10 Tips on Caring for Yourself During a Pandemic
Every Tuesday afternoon, I submit a pastoral care report to the staff, and at the end, I include self-care tips of the week.
So, today, I thought I might compile those tips for you, in hopes that some of these suggestions will benefit you as you navigate surviving this weird time.
1. Check-in with your body
How often do you check in with yourself throughout the day? I try to do this throughout the day.
Notice your shoulders.
Are they up almost to your ears? Bring them down where they should be and do some neck stretches. Roll your head to one side, roll back slowly to the other side, then roll slowly toward the front. Switch sides. Move your head slowly back so you’re looking towards the ceiling, and forward so you’re looking toward the floor.
Notice your jaw.
Is it clenched? Take a few deep breaths (in through your nose and out through your mouth), as you imagine your mouth is full marshmallows. You’ll feel silly, but it helps to loosen the jaw and open it up so it’s not so tight.
Recipe for my favorite “elixir” when allergies are bothering me:
1 cup of hot water, juice of ½ a lemon, ½ to 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (more if you wish, up to 2 teaspoons and are accustomed to taking ACV), a healthy pinch of cinnamon, ½ teaspoon of honey. Add all ingredients to very hot water and stir to combine/dissolve. Serve with an optional cinnamon stick. Take once or twice a day. I like it in the evenings.
2. Hydrate
It’s easy to forget to drink water while not going about the day as we usually do. I keep a small pitcher of water by my computer, with a large glass. My goal is 2 pitchers of water each day. I’m lucky to get through one. Please hydrate!
3. Breaks
Take a break for a cup of tea or a snack. Walk away from your workspace and sit quietly or go outside and take some deep breaths. Refresh yourself throughout the day.
4. Don’t ignore your emotions
A few weeks before COVID-19 hit, one day I was really stressed about school and the workload for my classes. I decided that my workout for that evening would be a yoga class. I thought Ashtanga yoga was the easy one, and I was super wrong.
But, all that hard work released a lot of tension, and I fell fast asleep in the recovery time where we lay flat on our backs. I felt so relaxed and kept falling asleep while trying to read at home so I just went to bed.
If you aren’t into yoga, you can try another favorite of mine which is journaling. Some people have coloring books to relax and release. Some garden, some chronicle the birds they find in their yards or on walks.
Find a way, especially as our prayer list seems to get heavier each week, to attend to your emotions. If they want to come out, let them.
5. List your gratitudes
Set a timer for however many minutes, anywhere from 5-15, and start listing things you are grateful for. Begin by listing 3 things.
Then keep listing 3 things, until your time is up. I have found this to be helpful when I am having low energy or low motivation day.
6. Exercise
Try to move every day. When the weather is nice, take a walk outside. If you're cooped up inside on a rainy afternoon, check out free workout videos available on YouTube or PrimeVideo. We love the yoga videos on PrimeVideo.
Get your body moving and your blood pumping for at least 30 minutes each day if you can. Remember to hydrate!
7. Healthy Meals
Blueberries, fatty fish, nuts, leafy greens, and cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale, cauliflower) are highly nutritious and will keep you feeling nourished without a sugar crash later. Pinterest has a lot of healthy recipes to try. My Pinterest handle is sarainrealife if you want to look at my healthy meals board.
Ultimately, take care of yourself in the tried and true ways you have found to work for YOU.
8. Talk
If you are feeling overwhelmed, sometimes just talking to a friend is helpful and can have a calming effect. I find this to be true, myself. There’s just something about being listened to that makes you feel like you’re not crazy, you just have a lot of things going on.
We are carrying our own heaviness and the heaviness of leading our congregations, as well as the things that they are dealing with individually.
Take some time to talk with a trusted friend or a journal that you know you can be completely transparent with.
9. Read
My copy of Kaitlin’s new book, Native came in last week. I don’t understand how decolonization can read like beautiful poetry that invites God into the reading as well, but here we are. It’s a wonderful work and will lift your spirit.
A friend of mine likes to get lost in fiction, others I know love to read academic articles in their field. Reading helps to ground us and engage our minds in something other than worry.
10. Prayer
I have 2 favorite resources for prayer time. I like to write out my prayers. The first is a book by Rachel G. Hackenberg called Writing to God: 40 Days of Praying with my Pen. The other is a book called Praying in Color: Drawing a New Path to God, by Sybil MacBeth.
Exercise eat well and hydrate! Spend some time in nature. Rest.
Sara Robb-Scott, Pastor for Senior Adults, First Baptist Decatur