Managing Self-Care During a Global Pandemic

These are strange, uncertain and scary times, aren’t they? Many people are emotionally overwhelmed by trying to adjust to a world with COVID-19 in it, and all of the sudden changes and fears that have accompanied this virus. I know lots of folx are feeling exhausted, angry, sad, frightened, anxious, and a whole array of other uncomfortable emotions. We are collectively grieving, and it is TOUGH. For anyone who already struggled with anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress and/or disordered eating, things may feel even tougher. 

So if you’re struggling with adjusting to our ‘new normal’—which is super common right now—here are some ideas for self-care and strategies that could make things feel a little easier and safer right now.

·       Be mindful of news consumption. During a crisis—let alone a global pandemic—it can feel tempting to monitor the news 24/7, checking every single notification, trying to read every article, watch every show. This comes from a desire to stay informed, and therefore to feel more in control—it can also, however, significantly increase our anxiety, despair and sense of being overwhelmed. There is a balance between staying informed, and consuming news beyond what is helpful to you. If you’re feeling compelled to check the news more and more often, and find it’s taking the place of other daily activities, consider turning off news notifications on your devices, and setting limits around how often you check the news, and in what way you consume it.

·       Create safe spaces and times in your home. Most of us are spending a lot more time at home than we usually do, out of necessity, and not by choice—so home might feel more like a trap than a sanctuary right now. To help it feel calmer and more safe, try creating ‘safe zones’ in your home where you (and your partner(s), or roommate(s), or kid(s) agree not to talk about COVID-19 (I’ve found the kitchen and bedroom are particularly nice choices). It’s easy to let the virus become our only, or most frequently discussed topic of the day. There are other things happening in our world, too, though it might not feel like it. If you need some good conversation prompts, do a quick Google search and make a list of them. You can also limit discussion around mealtimes, or first thing in the morning—whatever feels like it would be most helpful to you.

·       Lean into your regular self-care routines. Take your medication, take your vitamins, shower, meditate (or pray), drink enough water, eat enough food, eat enough satisfying food, declutter/keep your space clean, play with your pet, wear comfortable clothes (or dress up a little, depending on what you need), take a bath, stretch, breathe, journal, listen to music. Anything you usually do to encourage feelings of calm and remind yourself you are worth taking care of—do that. This is especially important when many of us have more unstructured time than we are used to having. You may want to set reminders in your phone so you don’t forget to eat or take your medicines, or stand up and move around a little bit.

·       Stay connected. Especially for those of you who deal with depression and disordered eating—I know the desire to isolate can be strong, and also, that isolating will ultimately make you feel worse. If you don’t like video chatting, call a friend, send a text or write a letter via email (although, I’d also encourage you to try video chatting a few times before you decide it’s not for you—seeing your loved ones’ faces can really have an impact on our mood and make it feel more like they are with us. You can do things like hide your picture if it’s distracting you, or download an app like House Party which lets you play games in addition to talking, if it feels too ‘high pressure’ to just talk.)

 Be mindful of how you’re connecting, too—if you’re primarily doing it through Facebook, do you find yourself getting caught up in political discussions, or arguments with friends and family that might detract from the benefits of socializing in the first place? If it’s Instagram, are you comparing yourself to others and shaming yourself for not being social enough? We need to be intentional about our connection. If you just want to catch up with loved ones, maybe stick to text or phone or video chat. (And remember, all of that increased screen time can be hard on your eyes and brain, especially if you’re working from home, too! You may want to download a blue light blocking program or grab some blue light blocking glasses).

·       Engage in a little joyful movement when you can. Take a quick dance break between Zoom calls, do a little stretching (hip openers can feel especially great with all of the sitting we’re doing) or yoga.  No movement is too small if it brings you joy or relaxation—there’s a lot of pressure out there right now to try and change your body dramatically while you’re quarantined, and I strongly encourage you to lean away from that messaging as much as you can. This is not about changing your body, or your weight. It’s about honoring the body you have right now, even if you don’t particularly like it, and connecting with it in a way that prioritizes your wellbeing. 

·       Lean into self-compassion, as much as possible. You know what we don’t need more of, during an incredibly difficult time? Judgment, self-criticism and shame. Shaming ourselves for not doing or achieving enough, for not being social enough; shaming ourselves for what we eat or how much we eat; shaming ourselves for being ‘too emotional’. For not handling this global crisis the way we would want to, or the way others are handling it. If you’re finding these thoughts are coming up more often for you lately, notice that—and try to let it go. Look for messages and voices that encourage self-compassion anywhere you can find them—in friends and family, on social media (on Instagram, you can try searching for hashtags like #selfcompassion, #selfcare, #affirmation, #radicalselflove, #bodypositivity, #bodyneutrality, #therapy, etc.—there’s a really powerful therapeutic community on there to tap into!), in meditation or yoga apps—h wherever they may be.

 Finally, if you’re finding yourself really struggling right now, feeling raw, and hopeless, and deeply sad, or whatever you feel—know that you are absolutely not alone in that struggle, and that there is help out there right now. Many therapists, like myself—and other types of providers, too—are offering virtual services right now to help with social distancing, and we would be more than happy to connect with you to see how we can help. We will get through this—it is hard, and we as humans have been through hard things before—we can do them, if we take care of ourselves and each other.