How to Take Care of Yourself Right Now

I have always been a fan of apocalyptic movies. The more bizarre, the better. But, now that we are living one, I have lost interest. The world feels bizarre right now. Anxiety is high. Routine is non-existent. How do we deal with that? How do we protect our mental health while we are protecting our physical health? Right now, we are fighting anxious thoughts and doomsday messages while grasping at the control of our own daily life that has been stripped away, it’s disarming.

We are all struggling, and that’s okay. Here are 10 ways you can struggle a little less and take care of yourself right now.

1.      Stick to a routine. Whether that is going to bed a certain time, setting an alarm in the mornings or setting aside certain hours each day for work. Set a routine that you can stick with.

2.      Find some time to move each day in a way your body allows. Go out for a walk, run or just move your body through dance or however that looks. Thirty minutes each day should be committed to movement of some kind.

3.      Get outside daily. Right now, seasons are changing in different places and that can be tricky. If you are in a highly-populated area, that can be extra tricky. Being out in the fresh air is important for your mental health. Sit on your porch, walk around your house, take a drive with windows down. Do what YOU can.

4.      Stay hydrated and eat well. Even though this sounds silly and essential, during times of high stress our brains tend to turn off some of our basic functioning. Make sure you are drinking and eating and fueling your body properly. Now may even be a good time to try cooking new foods or having fun in the kitchen to find ways to nourish your body.

5.      Reach out to others. Each day set aside a time to connect with people. Facetime friends or family. Skype someone you haven’t seen in a while or a co-worker. Humans need connection, during this isolating time even more so.

6.      Find your retreat in your home. With everyone being cooped up, we each need to find a space to get away. This may be harder for some and may include sitting in your car for a half-hour, that’s okay. Find a place where you can relax and separate yourself from everyone.

7.      Practice kindness. Everyone is struggling right now, and irritation can be our way of communicating right now. But, instead of snapping and blaming, be kind in stores and on social media. Throw good energy out into the world, we need it.

8.      Focus on connection. Right now, some of us are consumed with more hours at work or in your home office. You may be struggling with teaching your kids and navigating this new life. Binge-watching shows can a fun way to disconnect and get away from reality, but we need to focus on connecting as well. Have dates with your partner after the kids are in bed. Have Zoom hangouts. Masturbate. Read. Unplug from toxic social media. Spend time playing board games or playing with your kids. Find time to connect and focus on being present.

9.      Find something you can control. When the big things are overwhelming or feeling out of control, find a slice of your world you can control. Organize your closet, put together furniture, spring clean, garden. Controlling something small when you feel completely out of control can feel grounding.

10.   Practice radical self-acceptance. Right now, we are all trying to do too much too fast. Just take a breath and practice accepting yourself. Radical self- acceptance is the practice of accepting everything about yourself, your current situation, and your life without question, blame or pushback. You cannot fail at what is happening right now. We don’t know what is going to happen or what life is going to look like anytime soon. We are in an impossible situation and doing the best we can. Practice accepting yourself completely right now as we navigate this unprecedented experience. 

There are more things we can do in times like these, but this is a great start. Take time to try and incorporate all or some of these into your new daily life. Reach out to a professional if you’re struggling right now and don’t know where to start. Mental health professionals are available online and some are available in person for those who cannot access online in a safe and confident way. If you have never experienced therapy or counseling before, this is a great time to try. Finding support and exploring this experience with a professional can be incredibly powerful. We are always willing to help or find someone who can.

Be well.