Four Easy Self-Care Tips During COVID

How to take care of your mental health when you’re busy during COVID times

By Nada Qamber, Graphic Design Goddess at TSKC

We’re rolling into the 1-year anniversary since the virus broke out. Whoopie! I’m sure 2020 has changed us in some way or the other. If not in our physical environment then mentally for sure. There was a lot that shifted for me this past year. There was a lot of self-reflection and a lot of emotional growth that got me through this chaotic year. When I think back… damn!

It was a challenge to give myself some space to process everything since I work 9–10 hours a day. I come home completely mentally and physically exhausted. The kind of exhausted when you just don’t want to do anything but eat and fall on the bed.

But I’ve come to realize that if I keep myself in that mood, I’ll stay there and play the victim. I’d hate being around myself and others would hate being around me. So I’ve made it an intention to change that by taking care of myself daily.

Taking care of yourself should be a daily priority. It’s like putting on your oxygen mask first before putting it on others. You can’t take care of the things and people you love around you when you’re on the verge of a meltdown. Having a self-care practice should feel like coming home each time. Even if it’s doing one short mindful practice before bed with even the tiniest intention, it can make a difference.

Which is why I want to share a few self-care tools that I like to use when things get a little too much. I use these self-care tips before AND after a long week at the office.

Negative Feelings Are Okay

Let’s just get the biggest thing out of the way. There are days when you feel like complete shit. Days when you don’t want to get out of bed. Days when your day isn’t going well and you feel too drained to do anything about it. And days when you’re on the verge of a meltdown. I’ve been there!

And when you tell others about your shitty day, they say something like; “Be positive! Go for a run! Think good thoughts and you’ll be fine!”. Because of this kind of toxic positivity, I’m conditioned so that my mind automatically tells me to “think positive”. Yes, those statements are valid. But these feelings aren’t supposed to be shoved under the rug. It doesn’t work like that, unfortunately.

So I’m here to tell you that it’s okay to feel that way. It’s okay to feel like complete shit once in a while. Let yourself feel that. Let yourself cry, rage, punch, scream, or just sit in that energy for a while. Don’t try to force out all of that negative energy, rather let it go through you.

Letting these emotions go through us is good. Because we’re letting things come up naturally to run their course. And the next time those emotions come up, they may go through faster than they did before. The sooner they’re out of your system, the sooner you get to that good feeling vibration.

Showers Are Sacred

Whether you’re a morning shower person or a night shower person, treat every shower as a sacred ceremony of washing away all the toxins in your body; emotionally and physically. This one is a fun one because your mind tends to wander when you’re in the shower. And that’s usually when all the fun ideas come up, right? You can take that ability to imagine freely and bring that towards cleansing.

Here’s a Four Step Guide on how sacred shower ceremonies can be done:

Step 1: Set an intention. On your way to the bathroom and getting yourself ready for your shower. It can be to ground yourself, to feel energized, to release toxins, etc.

Step 2: Once you turn on the water, close your eyes as you go under it. Imagine golden shimmering droplets touching your hair and skin. These golden droplets are magic. They’re there to cleanse you from all the stress the day and week has brought. Let yourself feel the golden magic.

Step 3: Do your usual routine (shampoo, conditioner, body wash, shave, etc.) and do it all mindfully. Notice every moment and every scrub. Feel it.

Step 4: Wash it all away. When rinsing, imagine the golden droplets washing everything away and leaving you fresh, clean and ready for the day or night.

You’re free to do this ceremony in any way you like. Feel free to adjust and modify any part of it to your liking.

Gratitude Practice

Having a gratitude practice has helped me for about 5 years now. It all started with having a memory jar, where I’d jot down all the good memories of the day and put them in a jar. Then during the New Year, I would take them all out and reread my good memories.

I’ve kept this practice going on and transferred it into a notebook. I start almost every sentence with “I’m grateful for…” or “I’m thankful for…”.

Doing this practice has given me a sense of routine. It’s a chance to reflect on the day I had and remember all the good moments that I might not have noticed. Even if I really don’t feel like it, I sit for a few minutes and write down at least 3 things I was grateful for that day. I may not feel instant jubilance, but I feel a lot better than when I first sat down.

It takes about 5–10 minutes to jot everything down at the end of the day or even first thing in the morning. It’s a beautiful practice that you can take on and writing just one good thing about today and saying “Thank you” can make a difference.

This small practice reminds us of what we have and to say thank you for being honored in having these moments by ourselves, with the people we love, and more.

Work with your hands

I’m the kind of person who really enjoys getting her hands dirty. Whether it’s dirt while gardening or painting. These days it’s ink for calligraphy. I love staining my hands when I practice calligraphy. I try to fit in at least 20–30 minutes, once a week, to do something with my hands.

And I’m not talking about typing. I’m talking about turning off your computer and putting your phone away. To get out of your head for a bit and let your hands do the work. This gives us a chance to enable one of our key senses — touch. Feel the paint brush on your hands, feel the dirt, feel the texture of the paper, and have fun. And if your piece looks horrible at the end of it, laugh because it’s okay!

We go through our days when we completely forget to be aware of our senses; smell, taste, touch, sight, hearing. And once we start to tap into them, it’s almost like coming home within ourselves.

These are a few things that have kept me sane throughout 2020. I don’t practice these daily; save for the Gratitude practice, so I listen to what my emotional system and body needs that day and pick these out of my tool belt.

It’s the tiny practices and moments that make a day worth getting through. Take it slow, baby steps, and be kind to yourself always.

If you feel called to try out one of these practices, go ahead and give yourself a chance to. And if you already do these, leave a comment below!

Talk soon,

XO, Nada