As we have all recently been instructed to be “safe at home” to prevent the spread of coronavirus COVID-19, many of us have found ourselves with an unexpected gift of more time to take care of ourselves. I don’t know about you, but before all this started I was so busy that I never got enough sleep, my house was a mess, and my to-do list was a mile long.

As a full time teacher and blogger I was in survival mode counting the days until spring break and did not even think twice about putting self-care practices on the back burner. It seemed like I was running 90 miles an hour every day then suddenly Bam! Everything just stopped. My schedule instantly cleared, and I had time to think about me again.

Maybe while we are all staying at home, we can start some new habits that we can carry with us when this social distancing time ends. A crazy frantic lifestyle takes a toll on our lives in many ways that we do not notice at first. It is vitally important that we take care of ourselves. So now or any time you should not neglect self-care, and here’s why:

Why You Should Practice Self-Care

Stress Management

We sometimes need a little bit of stress in the form of adrenaline to motivate us to meet a deadline or finish a task, but constant stress and anxiety can negatively affect both your mental and physical health.

Work Life Balance

Our society seems to reward workaholism, but overwork creates stress, exhaustion, and isolation. Spending all of your time and energy on work can actually make you less productive, forgetful, and disorganized. Working too much leaves us emotionally depleted and can create relational problems at work and at home too. In addition, too much stress can lead to a myriad of health problems from heart disease to obesity to anxiety and depression.

You Are Worth It

Self-care is an important way to have a healthy relationship with yourself. You are worth it! So treat yourself with respect and kindness, and avoid self-criticism.

Taking care of yourself gives you positive feelings and can boost your confidence. Healthy self-esteem is attractive to others, so when you take care of yourself your relationships with others improve as well. Having healthy boundaries reminds you and others that your needs are important too. You will be no good to anyone if you are living on the edge. The best thing you can give to others is a healthy you.

10 Simple Self Care Habits You Can Begin Now

1. Write it Down

Have you ever kept a journal? I don’t mean the Dear Diary stuff of middle school girls. I mean your hopes, dream, and goals. Start a gratitude journal. Start today by listing the first ten things you can think of that you are thankful for today. Then do that again tomorrow, and the next day, and the next. Before you know it this habit will change your outlook on your whole life.

What about your goals? Lots of people make a To Do list each day, but now is a great time to think about your dreams and long term goals. What do you want your life to look like 10 years from now? What do you want to see happening in the different areas of your life? Write it down.

Then work backwards and make shorter term goals until you have your daily To Do list. Actually putting the thoughts on paper with a set plan gives you a clear focus and helps you stay on track. We are all adjusting to a weird new normal, even if it is temporary. Set a regualr routine and plan your day in writing.

In addition to things we are grateful for and goals write down your ideas. How many times have you had a creative thought pop into your head, and you think to yourself, “That is a great idea. I need to do that,” but then as soon as you focus on something else the thought is forgotten. Have a work idea, a home decorating idea, a writing or song idea? Keep a tablet out on your desk or kitchen counter at home, and every time you think of something you don’t want to forget, write it down.

2. Improve Your Sleep Habits

Now is not the time to start staying up until all hours watching Netflix then sleeping during the day. Now is a great time to catch up on lost sleep and begin a healthy bedtime routine that will last when life returns to normal again.

Make it your aim to go to bed and get up at the same time each day, even on the weekends if you can. During the day make sure you are getting enough natural sunlight either outdoors or through a window when you can, as this helps regulate your body clock and sleep rythyms. I admit that I do not follow this advice all the time, but experts say that it is best to avoid screen time an hour before bedtime. More tips on improving sleep can be found here on my website.

3. Move Some Everyday

There are so many benefits to being physically active. You do not have to be an athlete or a gym rat. Any way that you can incorporate more movement into your daily life will make a difference. Being active reduces stress by raising the endorphin levels (those “feel good” hormones) in your brain, boosting your mood, and decreasing anxiety.

Instead of making you tired, even minimal exercise actually increases your energy levels, keeps you alert, helps you focus mentally, and helps you sleep better. Now that you are home more experiment with different ways to add physical movement and activity to your day and find something you like that you can stick with long term.

Get outside when you can. Walk the dog, ride a bike, participate in an exercise class online, clean the house, anything that gets you moving. For a video on exercises you can try at home check out my post on losing weight.

