Self-care For Uncertain Times
Self-care For Uncertain Times
As Amy, Sally and I meet with our clients in person and in online sessions, we find ourselves often addressing best practices for maintaining mental health. In this article, we’re sharing some of our thoughts with you. The words may sound familiar, but I hope they’ll be a reminder of what you can do to care for yourself and your relationships.
Connect to Your Body
“Mindful awareness to our bodies provides more room for feeling grounded.”
Amy
Movement and connection to our bodies has become even more valuable during a time where it feels like the pause button has been set on life. Taking the time to not only move our bodies but to connect to them can support our nervous system and help keep us from becoming overwhelmed. I encourage people to find a daily practice that works for them. Whether it’s mindful breath work, stretching every morning, meditation or more physical exercise, use the time to connect to your body. Mindful awareness to our bodies provides more room for feeling grounded and connected to ourselves.
Practice Restorative Self-care
“Go for a walk around the block (even if you don’t feel like it).”
Sally
Are you eating right, exercising, and getting enough sleep? Did you know that healthy living also includes nurturing your mental wellness? Self-care has never been more essential, yet we often forget to practice basic restorative habits. With more time at home, it’s easy to be tempted to return to unhealthy patterns, such as reaching for high carb or sugary snacks, indulging in one too many glasses of wine, binging on internet searches and social media and ultimately experiencing sleep deprivation and fatigue. While these practices might fill an immediate need, they don’t actually help you care for your mental health.
Have hope, this really is the best time to care for yourself! And here are a few good ways I recommend doing that:
Call a friend for a nice long chat. Get enough sleep. Lean into your favorite healthy resources (walks, yoga, meditation, reading, etc.). Summertime is perfect for walks and hikes, so get out and experience nature. Pick up that hobby you’ve always enjoyed but never had time for. And yes, Netflix can help, because it offers a chance to disconnect from today’s crisis-themed headlines. Minimize your social media and news exposure, especially after 7 p.m. And if you find yourself reacting to things that didn’t normally bother you, remember that the past few months have been disruptive for everyone and your body and brain are naturally adapting. Go for a walk around the block (even if you don’t feel like it). Cut yourself some slack, and talk to a supportive friend or mental health professional if you feel you need to.
Connect to People and Take the Short View
“We are hard-wired for human connection”
Kay
The long stay-at-home mandates have really been difficult on people’s social and emotional lives. People aren’t connecting with others, and they are suffering for it, feeling lonely and yet fearful about leaving their homes. The thing is, we are hard-wired for human connection. We need other people and relationships in our lives. Even the most introverted person is not an island.
I’ve been encouraging people (who are not compromised in their health) to start connecting with others in person. Zoom is great, but it’s not enough. As we learn more about COVID-19, we’re able to find safer ways to connect in person outdoors and with physical distancing. The more fearful, lonely and depressed you are, the more important it is that you get in-person time with someone. Take your coffee to the park and meet a friend (at least six feet apart!).
The other best practice I often share relates to perspective. Not knowing when this situation will end has amplified people’s anxiety and fear of the unknown. It’s easy to get caught up in asking questions we can’t answer. When the long term is uncertain, we need to take a shorter view on life. Ask yourself these questions: What do I have today? What can I be grateful for today? What can I do today? Keeping your focus on the short term will help you arrive in the future in a healthier frame of mind.
Next Steps
There are many responses to these times that cannot be powered through with self-care. If the suggestions we’ve given above seem overwhelming or impossible to you right now, you may need to work through the emotional blocks that hold you back from practicing restorative self-care.
At Simmeth Counseling we use EMDR and a variety of therapeutic practices to help individuals heal from trauma and emotional wounds that impact their ability to be their best selves. We offer both in-person and video conferencing sessions and have found both are effective for our work together. For those who are comfortable with coming to the office and do not have other compromising health issues, we’ve instituted protocols for cleaning and scheduling, such as not using the waiting room, physical distancing in our office and cleaning after each session.
If you’d like to talk about how we can help you, you can call our office for a free 15-minute consultation.
