Hello there dear readers! It’s been much too long since I’ve been able to connect with you. Between seeing my wonderful clients, chasing after/entertaining/enjoying my emerging toddler and making the constant adjustments necessary for this pandemic period, life has sped up considerably rather than slowing down.

Times are tough, you all- I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you. It can feel incredibly daunting to remain grounded and connected with yourself when stress levels are this high, but it is exactly during times like these when it becomes even more important to find ways to engage in simple, but effective self-care.

Hopefully the suggestions below can serve as reminders of the aspects of your well-being that you can still control, in spite of current restrictions. Both your peace of mind and your health are of utmost importance right now, so take whatever small steps you can!

1. Get enough sleep

   Besides resisting the urge to turn into a permanent night owl who no longer remembers the day of the week, this also means putting your cell phone to bed. Yep, the disruptive effect of “blue light” on your circadian rhythm hasn’t taken a vacation just because life has turned upside down. While there is no need to stress overly much about getting this perfect- along with anything else on this list of suggestions - protecting your sleep is an important part of staying sane and being able to function each day in spite of the tremendous stress we are all under. Take it from me as the mom of a small child who steals sleep from her on a regular basis- you really, really, need this.

2. Minimize processed sugar

   Enjoy baking it up, but just see to it that you aren’t loading your system with a ton of extra sugar. Did you know that ingesting sugar can lower the functional activity of your immune system for up to five hours after you’ve eaten?? I know, I wasn’t happy to learn about this either, but forewarned is for-armed. While I have certainly enjoyed shoring up my baking skills (spoiler alert: I have none), I have made a conscious effort to avoid eating sweets before my very infrequent trips to the grocery store, or even for walks outside when there may be other people around. Extra cautious? Sure, but I want my immune system to have a fighting chance when I may not be able to protect against all the elements in my environment.

3. Connect with loved ones in creative ways

   FaceTime, Google Hangouts, Marco Polo, etc. You know the drill. Seeing the faces of your friends and family, along with hearing a familiar voice is soo reassuring. When the video connection isn’t playing games with you, the effect of feeling closer than you actually are can help take the edge off of not being able to hug or touch the ones you hold dear. And don’t worry too much about your “quarantine hair” or anything like that. The people who miss you will be much too excited to connect to really pay attention to the appearances that you may feel insecure about. Really.

4. Get outside (safely) to exercise

   Keep moving, whether you walk, run, or swing kettle bells, and do it outside for the double whammy of fresh air and blood flow. The vitamin D from sunlight is also protective for your overall health and mood, and who of us couldn’t use all the help we can get on both of those fronts these days? New research seems to suggest that you may want to avoid moving in the path of others’ airstream, so be wise. But if you have the privilege and the option of outside exercise, I’d urge you not to take this gift lightly.

5. Engage in fun, light-hearted activities

   You’ve heard it before- Laughter is good for the soul. The benefits of a good laugh, or even a hint of a smile, are plentiful. Funny movies, engrossing books, board/card/role play games with any humans who inhabit your space, etc. I know I’ve increased my daily intake of memes lately, and these breaks to indulge in the creative and silly provide a little more balance to all the heavy and hard things going in in the world today. With that in mind…

6. Minimize social media and news consumption

   You only need to hear and read the same things but so many times before it begins to ramp up your anxiety, or even make you angry. Keeping up to date on CDC recommendations or any benefits that may be available to you obviously matters a great deal. Just be honest with yourself if you are overdoing it and need to limit the amount of minutes (hours?) you spend taking in alllll the information.

7. Prepare nourishing food and drink lots of water

   Nothing out of the ordinary here, just the usual stuff we should be doing regardless of current global health concerns. Taking simple, no-nonsense steps to guard your health through what you put in your body is part of making yourself a priority and treating yourself as well as you deserve. Again, perfection here is not required, and using tools online to make the best use of the foods you have at home and have access to is more important than ever.

8. Explore ways to give back to others in need

   Not all of us are able to lend financial support to those in need at this time. Our personal finances may have taken a huge hit that we aren’t sure how we will come back from. But even if you can’t donate funds to support a homeless shelter in your city or buy meals for elderly members of your community, you may be able to give a little of your time to video chat with those who live alone or donate blood to your local blood bank. Every small step that each of us can take to care for ourselves and each other has a big impact to those who are highly vulnerable and will benefit.

9. Practice a few restorative yoga poses

   No need for special equipment to enjoy the benefits of a few moments of relaxation. You can use pillows, rolled up towels, blankets, or thick books to sub for many of the tools used in traditional yoga classes. And there are plenty of online resources for simple yoga poses that don’t require any extra props. Legs-up-the-well is always a favorite in the classes I teach, and as long as you have a bare wall and a little floor space, you can hang out in this gentle inversion for as long as your pets or family members will allow.

10. Continue to give grace to yourself and allow space for grief

    While you might be feeling some external or internal pressure to use this time at home to achieve all the goals you’ve been feeling behind on up until now, remind yourself that none of us is in this situation because we’ve just been granted a no-strings-attached paid vacation. In fact, I don’t know anyone in that situation right now, do you? Life has taken on a pretty bizarre quality and we are constantly just trying to catch up. You and I and everyone else is doing the best they can with what they know and understand about our new reality right now. Coping with this is looking different for everyone, and grief can lead you to do some pretty odd, even irrational things. If you’ve caught yourself getting mad at your spouse or children for breathing, or engaging in an uncharacteristic rant on social media, try to forgive yourself and say out loud “These are difficult times and I am doing the best I can.” There is a lot you miss right now and none of us was perfectly prepared. Allow yourself to feel your feelings rather than suppress them, and invite others to give you support where you need it.

    If there’s any way I can support you, reach out today and let me know. If there’s ways you have been learning to care for yourself in recent weeks that you would like me to pass on to other readers, or if you would like to request other blog topics, shoot me a quick email at Linda@satyacounselingandyoga.com

    Be well self-healers❤️