The past 2 months have been quite the adventure while trying to adjust to all of the changes that have come along with the COVID pandemic. At times I’ve been a ball of emotions, at other times I’ve fully embraced the changes and been super motivated, and yet at other times I’ve been forced to show myself grace when I just need to take a break from it all. Currently I’m working through the motions of accepting that while some businesses are slowly starting to reopen, there will still be many more months of our new “normal” ahead.
I find that now more than ever it is SO extremely important to take time for self-care and to give ourselves a chance to rest, reset, and rejuvenate. Unfortunately, between working from home, household chores, taking care of the kids, and more, it may not always be as easy as it seems to show ourselves that little extra bit of care. Remember that self-care isn’t always treating yourself to alone time physically, sometimes it also means taking care of your mental and emotional well-being as well. In today’s post I thought I’d share 5 tips for self-care during a quarantine.
Set a loose routine for your day.
If you’re working from home, it’s easy for the line between work and home to get blurred. I find that creating a “loose” routine helps in distinguishing between the two and setting aside time for rest and relaxation rather than being caught up in work all day.
Show yourself grace.
While I enjoy having a daily routine to help keep my day balanced and still productive, the reality is that not all days go as planned. Some days are lazy days and guess what? That’s OKAY! When things don’t go as planned, or when you’re feeling all sorts of emotions and just need a break, show yourself grace and remember that we are all going through a global pandemic. This is something that we’ve never experienced before in our lifetime and it’s a huge adjustment. Give yourself time to process and feel all your emotions.
When you need a break, take it.
If you’re a parent who is working from home, homeschooling kiddos, and trying to keep up with the rest of your life, you are a true rockstar! In the midst of it all, sometimes you just need a break, even if you’re not doing all of those things. When you’re feeling super overwhelmed and too much is piling up, give yourself a break. If you need it, take it! My husband and I have a system that we agreed upon when this pandemic started, where we can simply ‘tap out’ and tell the other person we need a half hour break – no questions asked – and it has worked so well for us.
Do something each day that is just for you.
Constantly being at home with your significant other or the entire family is overwhelming at best, but it also means that we get caught up doing things for everyone else other than ourselves most days. Try to do something (whether small or big) each day that is just for YOU. Try waking up half hour earlier to enjoy your coffee in peace while journaling or meditating OR take some time in the evening to do a facial or watch your favourite show. Whatever you choose to do, try to eliminate all distractions so you can enjoy some uninterrupted me-time.
Remember, you don’t have to wear ALL the hats.
Right now many people (parents especially) are being faced with the reality of having to be multiple things at once – employee, parent, teacher, spouse, you name it! This can be so challenging and overwhelming, and seeing others absolutely killing it all over social media right now can be daunting. Remember, you don’t have to wear all the hats ALL the time! The one blessing in this pandemic is that we’ve been forced to slow down and spend time with our families which is amazing. But your kiddos don’t need extravagant crafts every single day. You don’t need to make a gourmet dinner every single night. And you most certainly do NOT need to have all the laundries washed, folded and packed away. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to get everything done and be perfect. Take each day as it comes.
Being at home ALL the time now makes it even harder but a million times more important to take time for yourself each day, so I am challenging each of you to do a little self-care each day while you are home. This can look so different for each person – sometimes it’s a hot bath and a cup of wine and other times its saying no to cooking dinner and telling your spouse to put the kids to bed while you watch TV. I hope this post gives you some ideas on how to find time for yourself each day even if it may not look like your traditional idea of self-care.
Cheers,
quarantinerelaxationself-carewellness
