How Self-Care During The Pandemic Has Changed But You Can Continue to Thrive

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Precursor

The mental health memo of the day: what your self-care looks like now is probably not what it looked like in 2019, right? There’s no way around the fact that self-care during the pandemic is going to be vastly different than self-care during “normal” times.

Ah, how I dream of spa days and peacefully walking through my neighborhood park without seeing everyone and their third cousin twice removed there. However, the unfortunate reality is that self-care has changed for everyone during this pandemic.

I was thinking about this a lot recently because with March coming up that means a FULL year has passed since the pandemic first hit where I live. 365 days of the pandemic. Isn’t that absolutely wild?!

Considering how long this has been going on, peoples’ once temporary adjustments, sacrifices, and disruptions to wellbeing have now likely become the norm. Neglecting yourself has probably become a habit rather than a one-off thing- if it wasn’t already.

Sleeping less because you need to teach your kids at home is now the daily schedule. Struggling with concentration during Zoom classes is nothing new to adapt to anymore. Once manageable healthy dinners have now become impossible to make due to finances, lack of time, or no energy.

Our lives are simply not the same anymore. This means that strategies we used to use have either become insufficient or we need to adjust them.

One common way most people cope with life is self-care. But as we’ll come to discuss a bit later in the post, our regular ways of doing self-care might no longer be options for us. Hence, we have to make some adjustments which we will talk about and I’ll give you a PDF as well to make things even easier!

What is Self-Care?

Obviously, we need to start right at the beginning with understanding what self-care means.

Everyone has their own views and understandings of self-care, but we can still make a broad definition of it.

Self-care is doing something that alleviates your stress, gives you a boost, allows you to rest, or supports you in your daily functioning. Self-care can be intentional, but it is also sometimes done out of pure necessity.

Self-care does not have to be something you pay for, and it doesn’t even have to necessarily big (however it can be both of these things). It can be related to others but it can also be done alone.

On top of that, what counts as self-care to one may not be for another, and different activities can reap different benefits for different people.

Examples of self-care and how they may play out:

• Sleeping: this is free and isn’t something we necessarily plan to do, but rather something we need to do as human beings. Sleep can be a way to boost energy for some, or a way to temporarily forget troubles. Both serve a purpose as self-care
• Journaling: this is something you may need to spend some money on and specifically carve out time for. For some people, journaling can be a means by which to reflect, or perhaps unwind
• Going to a spa: this is typically expensive and not available to everyone and requires a bit more extensive planning. However, for many, this a luxurious treat and can be a way to relieve stress or it can be a moment to rest and slow down
• Exercise: depending on the exercise this can either be free or it may come with a price tag. For some, this can be a way to release toxic and powerful emotions, or it can be a moment of peace
• Therapy: again, this may either be free or paid. This may act as self-care for some because it brings forth a social connection which the individual feels boosted by, or it can be self-care because it’s the only time they can cry their eyes out

Other general examples of self-care:

• Brushing your teeth
• Taking a shower
• Going for a walk
• Lighting your favorite candle
• Baking brownies
• Having a game night with friends
• Sitting in pure silence
• Cleaning your room
• Investing in a massage chair

The possibilities really are endless because there are so many forms of self-care that serve their own unique purposes, and people have different ways of experiencing self-care.

Why We Need Self-Care

If we were never to practice self-care, we would simply burn out, neglect our wellbeing to the point of serious health concerns, and generally feel horrible.

On a basic level, as I mentioned some self-care is simply essential. Imagine if you didn’t eat, drink water, sleep, exercise, shower, brush your teeth or you lived in a neglected home. Physically, your body would give out or you may become sick will illness.

On a more emotionally and psychologically complex level, what would happen if you didn’t release pent-up emotions, take moments to rest your mind and relax, unpack daily occurrences? You would become irritable, unmotivated, anxious, eternally fatigued, and not wanting to participate in life.

This is actually something deeply drilled into my head as a Social Worker. If I don’t fill my cup, how can I help others in pouring theirs? I think that this mentality should apply to everyone. We can’t really give if we don’t have anything to begin with.

And hence, self-care is essential for simply existing in a healthy, present, and enjoyable way.

How Exactly Has Self-Care Changed During the Pandemic?

The pandemic has impacted self-care in dominantly two ways: access/ability to partake in certain types of self-care, and time restraints.

Let’s begin with the first: lack of access/ability to do certain types of self-care.

