If you are a New Yorker, you know it’s been rough. We’ve been on “lockdown” because of COVID-19 since the beginning of March. It doesn’t look like our state will open up anytime soon. Some states will be opening up quicker than others but if you live in a state that is still locked down, here are eight self-care tips to do during our “pause.”
Eight self-care tips during lockdown
(1) Take a daily or a weekly bath – If you don’t have a bath, sit in the shower. Listen to the water hit the ground and meditate. Close your eyes and think of a wonderful place that you visited within the last year. Bring yourself there and feel the happiness throughout your body. If you have a bathtub, create a special moment by adding a candle. Throw in a bath bomb, if you have one. And just enjoy the moment.
(2) Dye and Trim Your Hair – If you go on Amazon or if you go into a pharmacy to pick up anything, go to the hair aisle and buy yourself a boxed die kit. Why let the gray come in when the hairdresser is closed? Many of you may not want to cut your hair, but giving yourself a little trim, won’t hurt your hair. When this is all over and the hairdressers are back to normal business, then you can go and have yourself cleaned up. In the meantime, try to look your best because you will feel better!
(3) Go on YouTube or Buy a Meditation App – I purchased Calm and try to meditate either before bed or when I get up in the morning. It definitely helps alleviate some of the stress you feel when you see what’s happening around you.
(4) Exercise – Don’t think of it as exercise, think of it as self-care. Go for a walk every day, even if it’s just around the neighborhood. Do some strength training on alternate days which would consist of squats, lunges, push-ups, sit-ups and bicep curls (you can use bodyweight or two cans of soup, peas or anything else in your cabinet that has some weight to it.)
(5) Read a book or Watch a Movie – Do you remember that you bought that book but never read it? This is a great time to read! If you feel like you have no patience to read right now, consider putting on an old movie that you haven’t watched in years. Make a list of all the movies that you would like to watch again and start viewing!
(6) Take an online course – During COVID-19 Lockdown it’s important to stay current. Take a free online course and learn something new. Go on YouTube and watch a “how-to” video.
(7) Start Journaling – Do you like to write? Grab a notebook and write down what you are grateful for to keep your spirits high and help you have a positive outlook on the situation. Now is the time to even consider writing a memoir.
(8) Take Time to Reinvent Yourself – Now is a good time to reflect on your past and think about the future. What do you love about your current position? What don’t you love? Make a list. What are you passionate about? Can you turn your passion into a business? (I was just on CBS News talking about this. You can check out other tips here: https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2020/04/16/coronavirus-reinventing-businesses/)
If you have other tips, please include below in the comment sections. We will get through this and we will be stronger for it!
