation
Just five minutes of yoga and meditation each day can help you reset your mind and your perspective. It relieves anxiety, depression and can decrease stress. Meditation and breathing exercises can slow your heart rate down and clear your mind. Even with gyms and yoga studios closed, there are still lots of resources available for you to use. Corepower Yoga, the country’s largest yoga studio chain is offering everyone free access to a collection of online classes.

Start a new hobby or pick up a good book
Have you been putting off learning to paint, knit, sew or cook? This is a great time to learn a new hobby and will also provide you with a creative outlet. Maybe even try a hobby out of the ordinary like stargazing or vlogging. If you’ve been putting off picking up a good book, now’s the time. Many local libraries offer free downloads on their websites or you can check out sites like Audible for a monthly fee.

Sleep
Sleep is good for you and is important for both physical and mental health. A full night’s sleep can help your mood and even prevent feelings of depression. It can also help your immune system stay strong and fight infections because your body repairs important cells and tissues while you sleep. Quarantine is a good time to reset your sleep schedule and catch up on the sleep you’ve been missing. Make sure your bed is just for sleeping - avoid using cell phones, laptops or watching TV in there. Try taking a nice, warm bath or reading a book to help you fall asleep. It’s important to stick to the same sleep schedule every night—even on weekends! Before long, your body will know when to sleep and when to wake up.

Spa day
Create a home spa in your bathroom: fix a bubble bath, light some candles, play soft music, drink a glass of wine, read a magazine and just relax. Try a facemask, there are plenty of recipes for easy DIY facials online —whether they do what they claim or not, there’s no harm in trying a blend of honey, oats, and avocado on your face.

Hands and Nails
You should be washing your hands excessively right now and that’s probably drying them out. It’s best to follow up your hand washing routine with a moisturizer. Get yourself the basic tools and give yourself a manicure: clippers, a file, and a buffer. It may be tempting to cut and push back your cuticles, but refrain because you can introduce bacteria and cause an infection. You can try cuticle oil to keep your hands moisturized and avoid cracking. If you typically wear acrylic or other false nails now might be a good time to give your nails a break and strengthen natural nails.

These are just some of the ways that you can take care of yourself while in quarantine. Find activities you enjoy and what works best for your needs. If stress and anxiety get in the way of your daily activities for multiple days in a row, contact your healthcare provider.