Self-Care and Mindfulness in the Time of Isolation
CredibleMind Ambassador Blog by Jennifer Stern | View Original Post
We are so used to running a million miles a minute! No time to truly just be. And now, suddenly we have that time. Time to reframe our thoughts, from forced isolation to quality time in which we can practice mindfulness and true self-care. Time to read, journal, watch movies, paint, play instruments, or play, period. Finally, we have the opportunity to complete that unfinished house project, and catch up with friends and family in an unhurried way. We are used to being stressed out, overwhelmed and over-scheduled and now, just like that, we have time! No appointments (with the exception of essentials), no carpools, no sporting events or travel. We have the “if only” time we always wished for during those endlessly hurried days. So pause… breathe. Think of your “if only I had time” list, and lean in.
Get inspired.
- Travel and the arts are available to you at no cost and with just a click of your mouse:
- Tour the world’s finest museums from the Guggenheim to the Musée d’Orsay
- No lines to stand in to enjoy the best of Broadway like Cats or Phantom of the Opera
- Travel the wonders of the world from your living room from the Great Pyramid of Giza to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon
- Breathe. Meditate. Invite calm into your home. We cannot control what’s going on around us but we can control how we respond. Take this time to practice breathing, meditating, centering yourself in a place of calm. There are many apps that can help you find calm. Explore and discover which one resonates with you:
- The Mindfulness App
- Headspace
- Calm
- Buddhify
- Pay attention to your thoughts. Watch catastrophic thinking. Create a mantra to help reframe and replace intrusive, anxiety-producing thoughts with words of affirmation, such as: I am okay. I will get through this. This too shall pass.
- Limit exposure to the news. Yes, it is important to stay informed, but so much of the news right now is sensationalized, not to mention the countless myths being shared as news. Find a news source you trust that delivers news in a way that informs without escalating anxiety. Limit yourself to 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the early evening. Try not to watch or read the news before going to bed as this can make falling asleep and having a restful sleep difficult.
- Go outside (if you can). Nature is restorative and centering. Walk, bike, shoot hoops, clean out your flowerbeds, jump in puddles, draw with sidewalk chalk, play with your pup.
- Move your body. Many fitness studios are live-streaming classes for free. Local yoga studios and gyms have daily classes posted online, so take a minute and see what’s available. Here are some larger studios that are live-streaming free classes:
- Planet Fitness
- Lifetime On Demand
- Orange Theory Fitness
- CorePower Yoga
Other ideas:
This is a good time to:
- Catch up on sleep
- Read that pile of magazines that you never seem to get to, or that book you’ve been wanting to read but never found the time
- Light candles and take a bubble bath, sing a little song in the shower
- Savor that morning cup of coffee
- Play games on your phone, with your family, or online with friends
- Organize closets, drawers and cupboards
- Create a vision board for when this is over (or how you wish you could be spending your time)
- Go through old pictures, organize them for albums
- Create a playlist of favorite songs and have a dance party!
- Watch TED Talks
- Take online classes
- Try new recipes
Strategies to maintain health and wellness:
- Drink water. Staying hydrated is important to overall health and wellness
- Wash your hands with soap and water while singing the alphabet song whenever: you come in from outside, before you eat, after you eat, when you enter or leave a public space
- Use Clorox or 90% alcohol-wipes to clean cell phones, doorknobs, light switches, faucets, flushers and any other high touch surface
- Maintain a healthy diet of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins
- Let go of expectations around what was and try to adapt to this temporary new normal with creativity and flexibility
- Practice gratitude awareness
- Stay virtually connected
- Explore the many wonderful resources available to you on CredibleMind!
During uncertain times we must do our best to think outside of the box, to engage meaningfully and creatively, to stay positive and to distract ourselves in ways that inspire, motivate and allow us to feel calm. We will get through this!
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