Covid-19 pandemic has been around for more than a year now. While the first wave went with us trying to adapt to the new lockdown life, the second wave was harsher with people already exhausted with the lifestyle change. The second wave in many countries, especially India was brutal, and took away so many lives. With so much chaos around, it’s difficult to stay focused and happy or even merely coping. Self care during pandemic is important in order to keep yourself functioning and have some stability. Here’s a 6 step guide to make sure that you are taking enough care of yourself –
1. Take a break
Take a break, whether it is from work or from news or from social media or even from binge watching your favorites show on online streaming platforms like Netflix or Amazon Prime. Constant engagement with these sources leave little time for you to relax and get your body and mind refreshed. It can be super exhausting and can leave you unable to focus. You can take a break by listening to music, reading a book, cooking your favorite meal or just by doing nothing at all. If news or social media makes you anxious, it’s okay to limit your exposure for a longer while. It’s also good to avoid media that sensationalizes emotions instead of reporting facts.
2. Eat healthy
Food is your fuel and you body and mind are most likely to suffer if you don’t provide them with enough fuel. Eating a healthy and well-balanced diet is great to keep your mood balanced and channel your energy. It’s also super important to drink plenty of water and keep yourself hydrated. Cook your favorite meal or order from your favorite restaurant – remember to give your local eateries a direct call instead of using third party apps.
3. Stay connected
While it’s important to take a break, it’s also really important to stay connected to your loved ones. Now that we have enough technology to maintain social connections at the click of a button, you can consider having a regular check-in schedule to catch up with all your friends and know how they are doing. Trust us, it will be something to look forward to everyday. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, it’s also okay to depend on your personal beliefs and faith for support.
You can also look for ways to help the people in your community by donating blood, checking up on older people in your neighborhood, or helping getting supplies for organizations working on ground. It gives you feeling of being connected to your community and reduces the feeling of loneliness.
4. Don’t be sleep deprived
Sleep is important no matter what. With the pandemic and the work-from-home system, a lot of times it becomes difficult to differentiate between personal and professional time. Sometimes, it hampers your sleep which can result in fatigue and extreme mood swings. It’s minimal to get seven to eight hours of sleep every night to keep yourself going. At the same time, you also need to make sure you’re sleeping at the right time and your body knows the difference between morning and night. Go out and stand in your balcony if you have one or anywhere right outside your house for small intervals in morning and in the evening to keep that body clock functioning.
5. Work it out
Take a break from work and work it out. Start incorporating exercise in your daily schedule if you are not doing it already. Save time for small activity sessions – do breathing exercises and stretch often. If it is okay to go out, spend some time outside in open spaces like parks but wear your masks and follow social distancing guidelines. If there’s nothing else you can do – simply take small walks and do some household work. All that you need is to get up and get that body moving.
6. Practice Mindfulness
When you take a break, don’t just take a break but pause. Pause to absorb that is happening all around. Take little mental notes about everything you are grateful for in that moment. It’s also a great exercise to declutter your house – maybe take one shelf at a moment and just declutter and organize. Even 5 minutes of this can be therapeutic. If you can, try doing yoga and meditation – it helps in bringing stability.
In case things get extremely overwhelming and you find yourself absolutely unable to cope with stress and anxiety, it’s always a good idea to talk about it to someone you trust and seek professional help. Remember, you don’t have to be in this alone. It’s also okay to not feel your normal productive self, it’s a pandemic, the most important thing is to survive.
