Hello again! Today feels like a good day to talk about self-care. I don't know about you, I am in need of some self-care lately, especially while I am feeling a bit of what has been called pandemic fatigue. The worry, the anxiety, the extra precautions, the anger and frustration over what is happening is exhausting! That exhaustion can be eased with some self-care.
If, or when, you experience this sort of fatigue, it is vital for your well-being that you pay attention to the fatigue, and respond to it. Your well-being encompasses your physical health, mental health, and emotional health, which all interact. While life may be incredibly stressful right now, and you may think 'well-being' is a luxury in these trying times, let me tell you: the research says otherwise.
Your well-being, as defined by those three components, predicts your ability to persist in trying times. It predicts your ability to focus, to access your memory, to think creatively to solve problems. It predicts and is influenced by your ability to get a good night's sleep. It predicts the strength of your immune system. In short, it predicts your ability to function as a parent, partner, provider (for self or others), and person. You know, be a human being. So, we need to make sure you take care of ourselves so that we can make it through this chaos we are all experiencing right now.
Self-care is vital when we are feeling stressed out. There are a variety of reasons why we might struggle with self-care. Maybe we don't feel worthy of self-care. Maybe we don't feel like it is important, especially if we are busy and don't have time or money for self-care. Maybe we just don't know how to provide such care to ourselves. Today is the day to learn how to take care of yourself, and why it is so important.
I often show TED talks, the good science based ones, in my introductory psychology courses. One that I really like is by a clinical psychologist who talks about emotional hygiene. If you have a minute, watch it:
Back to self-care. Maybe the first thing that comes to mind are the fanciful and pricey ways in the pre-pandemic world that we might have practiced self-care: a spa, a massage, a pedicure or manicure. Well, those things are definitely nice, but are NOT the only way to practice self-care! Self-care begins by recognizing you need it. Feeling exhausted, having a hard time focusing, impatient, down? The list goes on, but you get the idea. When you are not feeling your best, you could benefit from some self-care. You may need something specific, like a snack or a meal. A good night's sleep or a nap. A shower. More water (I try to drink half of my body weight in ounces every day!). Water is so beneficial to our well-being, don't underestimate the value of plenty of fluids!
It could be that you are so busy taking care of others, that what you need is to be alone for a bit. Go into another room, close the door, and enjoy some silence.
Go for a walk if it is safe to do so.
Lie down and close your eyes for a while. Practice some of the strategies I have mentioned in previous blogs, like meditation or yoga, or writing in your journal.
Or not.
Take a break.
Practice some future hopeful thinking. What will you do when we get past the pandemic? Visit someone in particular? Hug someone? Go someplace you have been missing? Plan it in your mind; envision it.
Take a nice long bath or shower.
Soak your feet in some hot bubbly water while you take a few minutes to relax.
Enjoy a piece of food that you really like, maybe a cookie.
Simple things can go a long way in providing you some much needed self-care. Don't minimize the importance of taking care of yourself. You will be of no use to others if you are not at your best, so if you don't do it for yourself, do it for the people who need you.
Take care. Be safe. We will get through this.
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