Brunch with your bestie, getting your nails done, dyeing your hair a new color at the salon, traveling, buying a treat from your favorite bakery, reading a new book from the library, walking through a park that doesn’t have a million people in it, weekends away; almost all of our ways of practicing self-care outside of the home and with others are gone due to businesses closing and distance regulations.

This means that a lot of our self-care has been restrained to stuff we can do at home or in a space where there aren’t as many people (which unless you live around lots of nature is hard to come by). And, you are bound to do these tasks alone or with those in your home (which is very unideal if you don’t live with people you like or feel safe with).

There are a lot of reasons this is problematic.

The first is that some people may only feel a sense of self-care through these types of activities. Thus, if they are unable to access these activities, they’re left with a deficit in self-care.

The second issue is that as a whole, humans need both in-person time with others, and time spent outside or in a new environment. 

As social mammals, we can start to feel incredibly lonely, depressed, agitated, and anxious when we aren’t able to be around our pack. We also need to go outside to get vitamin D from the sun, and fresh air helps to rejuvenate us. Different environments help us to stay focused in the long run and not get bored or fed up.

Without these types of self-care, it’s easy to see why many of us just feel… over it.

But there is a second issue that has greatly impacted peoples’ ability to practice any form of self-care: time.

Many of us actually have more on our plates now than we did before with kids staying at home, having to take care of older parents, constant job hunting if you got laid off, and confusing online courses that somehow are longer now than before. We are simply drowning in overwhelm.

Not only that, but many of us are finding it harder to work at home because of distractions around us, inadequate working spaces, difficult emotions and anxiety, collective trauma, and much more. This means it takes us even longer to accomplish tasks, which inevitably takes up more time in our day.

You’re obviously not going to do an at-home spa when dinner needs to be ready in 30, you still have another Zoom meeting, and you need to go drop off groceries at your neighbor’s house later tonight.

So with this inaccessibility to the type of self-care many of us subscribed to before, AND this time constraint, self-care has not been a priority for many of us.

This overwhelm has also made it difficult for us to figure out what kind of self-care to do, when to do it, how to do it, and how to keep ourselves accountable, etc. But as we know, if we neglect self-care we will soon feel great repercussions.

This means we need to readjust the way we see and practice self-care during this pandemic.

The Solution: Bare-Essentials Self-Care

When we’re in a crisis situation, we don’t typically have the luxury of getting to do everything we want or like. We have to prioritize and figure out what’s going to give us the biggest bang for our buck.

The pandemic has become a persistent crisis-like living condition for many, which means we’re going to need to apply similar logic.

If you’ve been greatly overwhelmed and self-care has been particularly difficult for you, this is a good place to start.

I call this the Bare-Essentials Self-Care (named it myself 🙂 ) because as I mentioned earlier there is more basic self-care that has to do with necessities like eating, sleeping, movement, etc. For Bare-Essentials Self-Care, we’re going to look at prioritizing these types of self-care first.

The reason for that is if you like to do something more complex for self-care like doing fun nail art (for example), you won’t have the energy or focus for it if you haven’t been eating, sleeping, or if your room is so messy you can’t find the nail polish.

By thoroughly executing the basics, you’ll be able to do more “complex” forms of self-care with actual excitement once you’re able to do them again.

Also, if you’ve been in the time crunch of your life since the pandemic hit, this will help you to focus on the most important things first so you can actually physically and mentally keep going.

Like I mentioned, we’re going to be prioritizing the things that will give you the most effective and well-rounded results.

I use this type of approach whenever I’m in some sort of crisis during my life, a long depressive episode, and recently, during this pandemic. It has allowed me to maintain some sense of self-care during difficult periods while not overwhelming me or further complicating my life.

Clearly, this is not going to be the “maximum self-care of your dreams” method where you live your best life in an expensive hotel ordering room service, getting massages, spending all day watching TV, and taking luxurious baths.

However, this will be a vital foundational method to use when your best self-care is simply no longer an option. And for many of us during the pandemic, this is the reality.

However, if you ARE able to make more time for more exciting self-care and you have the capacity for it, that’s great! You can still use the Bare-Essentials Method to get your foundations in and then add on your additional activities to it for the best outcome.

PDF for Practicing Bare-Essentials Self-Care

To make figuring this out easier, I made a PDF to help you along the way! Having a guide to stick to will help you feel less overwhelmed and thus increasing your chances of actually going through with the activities.

