It’s been a year since the world has been turned upside down, and as much as things feel hopeful, it’s all still unsettling.  I thought this would be a good time to do a little check-in on self-care. 

We all have moments in our lives when we experience incredibly stressful times, and this last year has been like no other and has probably tested your patience and resilience like never before.   What makes it more challenging is when we have little or no control over our circumstances. Add to the uncertainty, career, financial, relationship, and mental health challenges, and you may feel like you’re on the edge of a precipice.   

How has your self-care been this last year?  Are you making your health and well-being a priority, your #1 priority?  When we are overwhelmed, we need our self-care practices more than ever, and unfortunately, we usually lack time and the motivation to ensure they are happening. During these challenging times, you need to be very mindful of your needs. Your regular routines have probably been hijacked, and your priorities can change daily. Understandably, you might be too exhausted to get up early to meditate, do some yoga, go to the gym or run.  Has ordering take-out become your default for meal planning?  

It’s essential to be kind to yourself and make your self-care as simple as possible by focusing on basics like restful sleep, healthy eating, hydration, movement and connection.  One of the most important things is to make sure you are getting enough sleep. Stress and sleep deprivation increases higher amounts of the stress hormone cortisol.  This increases our appetite and our cravings for carbs and sugars.  During these moments the last thing you want to eat is fruit or vegetables, even though they would be the best things for you.   Sleep deprivation also makes us irritable, impairs our memory and judgment and will make your current struggles that much harder.  Here’s  a link to my blog on sleep  https://countyyogaloft.ca/blog/testing

I have maintained consistent self-care practices for decades. Still, there have been many times when they have been completely derailed, modified, or I’ve found that I’m only capable of managing some fundamental self-care practices.  

When my mother passed away in 2013, I was overcome with grief and exhaustion, and my self-care practices came to a complete halt. I focused on my sleep and worked with a Naturopath to ensure that I was sleeping well most nights.  I couldn’t concentrate enough to meditate and had no desire to do any yoga. Each day, I tried to spend a few minutes closing my eyes and taking a few deep breaths.  I also spent lots of time in the tub.  Hot water with some Epsom salt and lavender was like a giant hug and always made me feel better.  I made sure the following happened each day:  sleep, lots of water, one healthy meal, and a brief walk. After a few months, I returned to a regular yoga and meditation practice and created a new self-care routine that worked for where I was at. 

Before Covid-19, I was getting up at 5 am to meditate, worked out at the gym and squeezed in a yoga practice, all before breakfast.  Since Covid-19, I require more sleep and need to move slowly in the morning, and now I don’t get up until 6:30 am.  

We always want to keep an eye on our life's ebb and flow and adjust our self-care accordingly.  Commit to creating a self-care routine for yourself no matter what you are dealing with.  Knowing that modifying and focusing on the basics may be exactly what you need.  

I love the phrase “this too shall pass”. So, remember that whatever you are going through will pass or at least ease up a bit, and you will feel better.  You can always return to your self-care practices, or as I did, or revise your practice to suit your new needs.

My regular self-care routines have been derailed many times, and my established practice of many years was essential in helping me identify my needs. My practice gave me the awareness to notice what was happening and be confident to adapt, adjust and accommodate.  

If you are finding it hard to take care of yourself, ask yourself, what are your basic needs and consider the following self-care tips:

·      Sleep

·      Stay hydrated

·      Eat at least one healthy meal per day

·      Get outside every single day; take a walk around like a block, or run some errands  

·      Move; a 5 min walk or a few simple stretches 

·      Obtain advice from a Naturopath on what supplements will help your sleep and reduce your stress levels

·      Ask friends or family to run errands & do household chores

·      Learn to say no and limit your commitments

·      Do not take on any new responsibilities

·      Defer major decisions

Stay well.

Anita