Self Care During Stressful Times
By Mari Farthing
Y’all, life is stressful right now.
Is that an understatement? Maybe a little bit.
Okay, maybe a lot.
And during stressful times it’s incredibly important to practice self care.
What do we mean by ‘self care’? These days we all seem to be invested in taking care of others, but self care means that we also invest in ourselves. Making sure that your whole self— mind, body, and spirit—is taken into consideration, and that you make choices each day to work toward that. Where to start?
• Can’t get outside? Get online. The internet has become an amazing playground of free museum tours, book readings, and musical performances. Oh, and turn off the news, at least for a few hours. It’s way too easy to spend an entire day watching news coverage of this pandemic and completely lose track of time (she says from personal experience). Avoid the wall to wall coverage.
• Find a silver lining. Don’t focus on negative, find positive stories or impacts and focus on those. Mr. Rodgers reminded us all to look to the helpers, focus on the positive. Be a helper! Support local small businesses when and if you can. Get take out from restaurants, buy gift certificates, invest in your community.
• Take your vitamins! Eat your greens! Comfort food and binge watching may be at the front of your mind during this time, but maybe every day shouldn’t be a ‘cheat day’ if you want to stay healthy. Don’t ditch your healthy regimen just because you’re stressed out—a poor diet and no exercise will make you feel worse. Instead, try to stick to the healthy routine you normally live by while remembering that cheat days are still okay in moderation.
• Go for a walk. Social distancing doesn’t mean staying in your home. It’s okay to get out of the house, get some fresh air, and move those legs. A walk (or a bike ride or a run) is a great way to get exercise and it’s also good for your spirit.
• Get inside your head. Meditate or pray. Get in touch with your higher power, the universe, that voice inside your head. Give yourself grace and reassurance.
• Get creative. Remember when you used to [write/paint/draw/decoupage everything/bake elaborate desserts/etc.]? Do that again! And if you’re not sure where to start, go online and search for ideas.
• While Float OKC is choosing to temporarily close for the rest of the month of March, in an effort to help flatten the curve and promote social distancing, the hope is to be back to business in April. At that time, come and float! The CDC released a statement that stated in part that “COVID-19 is not spread in water such as ‘float water.’” Our float pods have always been treated after each session with UV Light Sterilization, Ozone Purification, and Micron Filtration to keep you safe and your float session sanitary.