5 Go-To Self Care Tips during Quarantine

It would be an understatement to say that we were blindsided by the pandemic 'Corona' - the new 'Big C'. However, now is when we owe it to ourselves to make 'Self Care' a priority.

In our current scenarios we are all juggling more than we have ever handled before, without any prior professional training. During this extended lockdown / quarantine, there are days where we wake up with a zeal to conquer the world and achieve more than we had planned and then there are days we wish the night should just have gone on and on.

And from this I've learned that maintaining a self care routine (at the least from Monday through Friday) aided me, to go through the week with ease.

So here goes, My FIVE tips… for a feel good soul.

I believe the way you begin your day determines the tone of it. Find the tool that is going to help you focus and attain what you want to accomplish for the day, which will eventually get you to your big picture in life. My little hack is making sure I allocate 20 precious minutes to the '6 phase guided meditation by Vishen Lakhani', which gets me completely driven towards achieving my goals set. There are several guided meditation options available in the free source domain, like Youtube. Mindfulness is an essential practice to help make sense and yet calm those weary thoughts.

Here is a link that can get you started: https://youtu.be/EaRu14P9H84

Get that heart rate going, fight that anxiety, release that stress! Workout at home, choose from unlimited mobile apps and workout videos on YouTube. My go to is ‘Surya Namaskar’ (Reference: Yoga) for that wholesome workout as well as gain better flexibility, alternating with a range of Body Project workouts for the days you need to feel that zing and burn.

Surya Namaskar Instructions - Step-by-Step Guide to 12 Poses Video: https://www.youtube.com/c/BodyProjectchallenge

You can never know it all and you can never know enough.

We all need food for thought to constantly upgrade our brain power. Besides reading a book, there are tonnes of ways to learn. Be it: researching an interest online, watching a documentary or friendly discussion with your peers on a topic of common interest which in turn benefits both parties (instead of just the usual banter). You can even take it a notch higher and sign up for certified online courses on Cousera (https://www.coursera.org) and Mindvalley (https://www.mindvalley.com).

The motive behind this activity is to have it elevate your mood! I generally spend quality time with parents (or spouse) playing games of scrabble or a couple of rounds, of cards - and Quarantine is the perfect time to build on those precious bonds. Having said that, the quality time I spend with my cat leaves me elated, calm and content all at once. So spend that extra valuable time cuddling with your furry creatures at home as they are as confused as you are, without a lot less walk time and a lot more Pop and Mom time. (‘Where’s my Freedom gone?’ Says the Pooch next door.) Studies have shown that time with pets boosts mental health, reduces stress, increases happiness and helps people feel less lonely.

Everyone needs some downtime! Relaxation is a requirement for one to come back stronger. Regain the strength we all definitely need when the world starts sobering up from the effects of the Pandemic. Listen to your favourite playlist, read that book, watch that series/movie (Hey Netflix!), whip up that delicious dinner, pick up that guitar, paint that masterpiece, put pen to paper and write something-anything that means something to you. Make sure whatever it is that you doing, you're doing it with heart and a smile. Take the time, this is your time.