10 Ways to Practice Self-Care During a Pandemic

Hello all and welcome back!

I wanted to write this post in hopes of drawing more attention to self-care during the pandemic. The news stations have spoken less and less about the pandemic recently because it has “become boring.” And while I agree with that statement (I got tired of hearing the number of cases), I still believe it is important to know how to practice self-care safely during the pandemic.

Thus, in this post, I will be telling you 10 ways you can practice self-care right now (yes, these tips can be used all the time but PANDEMIC)!

Meditate!

I cannot stress this enough! Meditation has helped me so much, especially when I am stressed. As someone who is always stressed (I’m a grad student, stress is a given), I believe it is important to take a step back and breathe. Just breathe. In through your nose, out through your mouth and so on. To those who have meditated before too, I don’t always focus on not thinking about anything. Honestly my mind roams like crazy, I think about my life and assignments and my dogs and my shopping habits and so on. I understand that many believe that the calm mindset is an essential part of meditation but that has not been the case for. Honestly, meditation works but I don’t think there is a correct way to meditate. Still, meditation is so relaxing~

Do a Face Mask!

I was going to say “do skincare,” but that wouldn’t have been ~accurate~ for the idea I’m going for because let’s be for real. We all have some kind of skincare routine. This routine could be as simple as using a cleanser in the morning or using moisturizer at night. Regardless, I’m not talking about routine. I’m talking about something that most people don’t do enough unless they are a skincare fanatic (you know who you are, I am one of you). Face masks do great things for your skin but I think the best part is that they feel amazing on your skin. I use face masks about four times a week if I remember to do them! Otherwise, I have known people to do them daily or some once a month. Either way, it’s a great way to relax especially if your skin needs that extra boost!

Binge-Watch your Favorite T-V Show!

Maybe this is a given, I don’t know. And this is probably something you are already doing (I know I am, I’m re-watching every episode of Supernatural to avoid my assignments, welcome to the god-given gift called ~senioritis~). Now I wanted to bring this tip up for a different reason. Sometimes, when you are stressed and I mean stressed, you ultimately will focus on the one thing on your mind. Your mind will run rampant with the “OH MY LORDY I FORGOT ABOUT _____.” And that stress is terrible so when you need to back away from the good ol’ college stressors, watch your favorite movie or binge-watch a t-v series. Regardless, focus on something to relax you mind momentarily. Something that will help you forget the issues that surround your daily life.

Sleep!

Now when I say sleep, I mean you should try to go to bed earlier. I know many, and by many, I mean most people my age stay up till 2 AM and then sleep about 3-4 hours and call that “a good nights rest.” Now I personally understand the struggle called ~grad school~, but I still sleep 8 hours a night and don’t have any issues completing my assignments on-time. But I will say, procrastination is the work of evil when it comes to sleep. So if you are one of those people who stay up abnormally late (I was once one of you until my job because I have to wake up at 5 AM every day), try to nap and catch up on your sleep, your body will thank you later. Plus sleep is so relaxing so in essence, you are doing something productive when it comes to your physical and mental health!

Get Food To-Go at a Nice Restaurant!

OK. OK! I’ll just come out and say it, I did almost write “go out to eat.” Now I’m glad I didn’t because the whole point of this post is to tell you ways that you can treat yourself without going to places with large gatherings because PANDEMIC. But honestly, the cases vary from state to state so have fun but stay safe and healthy if you are able to. Restaurants are probably my favorite way to self care, and by restaurants I mean the one, the only, the Olive Garden. The Olive Garden lifts my soul, in essence, I love their spaghetti. So to practice self-care, find your beloved restaurant and get yourself some good food! This is a great way to relax and have something that you may not be able to eat all the time.

Color!

Yes, I said color. No, this is not a drill. When I say color, I mean go get yourself your favorite colored pencils or crayons and head to Walmart. Walmart sells some adorable coloring books that are specifically made to help you de-stress. There are always a variety but I find them so relaxing! If coloring is not your thing, then you can go draw or paint. The point here is to find an outlet to let out your frustrations. Find a medium that you like and use it to release your pent-up feelings. I personally like to draw and color, mostly draw though. You don’t have to be an artist to do any of this either. This is for you to self-care, not others.

Journal!

The best thing about journaling is that you can just write what you feel. Personally, I often feel as though there is no one to talk to about my feelings. This feeling is not easy on me and I know I’m not the only one who feels this pain. This loneliness. So writing down my feelings has helped me not feel as alone. It helps me write out what I’m feeling so that I can feel as though I have someone or something to share it with. I cannot tell you enough how much it has helped me. While I can’t say it will be your thing to do to self-care, I do know that it is worth a try! Plus if you have a cute notebook to write in, you will feel more motivated to write and journal! I know that I love buying cute notebooks for this!

Clean!

If you are like me, you hate cleaning. You know that you need to clean, but you just can’t find the time or motivation to do so. But once your area is clean, you feel free. That’s what I do. My mental health feels instantly better once I have a clean room or house because it’s visually appealing and just calming. A weight has been lifted off your shoulders! Some people love to clean and I must say, I envy that. If I could clean on a whim I would, but I can’t so I purposefully work on keeping my room clean once it is clean. It’s nothing major but it is the most relieving feeling to get a project done such as cleaning!

Light a Candle!

Candles. Must I say more! If you buy me a vanilla-scented candle, I will love you forever. And yes. Yes, I am what you call a basic white girl. I love vanilla-scented anything. Back to my point though, lighting a candle just can bring so much joy to a room. It brings light and an amazing smell. It’s just extremely relaxing! To be honest, I don’t really have much to say about this one because it’s more or less self-explanatory.

Read a Book!

We have officially made it to the last way to practice self-care! Woot! Woot! Reading a book is a great way to practice self-care for a lot of reasons but my favorite is that it helps me get out of my own head. Reading allows you to learn about another persons life, regardless of if the character is fictional or not, you end up invested in their life. My favorite books to read are World War 2 Historical Fiction but there are tons of genres out there and there’s something for everyone. I always used to say I “wasn’t a fan of reading” until I found my favorite genre. You will shed tears for the characters and love or hate them, often the characters will feel real while reading which makes the book even better. Stressed? Read a book. Sad? Read a book. There are a million reasons why reading is a fantastic way to self-care!

Conclusion

Thank you so much for reading! I hope you were able to gain something from reading this post! Self-care is super important right now, especially given the current climate of the world! Tell me below, what tips do you find important when talking about self-care!