Self-Care During a Pandemic

The importance of Self-care during a pandemic.

You know when you’re on a plane and the flight attendant is going through the safety video with you? There is always mention of fixing your own mask, before helping others. This is important in a stressful situation or extreme turbulence on a plane, as well as in other areas of our life when we hit different kinds of turbulence. We need to look after ourselves first.

With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we have all hit a different kind of turbulence. As a result, we need to make sure that we are all taking care of ourselves first, making sure that our minds and bodies are healthy and happy. No matter what your current situation is, whether you’re a healthcare worker on the front like, an essential worker, working from home, or homeschooling children, it is all such a stressful time that none of us are used to. It can feel like too much to cope with sometimes. 

So to avoid slipping into bad habits and relying on unhealthy things to help us cope, we need to focus on the positive and healthy changes that we can make. Instead of looking for substance abuse rehabilitation when all of this is over, wouldn’t you rather come out of it smiling and happy? Here are some of the things that you can do to look after yourself and out yourself first in a pandemic.

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Food is fuel

We all like to have treats, but they should be just that, only used occasionally as a treat. Constantly having junk food will not be good for our bodies and can make you feel low, sluggish, unwell, and lacking in energy. During a pandemic, especially if you’re at home all of the time, you need to think of choosing foods that will fuel your body and mind. Look for unprocessed foods, foods that are low in sugar, and foods that will help to give you a good balance of energy.

Sleep is a priority for Self-Care

This can be one of the most stressful times that you have ever dealt with. You might have lost a job and have money worries. You might have concerns about the health of your children and worrying about their gaps in education. You might be a frontline worker who just feels stressed with all that you have to do. So whatever you are feeling, you will need to get the rest that you need. Make sure that you create a comfortable sleep environment for yourself and prioritise sleep as much as you can.

Find ways to ease stress

If you can find some ways to ease stress that work for you, then it will really help you through this time. It might be meeting a friend for a socially-distanced walk. You might talk on the phone or FaceTime. You might find exercise helps you the best or cooking yourself a new recipe. Reading a book, taking a bath, or listening to a podcast are all ideas that could help. Find something that works for you and then do it as often as you can.

*This is a collaborative post