Self Care Ideas To Practice During Quarantine

The announcement of a lockdown or restriction of movement, as the case may be, in different parts of the world was welcomed with different reactions. Some saw it as a good move by the government in protecting the lives of citizens. Others took it as an insensitive act of the government. Either way, staying indoors has become our new lifestyle worldwide- the new normal.

The challenge we all have to figure out now is how to adapt to this new state of things and thrive accordingly. And honestly, this could be hard.

I mean, how do you tell an onetime social butterfly to practice social distancing? How do you tell a onetime life of the party to stay home unless it is absolutely necessary? However, as the saying goes, when life throws lemons at you, you make lemonade out of it.

So, as your internet best friend, I would be telling you how you could make lemonade (lol, not literally) during a quarantine situation like this.

5 Self Care Ideas You Can Practice During Quarantine

1. Maintain a Healthy Eating Habit

I agree with you that this might be a difficult thing to do, but you have to be intentional about it. You might not have access to all the food that you would have loved to eat, but I promise you, you can make the most out of what is available. Maintain that balanced diet you have always tried to follow before the lockdown.

It is true that you stay up so late now- I hear that 5am is the new 11pm when people just go to bed. And that’s fine. Just make sure that your meals don’t stay up late into the night with you. If anything, this is absolutely not the time to be sick, and your immune system needs every boost it can get. And this, my dears, would only happen if you are eating healthy.

So just before you open the fridge for the fourth bottle of soda as your meal, think about your immune system. Try cooking instead. And if you did not know how to cook before the lockdown, probably now is the time for you to discover the chef in you. As always, you have unlimited videos on how to make different meals online. You should check them out. Don’t forget, you are what you eat.

2. Work it Out

Remember when you used to say when you have time, you would be committed to an exercise routine. Well, here you go. You have your 24 hours to yourself to plan. And your body would be so grateful if you include a work- out plan in your schedule. There are so many apps that you could download as well as there are many videos you could watch online for great work out sessions.

For efficiency, you could get few friends (online of course) who would be your accountability partners, just so that you are consistent with your routine. Your body needs this more than ever before because physically demanding activities have reduced drastically, and there’s almost no reason for you to move your body vigorously.

Exercising would do just that and keep you fit and healthy. I’ve been doing this and I couldn’t be more glad. Besides, I think it is high time you got that summer body you have always been talking about. Personally, I’m not letting lockdown steal my summer body shine so I’ve been taking my home workout seriously even though I miss the gym like no man’s business. So my friend, let your post- lockdown body bang in a good way. 

3. Develop a Skin Care Routine

Truth be told, everyone wants the ‘OMG!!! See how you are glowing’ ‘Skin goals alert!’ kind of reaction to every time they step out or take a ‘naturalista’ picture of themselves. However, on a regular day, not everyone sees the need to make out time to do the needful. We would rather be working on that business proposal or trying to finish up a task from the office than sitting in front of the mirror trying to care for our skin.

Anyway, if time was your excuse for not prioritizing skincare, you now have all the time you need. Read up on skincare as much as you can. If you would be buying new products, make sure they are products by recommended skin care brands. If you don’t have the means yet, or they are not available for sale, you could look out for natural or homemade skincare products that you can use till quarantine is over.

Trust me, this is one of the best times to be really big on your skincare because you do not have the interference of the sun, and that is a big plus for you. What better way to self-care in this period than caring for your skin. You would be glad you did, and that alone would be really satisfying. 

4. Don’t Pressure Yourself to ‘Stay Productive’

I think it is normal for everyone to want to spend this free time doing something worthwhile. You know, adding value and all that talk about being productive while working from home. And this is really good, no doubt. But I think people who have not been working from home or students who have not been homeschooled all their lives, should be realistic enough not to expect to have the same level of vibe in carrying out their tasks.

You are in the comfort of your home and the world is literally on a standstill, there is that tendency to also be very relaxed. And honestly, that’s fine. Understanding this would make you take the pressure of doing things at the pace you would normally do them, off yourself.

Instead, accept that this is a different setup and treat it like one. Make plans that are realistic and suitable for these days. Don’t overload yourself with so much and at the end, feel guilty because you could not even meet up with half of your daily goals.

Dear reader, it is okay to want to have as many certificates as possible when all this is over, it is okay to want to finish that book that you have been writing for a while now, it is okay to want to finish reading your school syllabus ahead of class- all these are amazing. However, cut yourself some slack and focus on taking baby steps every day.

In the end, the ultimate goal is to survive this pandemic. Every other thing is a bonus track.

5. Protect Your Mental Space

Self-care during quarantine would be incomplete if we do not talk about caring for your mental health. Honestly, this could be hard too, especially for people who stay alone. But if you would be healthy all through this period, then your mind has to be healthy.

A major way to guarantee this is by watching what you feed your mind with. Stay positive and feed your mind with positive things as much as possible. You see all those messengers of doom on your Whatsapp status? Mute them without thinking twice. All the self-acclaimed journalists who keep tweeting one negative headline after the other; don’t hesitate to block them. No hard feelings honestly.

It is just you doing what you have to do to maintain your sanity. As much as possible, Netflix and chill instead, watch your favorite shows, read your favourite books, call your favourite persons, play your favourite games, play dress up, get enough sleep and basically occupy yourself with positive things that interest you. In the end, the goal is to come out of this strong. And while at it, don’t forget that this too will pass, and we would all have our normal lives back.

Till then, take all necessary precautions, do all you need to do and stay safe.    

Xoxo.