Tried and true self-care tips tested by the YW team

April 9 2021

Here is the reality, Niagara: We’re in our third province-wide lockdown + stay-at-home and we’re inundated with stress, COVID-fatigue, and even boredom. After more than a year of COVID, it is okay if you need to take some time to simply not think about the chaos, and to practice self-care. You’ve heard the saying before: “You cannot pour from an empty cup”. So, because we know from experience that this statement is true, we gathered all of our self-care experience to bring you only the best strategies for taking care of yourself during yet another challenging lockdown.

Finding variation in your routine

Many of us who continue to work have a pretty ridged lockdown routine that looks a little like this: go to work, go home, sleep… repeat. When we are limited on the places we can go and activities we can do, it is sometimes hard to remember that we live to do more than just work. Adding a variation to your routine can give you something to look forward to.

Zoe, a YW Senior Advocate, tells us about how she looks forward to taking a few minutes a day to make herself a nice cup of tea. “Just going through the motions of brewing the tea is part of self-care for me,” said Zoe. “Picking the tea, filling the kettle, and waiting for the water to boil – it’s all a part of a ritual that I look forward to.”

Staying connected virtually

Yes, we’re in our third lockdown, Niagara. But technology has caught up with us and our needs for human connection. In many cases, our friends and family are just a call away. If you have a hard time picking up the phone to stay connected with a friend, try scheduling a routine time (ie. every other Thursday evening) to phone/video call your friend and catch up.

Kelsey, a YW Women’s Advocate, tells us that is an important part of her lockdown ritual. “Lockdown can be a lonely time and having those moments make it much easier,” said Kelsey.

Move your body

Working from home, or even not working at all, enables us to be inactive. Most remote work is done at a computer. If your regular routine involves sitting at a desk, or if your work requires largely mental energy, try embracing a new physical activity. This may not be a one-size-fits-all approach, so our Home for Good coordinators, Maggie and Bailea, recommended a few different ways to move your body, “Yoga, going for a walk, or even gardening now that the weather is getting nicer,” they said. “If you need a free at-home yoga program, I recommend Yoga with Adrienne on YouTube.”

Self-care is only caring if it works for you, not what others think you should do. These are just some examples that work for our team members, but it’s about applying the principles to find the method that fills the need for you. Only after we take care of ourselves, can we help another person. Do you have some tried and true COVID-safe self-care tips? Tell us in the comments below to help other take care of themselves and one another during this period of isolation.