This PDF is going to contain checklists, more extensive information about why these areas matter so much, and simple tips for elevating these basics further so that they can cover and encompass other areas of self-care that don’t get covered with this method.

The previously outlined topics will not be covered within this actual post because I assume people don’t want to read a whole novel; thus, what’s included in this article is just the bare bones. If you prefer it that way, then Godspeed my friend! However, if you’d like to understand more about why I chose these areas of focus, resources to keep you accountable, and tips for getting the most out of this method, I recommend you get the PDF!

How it Works

Alright, so let’s get into what the Bare-Essentials Method encompasses. As we mentioned, we’re going to be focusing on getting the basics down and I’ve picked the ones that will hit multiple birds with one stone so that you can really get the most out of small gestures of self-care.

Let’s jump into the different areas of focus for the Bare-Essentials Self-Care Method

1.Movement:

Exercise in any format is going to be essential because it targets multiple aspects of wellbeing. Obviously, it targets your physical health and supports your body in being strong, mobile, and healthy. However, exercise also boasts a lot of mental health benefits which you can read extensively about here. Please note that everyone’s body is different, so movement is still movement regardless of whether you’re doing a HIIT workout, making your way through the park in a wheelchair, or doing some slow steady stretches.

2.Nutrition:

Food is our fuel. We cannot function to our full (or even half) capacity without having the fuel to do it. We also need water to hydrate our body and keep it from experiencing things like headaches, nausea, chapped skin, tired eyes, and much more. Some of us need certain supplements or even medications that help us to stay healthy. If we don’t take them consistently or in a timely manner, we risk hurting our bodies.

3.Hygiene:

This includes showering, brushing your teeth, washing your hands, shaving (if you do that), practicing skin-care, brushing your hair, etc. While this might not seem essential- it actually is. It helps protect us from diseases by keeping us clean, it can refresh or relax our minds, it can help us to feel better about ourselves in a time where most of us are feeling overwhelmed and unworthy.

4.Clean environment:

Again, this might not seem a big deal but it is. Due to the pandemic, it has become really important to keep our spaces and material objects clean to help protect ourselves. But, even more so, clean and safe environments allow us to unwind when it’s time, and to help us feel more focused and productive (you won’t keep getting distracted by the clothes on your floor if they’re organized in your drawers).

5.Social interactions:

I’ve mentioned this many times but I’m just going to keep repeating it. Humans are social animals. We thrive in packs. Even if you’re the biggest introvert, you’re still going to need SOME interaction with others to be at your best. Especially considering how isolated we all are now.

6.Sleep:

I’m not sure people know just how important sleep is for us to be able to physically and cognitively function. Sleep is the only time we’re able to properly repair our bodies and rest our minds almost fully (the brain never stops working!). We just cannot heal our bodies in the same capacity when we’re awake. If we’re sleep-deprived, we’re also more likely to get into potentially lethal accidents and in rare cases, die (fatal familial insomnia). 

7: Mindfulness:

Lastly, even a small moment of mindfulness is going to be essential for staying sane and not turning into a boiling pot. Again, everyone is different and will practice this in their own way for a varying amount of time. It is all acceptable and going to be beneficial.

Now, looking at this list you’re probably thinking 2 different things:

1.” This doesn’t include SO many of the things I normally do for self-care!”

You’re right! There are a lot of aspects of self-care that are missing here. But that is why I call this the Bare-Essentials Self-Care Method and recommend it for when you are not able to follow your ideal self-care schedule. Also, if you think you can do more than this, feel free to do so! You can use this method as the building blocks and then expand on them even further!

or

2.” Oh my God that is SO overwhelming. There are so many things to cover!”

I’m aware that this may seem like a lot for many, especially those that have barely been able to get out of bed recently. However,  I assure you that the way I have designed them in the PDF is the opposite of overwhelming, and is instead straightforward and simple. In fact, you can combine many of these things together so that you actually get a 2-for-1 special! You can read about how to do that in the PDF if you’d like.

To Summarize

Most of us are greatly overwhelmed right now and simply do not have the time, energy, or means by which to practice self-care as perfectly as we once did. However, we still need to be practicing self-care if we want to be able to function as people.

The Bare-Essentials Self-Care Method allows you to focus on the types of self-care that will reap the most amounts of benefits and will provide you with self-care foundations until you are able to practice more extensively.

Let me know which areas of self-care you’ve been struggling the most with since the pandemic and how you’re trying to work on it in the comments below!

All my love,

T