Why Is Self Care Important Now?

I was going to write about self love/self care back in February for Valentine’s day but the month got away from me before I got a chance to write. The topic of self care is more pertinent than ever this month as we deal with the pandemic of the corona virus. Functional medicine doctor Wendie Trubow, MD, gives the perfect visual example when she talks about the flight attendant instructing on airmask use: “Put on your own airmask first, before you run around trying to take care of others. Whether that’s enough sleep, food, or meditation, your self care is not negotiable.” It’s important to feel our best in order to care for those who may need us in the coming weeks and even possibly months.

So what does self care mean to you? If you had asked me a few years ago, my first thoughts would have been taking a shower, attempting to look presentable, getting some exercise in. It might have meant having a dentist appointment and getting to lay back in those comfy dentist chairs with my eyes closed for 45 minutes while my teeth were cleaned! When I was diagnosed with hashimotos and learned about natural ways to heal myself, I became much more familiar with what self care really meant—taking care of my mind, body and spirit to be at the top of my health and wellness recovery.

To feel our best in all areas of our life, there are really 7 areas of self care to address: emotional, physical, mental, social, spiritual, practical and professional. Let’s talk about these individually with an example of how to address each one.

Emotional Self care: what are you feeling right now during this time of uncertainty…fear, anger, curiosity? It’s okay to have any one of those or other emotions and to connect with it, process it and be aware of your thoughts, remembering that our thoughts aren’t necessarily the truth or reality, but our thoughts can become our beliefs. Be aware of how we are talking to ourselves and if it’s negative, replace that with words that are loving and kind. Some ways to take care of our emotional needs include journaling, positive affirmations (I am strong, I am capable, I am resilient…), talking to a therapist, spiritual mentor, or a health/life coach, practicing meditation in a quiet space, practicing gratitude and really bringing to the forefront what you are grateful for.

Physical self care: It’s not all about lifting weights, going to the gym to get on the treadmill—ANY form of movement is so good for our well-being. Recently my husband and I took a 5 week swing dance class at the library and it was an hour and a half of non-stop movement, but even more so, it was FUN! I urge you to think of some type of movement that you loved as a child and incorporate even 5 minutes into your day. I used to love my hula hoop when I was 7 years old, so I bought one last month and after a little practice, I can twirl it around without really thinking about it. I can do this while I’m listening to an uplifting podcast (not the news!!) or music or while I’m talking on the phone. Maybe it looks like going for a walk, a bike ride, dancing in the kitchen to 80s music. But did you know that physical self care can also include getting a massage, taking a nice Epsom salt bath with healing essential oils or even taking a nap?! Don’t these options sound wonderful?! Getting out in the sunshine is super important during this time period in order to boost our vitamin D levels which are so needed for the immune system to be working properly.

Mental Self care: This involves anything that wakes up our minds with lots of positive thinking. We can stimulate our minds with podcasts (some of my favorites are “The Chalene Show”, “Earn Your Happy”, “Oxygen for Women”…), reading a book, writing and one of my favorites is doing a jigsaw puzzle. I can remember times when I was so stressed about my mom’s illness, that sitting down and putting pieces of a puzzle together helped me re-center.

Social Self care: I don’t know about you, but I love to have gatherings of family and friends and got in my last get together for a few weeks by inviting the neighbors over for an early St. Patrick’s Day dinner (the day before the 10 person gathering rule went into effect—phew!). We might not be able to gather inside together for awhile, but I have a growing group of women who love hiking and that is a space where we can maintain our social distancing but still talk, laugh and enjoy life together. Social well being is so important right now and lets all make it a priority to check in with our relatives who may be self quarantining and alone, make a phone call each day to a friend or relative who is on your mind and see how good that is for both of you! A couple other examples of staying in touch with our social well being are writing a card and mailing it or snuggling with our fur friends! On another note, look at all your relationships right now and spend more time communicating with those who uplift and fulfill you, not those who drain you.

Spiritual Self care: This is not just about church as spiritual self care applies to all people, no matter what their beliefs. This involves any activity that makes you connect with and nurture your soul. For those of you who are disappointed with the church closings this past week due to limiting the potential spread of illness, a lot of churches are communicating with members through email, links to video sermons and phone calls to their pastors. Whether or not we believe in a higher power, spiritual self-care is about connecting with our inner spirits and can be done in many environments . My husband used to say his church was on the river fishing early on a Sunday morning. Spending time in nature, volunteering to deliver meals to those in need or other volunteer work during this time, doing yoga with the focus of mindfulness and breathing, painting, creating a vision board of what your future dreams are—these are all ways to connect with your inner being. Let me know your favorite ways to connect with your inner spirit!

Practical Self Care: These are every day things that reduce our stress, something simple that just makes you feel lighter and more organized after you complete the task. Some of these activities for me include: cleaning out my pocket book, reorganizing and removing old food from the refrigerator, cleaning off my desk or table (so I can set up that jigsaw puzzle!!), meal prepping, getting the folded laundry put away. These activities might not seem like self care, but the peace of mind they can give you when completed or the calmness are well worth the effort.

Professional Self Care: For those of you who are employed, whether at a physical location or in your home, these activities can help you feel more balanced and less stressed at work as well as be an important part of your overall health. Take a lunch break and not a rushed, standing up 5 minute lunch. Step out of your office, away from your computer and find a quiet, relaxing spot where you can take the time to eat mindfully. Your food will digest better and you’ll absorb the nutrients you need to keep your immune system in top shape. Also take the time to drink water. I had read a post from an ER doctor this week who said that we should be drinking every 15 minutes to keep our mouths moist as this virus likes to attach to mucous membranes and we want to get any possible incoming virus down into our stomachs where the acid can kill the virus. So keep your whistle wet and get in half your body weight in ounces a day. Another way to de-stress at the end of your work day is to set your phone to “do not disturb” so you can enjoy your time away from work. Now is a good time to catch up on online courses that you may need to keep your license updated or for any topic you may be interested in to further your career. And maybe the most important, don’t be afraid to take a “mental health” day if you need it!

I am here for any and all of you who feel like you need to talk or want more ideas on feeling inner peace and less stress during this time of uncertainty that we are all going through! If you are having difficulty incorporating any of these 7 areas of self care in your life, please get in touch with me—I’m here to help. Wishing you all peace, health and love during the days ahead! <3