While the world is on lock down it is easy to get in a funk. Whether it's being bored out of your mind, or just falling into unproductive habits, everyone is battling something different. We have seen spring cleaning, at home workouts, and people walking the Greenbelt more than usual. All these things are ways to keep busy when there is not much else to do. They are also great mood boosters and can brighten your days. Why not use this quarantine as a time to practice self-care? Being inside gives us all the chance to make the best out of something we can’t control. The only thing we can do is take care of ourselves and stay inside to take care of others. Here are 10 self-care ideas to make sure you are staying positive and feeling good mentally and physically:
1. Create a daily schedule
It is easy to get caught up in being unproductive, binging your fave new Netflix series or not getting out of your pajamas, and all these habits can lead to mood changes. I’ve found creating a daily schedule or routine will help increase your productivity and help lead to getting things done and feeling good about yourself. It’s easy to create a schedule, to help kick start your list here are some ideas to help you:
- Wake up
- Make your bed
- Coffee
- Get ready for the day
- Exercise
- Journal
It’s as simple as that. Sticking to a schedule will have you feeling more productive and allows you to feel positive about yourself.
2. Exercise
Exercising is one of the best ways to get your mental and physical health feeling good. Take this time to do something for your health, I promise you won’t regret it. Whether it's walking the neighborhood (while maintaining social distance) at home workouts, or even watching some yoga classes provided by Youtube. You will get your body feeling refreshed and more energized. Plus, there are a lot of awesome local Boise studios that are featuring free online classes, look up your fave local gym to see what they have available.
3. Journaling
Journaling is one of the most relaxing ways to get your thoughts out of your head. Journaling helps to express feelings you didn’t even know you had, whether it's getting some things off your mind, or writing what you're grateful for. All these ideas will help de-stress and keep you busy. You can even keep track of your daily activities to remind yourself how you got through self quarantine years from now.
4. De-clutter
We all know everyone is using these times to do a little spring cleaning...or a lot of spring cleaning. Thinking positive, these times are allowing us all to take a step back and do something around the house we normally wouldn’t get around to during our normal lives. Use this time to really de-clutter your house, closet, pantry or just re-organize. This will let you check something off your on-going list.
5. Remember that you’re not alone
In times like these it's easy to fall into feeling alone and being stuck in your own head, we all need to come together and make sure our friends, family and neighbors are staying safe, and staying busy. We’ve never been luckier to live in a time of technology where there are many ways to keep in contact with your people. Facetime, Google chat, text, email, call, or even write letters to your loved ones to make sure you are still catching up during these hard times.
6. Take a bath
Give yourself 30 minutes to an hour in the morning or before bed and relax in a bath. It’s one way to relieve stress and let your body relax. There is nothing more soothing than a warm bath, it’ll get you feeling refreshed and calm. Put some music on, a podcast, or even a show you’ve been needing to catch up on and take time to yourself. It’s important!
7. Indulge in skin care
This could be a time to finally get into a routine with your skin. It’s hard to continue every step of skin care when you're busy and running out the door or coming home exhausted from a long day. Take this time to indulge in your skincare routine, it’ll have you feeling accomplished and the results will be exactly what you need.
8. Create a vision board
These are my favorite! While you're at home dig up some old magazines, or print some pictures from the internet and create a vision board. Vision boards let you express yourself in an artistic way that bring your ideas to life. All you need is a poster board, or a few sheets of paper taped together and start gluing your dreams, positive words, or visions of your goals on it. Share your results to challenge friends and family to do the same!
9. Adult coloring books
Coloring is also a great way to express yourself, and let your mind be captivated by the colors. Coloring helps anxiety, depression, and freeing your mind from the million things it's thinking about. It is something you can do to keep your mind occupied. If you don’t have one laying around the house, you can always print some off and create your own book. Or take a plain white piece of paper and get doodling!
10. Learn something new
Whether it's a recipe, new workout, or a new language, everyone can benefit from learning something new while being stuck inside. Not everyone is able to take some time and do something for themselves they’ve always wanted to do. Now is your chance to learn that habit you have always wanted to try. There are tons of videos you can find on youtube about learning something that fits you.