Your ability to maintain your health and cope with illnesses without or with the support of a healthcare provider is known as self-care. It prevents diseases and disability along the way too.

Selfcare is being practiced by people for several years. There is an increase in the interventions related to self-care, which is shifting the way it is perceived, accessed, and understood; adding to the already existent technologies, medicines, and diagnostics available to be used by people themselves.

Good respiratory hygiene, social distancing, and frequent hand washing are examples of self-care during the pandemic, which can protect you from the virus. Moreover, it doesn’t end here. There are multiple other areas where self-care can make a difference to your health and well-being during the pandemic, including your sexual and reproductive health.

The pandemic has drastically changed our lifestyles, from our work to our social lives to our homes. Nothing is the same for quite a while now. The new normal poses a set of unique challenges for every individual.

Now, taking care of your health and practicing self-care is more important than ever. Nevertheless, taking care of our emotional and mental well-being is also very important.

Self-Care During COVID

Self-care during covid can include a list of practices that can be enjoyable and promote your physical, spiritual, emotional, and mental health at the same time.

As per the World Health Organization,

Selfcare is a person’s behavior towards taking care of their health, which can include hygiene, leisure activities, nutrition, exercise, sports, seeking professional healthcare services when required, and a lot more.

In the middle of the global pandemic, taking care of our own health should be our priority, which should also include all the aspects that are included. It isn’t easy navigating through the pandemic. Whether it is working from home or taking care of your kids’ online classes or spending each day productively.

So how will you be able to balance your day and empower those who share the same space with you? 

Here is a list of self-care pandemic tips that will inspire your health and wellness. It will enable you to be less stressed and more resilient in these tough times.

Be Active

Exercise has been known to be extremely good for both our physical and mental health. There are various exercises that you can do from home by following either YouTube videos or by downloading workout apps on your phone.

Here is a list of some of the free ones just for you!

· Yoga with Adrienne is very well-known and loved by many yoga channels. It has over six million subscribers. You will not find a more down-to-earth yoga instructor and her yoga classes last from five minutes to an hour. So, you can just attend the one you prefer, as per your stamina. Moreover, it is virtual so there would be no hard and fast rule of staying through all of it. You can quit and close the tab whenever, getting back to your Netflix binge-watching routine.

· Nike Training Club can help you in staying active during this time by offering you free workout plans that can be done from the ease of your home. Moreover, it also consists of wellness and nutrition guidance from experts. So, if you don’t want to do any exercise and just eat healthy food, you can do that too.

Download Nike Training Club For Android

Download Nike Training Club For Apple.

· Seven is a 7-minute workout app, which is available in both Android and iOS. These workout plans have been designed after proper research and scientific backing to provide maximum benefits in the shortest of time. This app has the feature of linking up with your friends too. Well, when a lot of people do something together, it builds up motivation. So, it is definitely a useful feature. If you are into sports and training has been canceled, this app should be a good bet for you.

Download Seven – 7 Minute Workout For Android

Download Seven – 7 Minute Workout For Apple

These however are just ideas. You can do whatever suits you better. If going outside isn’t prohibited, go for a daily jog, or walk.

Zen Meditation

Let’s be honest. All of us are stressed about the pandemic and our thoughts tend to go haywire sometimes if not all the time. You would be taking care of your health by practicing mindfulness. Taking out ten minutes to do so can help you in producing a sense of calmness. 

Mindfulness means paying attention to the present and it helps you in coping up with tough times and everyday life. Extensive research has proven that mindfulness can reduce anxiety and stress. It also helps in concentrating and relaxing.

The following are some of the apps that you can try

· Insight Timer has over 25,000 free guided meditations that last from one minute to ninety minutes. The app has the option of choosing how you feel, and it will guide you through with meditations or even music to listen to accordingly.

· Sleeping Mind is also a good option if you don’t want a lot of choices. Because let’s be realistic here, that too can be very overwhelming and add to the stress. The meditations are well-structured and organized by the program, for example, Sleep, Relationships, and Mindful Foundations.

What should you do if meditation isn’t for you?

If meditation isn’t your thing, you can try doing some exercises every day and practice mindfulness. In more simple words, set aside all the distractions and focus completely on one small task. For instance, when you are having your cup of coffee, focus on the aroma, the texture, and the warmth of the cup. If it’s cold coffee, focus on how cold it is. Either way, it’s the feeling that helps!

