Morning lovely humans! I know how difficult this time is so I wanted to give you a few tips on how to navigate this unique situation and the challenges we’re all facing.
The most important thing is to understand that we’re all going through a collective trauma. It’s scary. There’s anxiety. And often it feels like there’s not much we can do. I hope these tips help just a little.
I want to remind you to give yourself a break. Whether you have to go to work, or you’re feeling at home and lonely, or at home and overwhelmed, or worried about current/future finances – give yourself a break. Let yourself cry about it.
If you find that you are having a particularly hard time emotionally or mentally, you are not alone. Everyone is going though this and it helps to remember you’re not the only one feeling all of those emotions.
But let’s talk about a few things you can do to lessen the Covid-19 blues.
Look After The Basics First
It’s tempting to start drinking a lot. It’s tempting to indulge in a little (or a lot) of retail therapy. And it’s tempting to text that person that you know that you definitely should not be texting.
Start with the basics. Do the practical stuff. Even though it can cause so much anxiety, manage your finances. Ask questions like are senior citizens getting a stimulus check, are there resources in my area that are helping with housing or utilities, can I claim benefits?
It’s important to look after your physical health as well. Are you struggling with anything that could have a negative physical effect on you?
And lastly, your basic mental health. Are you doing anything that’s actively destructive toward your mental health?
Stay Away From Social Media (or limit your time)
The evidence is clear: the more time you spend on social media, the more likely it is that you are going to be anxious or depressed, or possibly both at once.
If you are spending a lot of time on Facebook or Twitter trying to keep up to date with what is going on, try to have a detox away from it. Set aside a few hours each day to be away from the endless scrolling.
This is also a great time to focus on online inspiration. Follow pages that inspire, motivate, or put a smile on your face.
Move Your Body Whenever Possible
Dance in the shower. Dance when you’re cooking. Do yoga poses when there’s a commercial. It doesn’t matter how you’re moving your body as long as you are. It’s not just for your physical health, exercise is also essential for your mental health as well.
If your city allows you to go outside, take advantage of it, even if it’s just a walk around the block. Youtube has a ton of amazing videos. I’m a huge fan of Yoga with Adriene and SugarPop!
Eat Well
Or as well as you can given the circumstances. I’m an emotional eater and I stress eat and the first few weeks, I ate a lot. It’s really hard to pull yourself out of the mindset of “eat allllll the sweets/snacks!”
So eat them, but try not to overdo it for your body’s sake. Moderating the snack food and trying to eat healthier over all, really is going to make an enormous difference to how you feel internally, as well as how you’re feeling physically.
Relax
You’d think that being at home you’re automatically relaxing. You aren’t. Take time out of your day to intentionally relax. Make sure that you’re sleeping too and getting good sleep.
My ritual lately has been making a cup of tea, lighting incense or filling up my essential oil diffuser, and then journaling about my day in the Self-Love Workbook. It gives me a chance to process my day and then let it go so that I’m not still thinking about it as I try to fall asleep. Sometimes just the act of writing things down can put your day to rest. If I’m having trouble falling asleep I use Insight Timer or I listen to an ASMR video. I try to stay off my phone and the endless Facebook scroll.
Do Fun Things
Even if it feels counter-productive to be “fun”. I know it’s a heavy time, but that doesn’t mean that you should deprive yourself of doing the things that make you happy. It’s one of the best ways to stave off the Covid Blues.
Spend time being creative or with hobbies you haven’t had the time for. Start a new art project or finish an old one. Read a really good book. Look up fun activities to do that you might not have thought of.
This is a hard time, and that means self-care is even more essential than usual.
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