Self-Care - Not Just a Fad with COVID

The term ‘self-care’ is often chalked up to spa days, elaborate vacations, or over the tops gifts. When we put ‘self-care’ in the category of actions or investments perceived as luxurious, that can result in people feeling as though they don’t deserve it or it isn’t a practice that is fit for their lifestyle.

Self-care should be put into the category of doing what’s best for me to live my best life. This includes maintaining stable mental, physical, and emotional health. As we navigate the ever-changing world of a global pandemic with COVID-19, there’s no doubt that we NEED to pay attention to self-care now more than ever. This is non-negotiable, life-changing, daily work that must be done to survive, and hopefully start to thrive again, during this time.

Here are a few examples of self-care, particularly for adults with a variety of responsibilities that might include parenting, care-giving for a sick loved one or parent, or a busy lifestyle dominated by their chosen career.

  • Knowing your body’s needs and honoring them, which can include:

    • Drinking water

    • Eating the foods that are best for YOUR body

    • Getting movement every day

    • Keeping up with your doctor and dentist appointments

    • Taking your necessary, prescribed medicine at the right times

    • Getting enough sleep

    • Taking a bath

    • Practicing mindfulness through meditation

    • Getting a massage, haircut, mani-pedi, or facial

    • Going to therapy regularly

  • Doing something you love, which can be as simple as:

    • Reading a book

    • Spending time with your family

    • Listening to music instead of self-help books (or vice versa)

    • Listening to books or music instead of news

    • Going for a hike instead of using the treadmill inside

    • Calling a friend for no reason

    • Getting a sitter and going on a date with your spouse

    • Turning on music and having a dance party

  • Proactively creating a lifestyle that you want instead of taking what you get, which can include:

    • Managing your own schedule to give yourself rest

    • Not giving in to society’s example/expectations of what is ‘right’

    • Saying NO to things you really don’t want to do

    • Giving yourself permission to just ‘be’ and not be ‘doing’ all the time

    • Choosing a career that gives you life

    • Putting devices away for any period of time

Does this mean that you can’t take a vacation or get a massage or buy yourself a gift that you really want? Absolutely not! Maybe your personal self-care does include those things. But the daily commitment to simply taking your medicine at the right time or walking away from a stressful situation is ALSO self-care.

Action items:

If it feels good for you, take a moment right now and write down (or put in the notes in your phone) three things that you feel you need to be your best self.

Then, underneath of those three, write down tactics for how you’re going to accomplish those three things. Most importantly, give yourself permission to say ‘YES’ to what you need so you can be the best YOU!

Kelly Jarvis