Be in Touch with your Mates

In-person, meetups are a risk during the pandemic but that doesn’t necessarily mean that you cannot catch up with your mates. You can stay in touch with them via Facebook, Skype, WhatsApp, or any other social media app. You can sit with them over the weekend and sip on a cup of coffee, virtually and talk about how life has been for all of you during the pandemic. Ask them what health tips during covid they are following and tell them about yours too.

Talking to someone you trust can be the best remedy when it comes to self-care during covid. You can also start a group chat and update each other about everyday happenings.

Online Forums

Do you feel isolated? Do you feel like you are stuck in a box and there is no way out of it? If that is the case, you can reach out to safe online forums. They are anonymous spaces where you can chat with people who are struggling with similar issues. In a way, it is group therapy but online with people with hidden identities. 

You can share your struggles and even talk about those that you have been able to tackle. You can even tell them about your self-care during pandemic tips.

Homemade Meals

Good food and enough nutrition are always very important and there is nothing better than a freshly cooked meal at home. Especially if you have coked it yourself, keeping your likes and dislikes in mind. You can also check out different recipes online or maybe even ask your friends for some tasty recipes.

However, keeping in mind that it may be challenging to get every ingredient easily. You can keep it very simple and work with what is available at home. You can also check out substitutions online.

Take a Break

With all that is happening around the world, it is okay to take a break from all of it. News about the virus trending on TV and social media can make us all feel low. As much as it is important to stay updated, it is very important to take care of your mental health as well. You can limit your media intake a couple of times during the week. 

If social media is your best because you feel isolated, take a break. Spend your time doing something else. Order an adult coloring book from Amazon. Coloring can be a very good DE stressor during tiring times.

Music Playlist

Music can be very helpful when you are stressed and since everyone isn’t into praying, which is also one of them; why not just do what we all like? Make a playlist with all your favorite songs and listen to them out loud in your room. Dance to it or sing along, whatever makes you feel good about yourself. Do it! You can also make playlists on Spotify and ask your friends to add their favorite songs too. 

Looking to be fancy? Make a playlist with different moods on Apple Music.

Go Out and DIY

If you think that you are spending a lot of your time at home, it can help to go out occasionally. You can go visit a friend and follow the required SOPs too. Do some activities that both of you like. That can be something as casual as playing the Xbox or as old school as board games. 

As mentioned previously, adult coloring books can also be very helpful, so why not color a few pages with your friend? 

Watch or Read Something Uplifting

It can be a good thing to distract yourself. You can always watch something uplifting and motivational. After all, that is what everyone needs right now. Zone out from what is happening in the world. Light comedies like Brooklyn 99, Schitts Creek, or Kim’s Convenience can be a good watch. 

YouTube is another great option. You can watch relaxing videos that will help you chill out. However, if reading is more of your thing, you can read an old favorite or something that you’ve been wanting to read for a while. Moreover, if you don’t have physical books, you can opt for e-books that are free to download most of the time.

Declutter for ten minutes

Since you are probably spending a lot of time at home unless you’re a healthcare worker. It can help have an environment that feels good. Instead of trying to clean and fix your whole space in one go. Try and spend a few minutes every day declutter. One day it can be your kitchen cabinet, another day it can be your bookshelf, or it can be the mess all over your room. Just pick a spot and start decluttering.

Look out for the unusual

If you feel that something is becoming persistent and is interfering with your daily tasks. Or that they are outside the COVID19 pandemic norms, contact your GP right away.

Some of the symptoms to watch out for are

· Inability to focus on daily activities

· Severe anxiety and feelings that can be out of control

· Feelings that interfere with your daily chores and activities

· Emotions that are hard to manage

· Hopelessness and helplessness

Final Verdict

Is it getting a bit too much?

A lot of times, even after taking care of your health and practicing self-care during covid can be overwhelming. Since a lot of people may be self-isolating and distancing themselves from social life, telephonic and online services may help. Online counseling can be very helpful and if you’re already taking therapy, switch to online. Talk it out with your therapist and see if that can be done.

A lot of other organizations also offer online support, you can opt for those too. Moreover, you can consider seeing your GP or mental health professional for extra help. 

Last but not the least, know that this is temporary, and it will end in due time, bringing everything back to normal.