Practical pandemic self-care as an academic
We’re living in some seriously challenging times. When I’m stressed or dealing with a lot, it’s very easy for my self-care plan to fall by the wayside. Self-care can also become another thing on the to-do list, or another thing that gets neglected, and feeds feelings of guilt and shame.
This time has prompted me to re-frame the way I think about self-care. What does it mean to really take care of myself, right now? What is it that my body and mind need? Most importantly, what can I provide myself that’s practical? Doing yoga every day might be nice, but it’s honestly not practical with what I’m dealing with right now. Committing myself to things that aren’t practical is a recipe for disaster and disappointment.
So, along that line of thinking, I’ve been getting back to basics with my self-care plan. Here are the 4 practical self-care strategies that I’m choosing to prioritize right now:
Drinking water
I love water. Like I LOVE drinking water, especially ice cold, filtered water. Normally I can’t get enough of it. Drinking enough water is something that’s never been an issue for me, especially working in an office with a water cooler. That got interrupted during the shift to working from home, and I realized I wasn’t drinking nearly enough water. So for the last several weeks, I’ve been tracking my water use every day using a water tracker that I created (nothing motivates me like being able to check something off a list). Check out the link below to download it and try it for yourself! It’s helped me so much.
Moving outside
There’s been a few times in the last few weeks when I got to the end of the day, and I realized that I hadn’t stepped outside at all. Days like that just don’t leave me feeling great. Even if it’s just a quick 15 minute walk outside, moving my body and breathing the fresh air is so invigorating.
Breathing
No matter what, you always have your breath. Breathing is something I continue to come back to again and again. Box breathing (in for 4 counts, hold for 4, exhale for 4 counts, hold for 4) can help to steady your heart and your mind. When the whole world feels out of my control, I always know that I can still control my breath.
Sleeping
When I’m feeling stressed, quality sleep is unfortunately always one of the first things to go. Sleep is something I’ve always struggled with, but now especially is a time when we need that re-charge. Sleeping in late is challenging for me, so instead I’ve tried to prioritize going to bed early each night to make sure I can wake up fully rested. Sneaking short naps in whenever I need them has helped a lot too!
