May 4, 2020
By Ali Sensintaffar, HRCA Assistant Aquatic Program Coordinator
Hello everyone! Before we get started, I want you to take a deep breath. Then I want you to say out loud, “I am enough and no matter what comes my way, I can handle it and will come out of this stronger than before.” Now if you are quarantined with someone else, I want you to tell them that you love and appreciate them. The longer we are quarantined, the more of a toll it takes on us, physically, mentally and emotionally. Know that you are loved and appreciated. You are doing your best and together we will get through this. Self-Care Now, let’s talk about self-care. Self-care is always important, but it’s even more important now. You need to make sure that you are taking care of yourself. Self-care looks different for different people. For some people, it looks like a bubble bath and a glass of wine. For others, it could be a face mask and painting nails. For others, it could be doing yoga or meditating with the sunrise. It could be reading a book. But regardless, self-care is something that you deliberately do in order to take care of yourself. I like to think of it as a way of taking a time out and reorienting yourself. A way to remind yourself that you matter and that you not only need this, but deserve this. And it’s true. You deserve to take some time for yourself to take care of yourself.
Self-care is something that you enjoy doing. So if you don’t enjoy working out, or if you find yourself forcing yourself to do something – it isn’t self-care (although I’m not saying it’s not important to work out and take care of your body because it is). Self-care is more about taking care of yourself mentally. It is something that you plan and look forward to doing because you enjoy it.
Here are some tips on how to make sure that you are taking care of yourself: 1. Get quality sleep This is so so SO important! If you are over-tired, there’s no way that you can function at your best. Lack of quality sleep leads to irritability, higher anxiety, depression, along with many other negative side-effects. Make sure that when you go to sleep, you are going to sleep. It’s hard to unplug from technology, but do not get on your phone in bed. I’ll admit, this is a hard one for me. I tend to scroll through Facebook as I lay in bed, but it’s a habit I am breaking. Unplug and check out so that you can really sleep. Most experts recommend not being on your phone or in front of the TV at least 30 minutes before you go to sleep so that your brain has enough time to wind down. 2. Eat right Now I’m not saying forego cookies. Cookies are awesome. Who doesn’t want cookies? But maybe cut back on the sugar and processed foods? When we eat a lot of unhealthy food, it weighs us down which leads to sluggishness, depression and not to mention a lot of physical health problems like diabetes. When we eat a well-balanced diet, we tend to be more energetic and happier. Not to mention, it could help to shed an inch or two off which is a bonus in my book. Make sure that you are eating enough throughout the day and that you are making healthy food choices, whatever that may look like for you, whether it’s vegetarian, vegan, keto, paleo, or just a well-balanced mixture of all the food groups. 3. Exercise But wait, didn’t I just say earlier that if you hate working out, that shouldn’t be your self-care? Why yes I did. And let me explain. Personally for me, I hate working out unless it’s in a pool. But there are no pools in quarantine. Also, I live in the middle of nowhere, so it’s hard to get to the pool every day. So I try to incorporate movement into my every day life. Usually, that happens when I’m getting ready. I blast music in the mornings, not only because it wakes me up, but also because I can dance to it while getting ready. I also dance while I’m cooking. That’s not a lot of exercise, but it’s a little bit every day and it’s FUN! I also pet-sit a lot and I take the dogs out for walks. It never seems like a chore when you have a furry face smiling at you the whole time! This is my neighbor’s dog, Kirby when I took him on a hike. Look at that face. It is impossible to not be enjoying yourself when you have this pure bundle of goodness with you! So while I may not be working out every single day, I am still moving and getting some exercise. Then when I schedule my “actual” workouts, it’s a bonus and I feel even better after completing them. 4. Socialize Now I know my fellow introverts are rolling their eyes at this – but socialization is important. Humans are social creatures and we crave human contact. Unfortunately, during this pandemic, a lot of us have been cut off from family and friends and many people are starting to spiral into a depression because of this. Make time to talk to people. Whether it’s over the phone, texting, or my personal favorite, having a virtual happy hour, schedule some time to check-in with loved ones. I had a two-hour virtual happy hour with a friend the other week and it lifted my spirits so much. I didn’t realize just how much I had missed my friends until I was able to sit down and really talk with them. Your connections are important – don’t dismiss them because of the situation we find ourselves in. 5. Balance your life! Whether you are a student or you have a career, it is super important to know when to unplug from your office. I talked about this last week in my Find a Routine – and Stick to it! post, but just to go over it again: give yourself time off from work and/or school. Give yourself a deadline and once you hit that deadline, turn off your computer, stop checking your emails on your phone, and focus on your personal life. Whether that means cooking dinner and watching TV for a bit, or doing a load of laundry or having a beer with your significant other. When you are done with work, be done with it. Don’t let your work and personal life bleed together until they are one and the same. That’s a sure way for anyone to go insane. We need breaks from work – even those of us who love what we do. 6. Schedule “me time” This is huge and this is what we have been working up to. “Me time” is a time for you to relax, destress, and really do something you enjoy. This is when you can reflect on your day, or mentally prepare for your day. It’s when you can just be with you. People who have “me time” consistently tend to have higher levels of self-confidence and tend to be happier. This is the time to learn to love your own company. I recommend trying to schedule 15 minutes a day of “me time” to help unwind. Here are some items that you can do while in quarantine for self-care:
If you want to, take this quiz by the Berkeley Well-Being Institute to find out where you stand with your well-being. The results are emailed to you along with some links and tips to improve your well-being (which includes self-care). I just took it a little while ago and found a lot of good information specific to me so that I can work on being a happier, healthier version of myself!
For more ideas on activities and things you can do, check out 101 Self-Care Activities and 45 Simple Self-Care Practices for a Healthy Mind, Body and Soul.
Try these out and let me know what works for you! What does self-care mean to you?
Thank you! And as always, be happy, safe and healthy!
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