How to Practice Self-Care During Social Distancing
It’s not always easy to prioritize self-care, nor is it always simple to come up with the best ways to care for yourself.
We wanted to round up some ideas for low-cost (and some no-cost!) self-care habits to help you during this time of social distancing.
1. Take time to do slow, nourishing activities
Even though much of your day might be taken up with work-oriented or organizational tasks, it’s important to slow down and give yourself the time and space to do soul-nourishing activities. Puzzles, coloring books, cooking, baking, knitting, collage...there are plenty of options to turn your brainpower down a few notches, and allow yourself to just relish the enjoyment and simple craft of these pursuits.
2. Write up your Self-Care Master Plan
When you’re in a slump, it’s oddly hard to remember the things that fill your cup. Once you fill out a Self-Care Master Plan, you can refer to it during those down days where you feel lost or aimless. It helps you remember the things you love to do, your personal mantras, your strengths, power songs, and so much more. It’s like a lifeline of good feelings, ready whenever you need it. You can download a printable sample of the Self-Care Master Plan here.
3. Schedule out your days carefully
A huge mistake I’ve made too many times is putting pressure on myself to do waaaaay too many things in one day. Sound familiar? It’s best to only prioritize a few main tasks per day. If you happen to cross them off well before the day is over, good on you! Then you can get a jump start on the next day’s priorities, work on personal projects, or anything else that strikes your fancy (maybe now is the time to bake that box of brownies?). If you need a template for blocking out tasks and priority items for each day, we recommend our Daily Schedule Magic notepad!
4. Fill in your Habit Calendar with gentle habits for yourself
When filling out your monthly habits, this is not the time to be aggressive! Be gentle with yourself. Prioritize habits that make you feel sane and calm. “Take a deep breath,” “Touch my toes,” and “Check in on plants” are all good options. We also wrote up a giant list, divided into categories, of 100 Suggested Habits to Track in Your Habit Calendar – if you need a jump start on ideas, we hope it helps!
Pro tip: Working toward a larger goal? Try breaking it down into the smallest possible step. Writing a novel? Try a habit like “Write one sentence.” Remember, we’re going for progress, not perfection!
5. Schedule time to connect with friends/family weekly
Connecting with family and friends may increasingly fall off your radar as the quarantine stretches on, but that’s why it becomes even more imperative to keep up with outreach. Connecting with those you love will help you feel grounded, and remind you about the world and people outside of your immediate living space. For more, see our recent blog post, 4 Ways to Connect with Friends & Family During Quarantine.
6. Turn to comforting media when you need it
It’s okay to not try a bunch of new things right now. If you need your comfort movie, you need your comfort movie! The other day I turned off two different new-to-me movies and then finally settled on an old favorite. And I regret nothing! Part two: don’t overload yourself with the news cycle. Setting time limits for your news consumption per day can help; better yet, choose a day or two per week to avoid news altogether. Consider this permission from us (if you need it) to step away.
7. Get fresh air & move your body when you can
So many people I know share the same feelings: our daily moods are very reliant on the weather. So when it’s a nice day, if you have access to the outdoors, make a plan to get fresh air. If you’re in a busy area where it’s difficult to social distance, wear your face mask. A brisk walk around the neighborhood will feel good and is sure to boost your mood. If it’s a rainy day and you’re stuck inside, try to move your body for 20-30 minutes via YouTube exercise classes or anything else that works for you (I love Yoga with Adriene!). Even though it always feels like a chore to get started, it’s pretty much guaranteed that you’ll feel better afterwards.
If you’d like to get an entire Self-Care Pack, we’ve made one! Included is our You Got This coloring book, Schedule Magic daily notepad (new!), Self-Care Master Plan, and two stickers. Valued at $36, we’re selling the pack for $25 (30% off!) at freeperiodpress.com. You can buy one for yourself or as a gift for a friend!
