Self Care in Times of Uncertainty

We’re all facing circumstances at the moment that most of us have never experienced before. This can naturally lead to anxiety and frustration. It can make you angry or hopeless. That’s why now more than ever it’s important to take care of yourself.

It’s okay

First of all: Everything you’re feeling now is valid. It is a normal reaction, a healthy reaction. But don’t let those feelings take control of your actions.

Nobody expects you to come out of this time with a debut novel, a completely transformed body or anything to show for at all. If you’re doing your part and staying at home as much as possible, you’re already doing enough.

Now it’s time to take care of yourself. And that means not allowing yourself to fall into a hole. It is pretty easy to lose control over your time on Netflix or the money you spend on online shopping. Though this is okay for a little bit (you’re allowed to do whatever you want, as long as it makes you feel good and doesn’t endanger others), you would not want to keep this up for weeks.

If you want to sleep in late, watch Netflix all day or do nothing for a bit, that’s great. It’s healthy. Just don’t turn it into a habit.

What you need the most

What makes us feel better when we feel lost and out of control? Structure. That is what you probably need the most right now. In times of uncertainty we need something to hold onto and the easiest way to do this is to structure our day. It’ll also give you a welcome distraction, something to take your mind off of things.

Most of us have been ripped out of our regular schedule and have to figure out what to do now. The extra time we’ve got now can be a blessing or a curse.

As I said before, whatever you do, it doesn’t have to be necessarily productive. You could allocate an hour a day to sitting on the balcony or use a certain time of the day to call friends.

Here are some things that might make you feel better.

Structure Ideas

• Get up at a similar time everyday. That could be 8 a.m., 10 a.m., 1 p.m.. It doesn’t matter as long as it’s similar every day.
• Move in a way that’s enjoyable. You don’t have to become a runner but maybe you enjoy going for walks or riding your bike. You could also try a workout video or just turn up the music and have a dance party in your room.
• Nourish yourself. Maybe you could set some time aside for cooking, trying an old family recipe or just going with the flow. It doesn’t have to be too healthy, just make sure you’re getting enough nutrients overall.
• Pamper yourself. Set some time apart to treat yourself. You could do a face mask, try a bubble bath and/or watch a movie. Just make sure it’s enjoyable and not a 60 step beauty routine that leaves you exhausted (if you enjoy that though, go for it!). I guess what I’m saying is: don’t turn it into work, have fun with it.
• Feed your brain. We’re not talking about studying here (but I’m not stopping you, props to you if you’re motivated). You could pick out a book you wanted to read for some time but never got around to. Another option would be to listen to an audio book if you’re not a big reader.
• Tidy up a bit. I believe that a cluttered environment also clutters your mind. Cleaning up a bit or going through old stuff and getting rid of things you don’t need anymore can be very therapeutic. It’s spring clean season overall…
• Find a passion project. Find something that you enjoy doing and like to spend time on. I’ll elaborate on this in the next point.
• Call friends & family. There are so many ways to stay in touch with your loved ones nowadays. Especially now that we can’t see one another, (video) calling can bring great relief.

If you do those activities at a specific time every day (or most days) it gives you some structure overall and will probably make you feel better. Because you will give your day a purpose that way.

Passion Project

Speaking of purpose: Have you ever done something that kept you incredibly motivated? So much so that it was hard to stop and easy to get out of bed in the morning to continue doing that same thing?

Ideally that’s what you’re trying to find for yourself in this time of uncertainty. Something that get’s you excited for life.

For me that is writing. I like writing stories, I like writing for this blog (not so much the technical aspect of it though), anything really. Other than that, I also enjoy reading. I can spend hours and hours on end reading and writing almost anything.

What excites you?

If you can’t think of anything that gets you excited to start the day here are some things you could give a try. After all, trying new things can be a lot of fun too.

• Painting / Drawing
• Gardening
• Learning an instrument (there are great videos on YouTube to help you teach yourself)
• Learning a language (again YouTube is very helpful, but also Apps …)
• Poetry
• Design
• Tricks (e.g. learning a handstand, the splits, juggling)
• Blogging

Most importantly I hope you’re healthy and well!

Let’s talk about it: How do you like to spend your newly won time?