Self-Care During Stay-at-Home Time and Beyond

Our personal situations during this stay-at-home days vary widely. You may be telecommuting/working at home or not, be alone or with children and spouse, have a pleasant atmosphere or not. Your reactions to all this may change as time goes on. What first seemed like a break may feel more like a confinement.

It’s a good time to remind ourselves about the importance of self-care, which also can (and perhaps should) change as time at home goes on.  You may be in a routine that includes good ways of taking care of yourself. Or the dynamics may be changing within your household and it may be helpful to consider some different self-care practices.

Self-care helps to relieve stress, improves mental health, and increases self-esteem. It gives you some space for just you. The activities may be brief or longer, and there are many options. I suggest you consider these; they may also give you additional ideas that particularly suit you.

Try Sensory Activities

Think of activities that use different senses, like touch, smell, taste, or sight. Perhaps it’s feeling the breeze or walking in the rain. Perhaps you have a firepit in your back yard. Light it and smell the fire, see the flames, feel the warmth, taste the marshmallows you roast. Try to find activities that really awaken your senses. Indoors, there’s always a bubble bath with candles lit around the room. Feast your eyes with the online options  like virtual tours of museums, national parks, zoos, etc. They can transport you to another place for a brief time. Cooking and baking are sensory too. The shortage of yeast in our stores indicates that lots of people are baking bread; kneading the dough is certainly sensory.

Do Creative Activities

Perhaps you have already been doing some creative activities during this extended time at home. Consider trying something else or take what you’re doing to another level.

• Sketching, painting, charcoal or chalk art can be very enjoyable. Or get a new adult coloring book – there is an incredible range of options available to order online. (See link below)
• Think of a type of craft you did as a child that would just be fun to do again.  I remember the one where you cover a sheet of paper with bright colored crayon designs, filling in all the spaces. Then you use the black crayon to cover it all. Then use a pointed tool to scratch out a design which reveals the colorful background you created. That takes me back!
• Is there a craft project you’ve thought of doing and never did? You probably have lots of materials tucked away that can be used or you can re-purpose things that are stored away. An example of the latter: I have several seasonal wreaths that I have made. By removing the silk flowers, etc. I can start over and create a new one.
• Do you have a bag or box of yarn that you purchased and didn’t crochet or knit into the intended object? Dig it out and start a project, even something very basic. How about fabric? A friend had a stockpile of unused fabric and has taken it out and is sewing beautiful face coverings for her own family and friends and is selling them besides. You may think of other ways to use yours.
• Do you have lots of photos from the past? Creating collages or scrapbooks of some of them can be both creative and heart-warming. They can be for you or for others as gifts. In fact, as we are separated from family members, this is a great way to send some memories and love their way.

Watch Something Funny

Don’t underestimate the power of laughing! Watch funny movies or TV shows. Go to YouTube and search for your favorite classic comedies – Golden Girls, I Love Lucy, etc. Laughing is extremely healing and can quickly change your mood or mindset. This is also a good thing to do with others in your household. Laughing together can break through some of the stress of being together so much.

Write

Journaling is of course a good self-care activity. In addition, try writing some poetry, maybe some silly rhymes or limericks. Limerick: a humorous, frequently bawdy, verse of three long and two short lines rhyming. Google some. You’ll probably find ones that make you belly laugh. Be creative with your pen and paper.

The main thing is to take care of yourself during this unprecedented time in our lives.

Here are two free mandala for your to download, print and color. (When printing, if the preview doesn’t fill the page, change the “photo size” to full page)  Enjoy!

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If you are interested in adult coloring books, there is a huge variety available on Amazon. Here’s a link: http://carolbrusegar.com/Adult-Coloring-Books

I’m Carol Brusegar, author, photographer and curator of information. My focus is on gathering and writing on topics that enhance all our lives – regardless of our age. Topics include health and wellness, personal development, innovation and creativity, and a variety of helpful, practical tools and practices. I have a special interest in helping people over 50 years of age to create their 3^rd Age – the next stage of their lives – to be the best it can be. Visit my Amazon Author Page to find my published books: https://amazon.com/author/carolbrusegar

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