Self Care in Times Like These

Even though I feel Self Care can easily become an excuse for Selfish Care (when one's wants are prioritized over other's needs), we are truly trying to order our day to make sure our family's needs are being met during this Coronavirus Quarantine.  The five main pillars of Self Care are Physical, Social, Mental, Spiritual and Emotional.  Let's break it down.

PHYSICAL

This is normally an easy one to check off for us.  Get enough sleep.  Check.  Eat nutritious foods, and not too much.  Check.  Drink lots of water.  Check.  Move your body every day.  Check.   The challenge is continuing to do all of this when we are stuck at home (no gym! no kids sports!) with limited groceries (no bread!  no flour!).  For starters, I've been using each morning to walk the dog and then bake a snack.  I've made bread, definitely want to try Rosie's recipe next), homemade granola - where has this been all my life?, pumpkin bread and loads of banana muffins, thanks to our freezer stash of overly ripe bananas.

No raisins, no cashews, just doubled up on the slivered almonds.

Runners Gotta Run

Bare bread aisle!

Pioneer Woman's Tomato Soup

Every day after online school, we take the kids out to the track or tennis courts and they run and play in the fresh air.  When the weather is rainy (why so much now that we're all home?) we do workout videos or live Zoom classes when available.  The dog is getting lots of long walks too.

My Kindergartner can run 3 miles!  Get this kid a coach!

 I challenged Phil to drink a gallon of water a day with me this week, and that is definitely keeping us full.  We're eating so much less processed foods without having to pack lunches and snacks.  Turns out being home is much more conducive to healthy eating, though we all struggle with wanting to snack all the time because it's available.  

SOCIAL

We have lots of people in the house, so being social isn't too hard...I feel bad for those who live alone!  I find I am texting friends more often, Zooming with family and coworkers, and enjoying seeing all the extra people out walking and running.  Not that I talk to them, but it's still nice to see other humans.  One of my sisters asked each sibling's family to make a 30-second dance video to the same song, and her daughter is going to edit it all together.  Will I show you the finished product when it's available?  You know it!  The kids are able to play together and are zooming with classmates, face-timing friends, and emailing/texting to keep in touch.

MENTAL

I think the biggest thing we can do for our mental health while we are working and schooling online, is to TAKE BREAKS FROM SCREENS!  (She says as she types on a screen).  But!  That's because writing is something my mental health craves, much like exercise.  Some of my family members prefer to color, build legos, read books, bake, dance, and do puzzles (a new obsession for the teens!).  A nap is a nice break too :)  Maggie and I had some spa time that was relaxing - mud masks and nail painting for the win.

SPIRITUAL

We have been joining our family rosaries with the Pope, our bishop, and our church.  We watched Sunday Mass on tv, taped by our pastor, and were able to receive the Eucharist from a Deacon friend!  Our Pastor is continuing confessions and keeping the church open for visits.  Prayer is so important during these times, and I need to remind myself of that each day.

EMOTIONAL

I think the easiest emotional care we can do is to check in with others.  A simple "How are you doing?" or "Do you need anything?" via text can really ease somebody's emotional burden.  And hopefully, somebody is checking in with us!  We're all in this together and all feelings are valid.  Stressful times call for lots of laughs, reassurance, and friendship.  Sending funny memes is my favorite way to check-in.

Hope you're all taking care of yourself and your loved ones!  Give me some tips on what is helping you survive right now!!