COVID -19 Self-Care Reflections

As my COVID-19 self-care messages and strategies have come to a natural conclusion, I am offering some thoughts as I transition back into my regular monthly newsletter format. We keep hearing “we are all in this together,” so I challenge you and myself to take that seriously in asking ourselves the following: 

• Have we experienced anything positive since the start of this pandemic and can we share it with anyone else?

• Can we turn our worry and stress into thoughtful reflection upon anything useful that we might contribute?

• Is it possible to find some sense of calm or appreciation in having more time and space for our everyday lives?

Please know I am deeply touched and concerned as I see what is happening across our country. With this mini-series of small newsletters, I have attempted to offer achievable thoughts and strategies that might help those in less dire circumstances be more resilient and strengthen our capacity to effect change. 

1. This experience has reinvigorated for me the importance of conscious self-care.

2. It has brought to light the essential practice of using technology to connect, create, and educate ourselves (about things like systemic racism) instead of intaking and participating in the noise and overstimulation of overwhelming and stressful information.

3. It has been a thoughtful time to reflect on the opportunity to move at a slower pace, really savor downtime, and experience the benefits of stillness.

4. The extra sleep I have found quite restorative. Sleep boosts our cellular restoration and healing process.

5. The addition of time in our lives is hopefully creating less need for multitasking (which has been highly overrated and very hard on our nervous systems).

6. There are great benefits in returning to our creative pleasures (writing, painting, sewing, upholstering furniture, walking, etc.)

7. As we eat out less, color and cut our hair, do our nails, etc. might we have experienced an insightful decrease in spending. I am thinking more clearly about what I need as opposed to what I want all the time.

8. Some tell me it has been a pleasure to develop new and improved cooking skills.

9. Although physically distant, our social interactions are, in some respects, getting closer as we have to make more of an effort to connect with those we love and support those individuals and communities that are suffering and struggling.

10. My appreciation of the fantastic and artful mother nature has grown as I take long walks. I can only imagine how she must be rejoicing with the cleaner air she is hopefully enjoying. As my son said, “Mom, it is like I can hear mother earth take a breath.”

11. We are being challenged to be creative in every part of life, from entertaining to connecting with friends or our beautiful grandchildren.

12. We have had to reach deeper to find meaning (a possible spiritual force or inner strength) as we have to cope with and tolerate the state of the world.

13. As we focus on being lifted by the stories of gentle heroes across the planet, let us rejoice in the spirit of humankind.

I, like many others, have had some down and discouraging days. I have been challenged to “practice what I preach,” dig deep, and find meaning and purpose in this almost unimaginable time in our history. I am reassured by the idea that we can identify some positive and healing aspects in all of this, so we can stay strong enough to process, collaborate, and problem-solve with each other.

I would love to hear what you might have experienced (tell how to share). I am grateful to every one of you for the insight you have to offer all of us. I invite us to learn and grow together.