Quarantine can be so stressful for many people, especially for people that watch the news and read social media. It is super easy to get wrapped up in everything going on around you and become stressed out. Stress then leads to more issues, and then from there it can just get worse. But, what many people don't know is that this is one of the best times to work on yourself and build a routine that will enhance your self-care.
Self-care is different for everybody, it all depends on what you like to do and what relaxes you. You want to better your health and happiness, and also control your stress throughout this routine. Use this time to create a healthy lifestyle, become zen, and finally just to take some time to focus on yourself.
1) Prioritize Sleep: Who doesn't like to sleep? Sleeping plays a major part in how you feel and everyone should try to make it important in their lives. Not getting enough sleep causes a person to feel mentally and physically drained. When someone gets a good night's rest, their brain is more active which allows them to feel better.
2) Eat well: If you eat food that makes you feel good inside you are obviously going to feel better on the outside. Take some time to make meals that are good for your body and that are going to give you energy. Eating well is also going to allow your brain to receive more serotonin and help your blood pressure, and this will cause your stress levels to decrease.
3) Exercise: Being at home during quarantine can cause you to be lazy and feel lazy. There are so many ways to exercise while at home. Use equipment you have, watch videos online that don't require equipment, or go for a walk or run outside. All you need to do is 30 minutes a few times a week. This is going to help you more than you know.
4) Yoga: This is one of the most effective ways to become zen. Practicing yoga is going to help improve your mental state and well being. It is going to help you reduce stress, relax your mind and body, and create clarity. Another way to practice yoga is by meditating. Many will practice yoga and then go into meditation because you have started to clear your mind and relax. This allows you to focus completely on meditating.
5) Breathing Exercises: This is almost the same as yoga or meditating, just not as long. When you become stressed, your heart rate and breathing become faster, and your blood pressure rises. The easiest and quickest way to reduce all of this is by breathing. It is going to reduce your tension and help release all the stress you are feeling.
6) Clean: Some people hate to do it and others love it. Cleaning is either going to be the best way to help with self care or the worst, it all depends on if you like cleaning or not. Clutter, dirty, and disorganized living spaces can bother people more than one would think. Decluttering, organizing, and cleaning is going to make you feel good on the inside but also on the outside.
7) Cook: This is another one that is going to depend on what you enjoy. For those of you that do enjoy cooking, trying out new recipes can be super exciting and fun. Making new meals and desserts can be very relaxing and stress free for everyone that loves cooking.
8) Start a Journal: Writing down your feelings can help feel like you are releasing them. Even writing about things that will better you will make you feel content or more organized. Use the journal to write about feelings or positive things about yourself. You can write down challenges you are facing and ways to go about them and then create a short-term goal list. You can even use this journal to write down your self care routine! Just take some time to think and write about your life.
9) Disconnect Yourself: There are many ways to disconnect yourself from the world. Two major ways are by reading or by putting some headphones in and blocking everything out. Go sit somewhere peaceful, with a drink of your choice and start to relax. Read a book about self care, a book that you love, or one that you are interested in reading. Listen to meditation sounds, music, or podcasts. Just use these two ways to block out the world and focus on what you are doing at that moment.
10) Take a Day off Social Media: Social media in today's world causes more issues for people than they think. Recently there is so much negativity on social platforms and everyone is bringing that into their own lives. A day off of social media is going to help you not think about all the negative things going on. Take some time to focus on all the positive things going on in your life that day. The Positivity in your life is going to increase so much.
11) Call or Facetime Someone: That one person that always makes you laugh and smile, and just brings joy to your life is the one you need to call. It is always good to catch up with someone that makes you happy and in a good mood. Self care doesn't always have to be alone, sometimes it's nice to get help from others that will boost your mood. Don't talk to people that are going to bring you down and bring negativity into your life, self care is all about positivity.
The list for self-care goes on and on, everyone has different ways that help them bring joy and relaxation into their own world. So don't stop with this list and don't just do this at all random times. Make a routine with these ideas and make this into a habit. Once you get into the groove of everything you are going to love the way you feel and your life is going to be 10x better then it was before you had self-care in it.