How to Practice Self-Care in Difficult Times
How are you feeling? And how are you REALLY feeling? 💭
We are facing a new reality as Covid-19 continues to spread across borders and contributing to a global crisis; The uncertainty regarding our future and the well-being of our loved ones can take a toll on our mental and physical health. We can feel scared, anxious, unable to control the situation unfolding before our eyes and finding ourselves going a bit loopy thinking about how the future will look!It is essential to prioritize self-care and especially as many of us are practicing social distancing and staying home - there is no better time than now. Taking care of ourselves can help us adjust to this new normal. Remember that the one thing you can control is your own actions and how you treat yourself. Let’s try to see this as a forced slow-down, a state of being instead of doing, giving us the opportunity to introspect and work on personal stuff.
So what to do? Here are MANTLE’s tips.
Just breathe!
Breathing is really important. When we are stressed, we easily forget to take long and deep breaths.How to:
Try breathing in and out in three-second blocks. It will calm the nervous system. The immune system can’t function properly when the mind is stressed and tells it to worry.
Meditating is a known mood stabilizer and can really help to ease stress. Take a couple of drops THC-free CBD oil under your tongue before starting your meditation. Clearing your mind will bring positive energy.
Meditating can feel a bit intimidating and hard. It may feel very difficult to just sit down and meditate and quiet the mind, so try a breathing technique to activate deep, intentional breathing to help you focus and get you in a yummy relaxed state.
Want a little help? Here is a 7 min Tune-In Meditation ☁️
Get some quality ZZZ’s, treat yourself to home-made nourishing food
Try to wake up and go to bed at the same time everyday. This will give your body a routine. Take advantage of this time to cook healthy and nourishing food at home. Play around, do things outside of your comfort zone such as dishes that require long hours in the oven. If you need inspiration head over to Detoxlife for wholesome meals with a twist. Our gut bacteria gets really affected by stress and anxiety so putting good things into our bodies will help balance it out. Another way to promote a healthy digestive system is by taking a probiotic.Do things you love
Self-care is all about doing things that makes you feel good and that’s what we need right now. Watch movies, eat ice-cream or call your friends and family - play virtual quizzes (check out Houseparty) or have virtual dinner parties.
Consider the healing impacts of making art, singing, journaling and dancing in your kitchen. These fun moments can help you calm your mind and find inner peace.
Learn something new
It’s important to stay inspired and self-care is about stimulating positive hormones in the body. Learn a new skill by taking an online class, practice a language you studied in high-school, or read that book that’s been laying on your nightstand for months. Learn the benefits of face yoga and how you can relax muscle tension in your jaws and neck. For inspiration check out Dana Vronska and her face yoga rituals on Instagram. There are so many things to expand our knowledge and horizons and we usually complain about not having enough time. Take this opportunity to dive deep into the things you’ve been wanting to do but did not have the time or energy to before.
Also check out some free online resources for additional inspirations.
As we practice social-distancing we avoid the outside world but we get more time to spend on ourselves. We can work on some things we don’t have time for normally whether it be painting a wall pink or facing some insecurities or traumas. If you feel overwhelmed, ask for help or reach out to a trusted friend. Another advice is to turn off the news and only check in once a day to avoid the constant flow of potentially scary information. If we allow ourselves to properly take care and truly relax in these times we can put things in perspective - in between washing hands or course.
Stay safe!