4. Give Back

I know it seems odd for me to include this one under a heading of self care. But volunteering our time, energy, and money to help others keeps us from becoming self-focused in an unhealthy way. It will make you feel good to help others in need, and it can sometimes be a great way to meet others – even virtually.

Giving to others helps foster an attitude of gratitude as we see others who are less fortunate. Volunteering with your spouse can even help your marriage! Donate financially to your church or a charity or non-profit that you believe in. Volunteer to read to a child online or offer to tutor someone.

Find ways that you can assist a non-profit organization from home. Maybe offer to make phone calls or send e-mails. I’m not talking about work tasks. Take time to do something that you do not have to do or feel obligated to do but something that you want to do to help someone else.

5. Connect With Others

Having positive healthy relationships in our lives is just as important as our physical health. Staying at home all the time, even if you are not alone, can feel lonely. Just because you are practicing physical distancing does not mean that you have to be socially distant. Use this time to reach out to people you’ve been meaning to check on. Use creative technology to keep in touch with friends, co-workers, family, and others to help you feel connected and supported.

I have never been on so many Zoom video calls as I have in the last two weeks! Through the wonder of video technology I have participated in a school faculty meeting, a Sunday school class, a church small group meeting, a blog mentoring coaching call, a choir meeting, and even a voice lesson all online. But whether it is through video, a phone call, or a text message be proactive in reaching out to others.

6. Cook More

Since we are not going out to eat in restaurants right now many people are rediscovering how fun and relaxing cooking can be. Many times during a typical busy work week we don’t plan out meals well and end up not taking the time to prepare our own food.

Now is the perfect time to try out that new recipe and get creative in the kitchen. If you are looking for inspiration I try to post a new recipe on my blog each week. I am a busy person and am no gourmet cook, so my recipes are usually easy to follow and are always delicious! You will find that cooking at home is healthier and saves you money.

7. Laugh More

Stop taking yourself so seriously! Take time every day to try to find the humor in life. Read a funny story, watch a funny animal video on Twitter, watch a comedy movie, make up a Tik Tok dance, change the lyrics to a song or commercial jingle to add some humor.

With all of the bad news on TV and popping up on your phone all day, it is especially important now to lighten up and enjoy a laugh now and then. Be observant. There are funny things happening all around us if we are looking for them. Did your dog just do something funny? Did your child just say something funny? What about your hair when you woke up this morning? Now that’s funny!

And did you know that laughter really is good medicine? According to the Mayo Clinic, laughter positively stimulates organs, relieves stress and soothes tension, and improves your immune system and your mood.

8. Stop Comparing

Stop comparing yourself to others! I’m preaching to myself here as well. Our world tends to measure and compare people based on external things. How did we ever get to the place where we think it is OK to base a person’s value on their paycheck or Twitter followers?

Keep in mind that we are usually comparing our worst with their best. People do not often post their “real life” on Facebook. You don’t see people bragging about how their kid brought home straight D’s on their report card or how they are thousands of dollars in debt and can’t get along with anyone in their family.

There will always be people who “seem” better off than you and look like they live a perfect life, so it will always be a losing battle to try to compare your life to that of others. By the way your assumptions about their life being better may actually be completely inaccurate.

Comparison steals your joy and makes you feel ungrateful for what you do have. When you compare you are putting your focus and energy on the wrong person anyway. Your goal should be to become your best you, so instead of wasting energy wishing you had someone else’s life go create your own best life! Only compare yourself to who you were in the past and then applaud your progress!

9. Deal With Clutter

There is so much I could say about the value of de-cluttering your home and life. Without so much visual chaos all around you will feel calmer when you are at home. Cleaning tasks will be easier without so much stuff everywhere, and you will be able to find things you need.

Your home will have a flow to it, since each room has a specific purpose. You won’t have to spend money on things you don’t need or already had but couldn’t find. Now while your calendar is clear and you are home more is the perfect time to do that spring cleaning you’ve been putting off. Go ahead and clean out that closet or junk drawer. You will love the feeling of accomplishment and order it brings.

I just cleaned out our laundry room, and it makes me feel peaceful now when I open the door instead of having to step over all the junk we had “hidden” in there to keep Layla from chewing it. Take care of yourself by creating order and clearing out the clutter.

10. Do What You Love

Maybe this time at home is a good time to do some soul searching. What do you love to do? What are you passionate about? So many times we hear the phrase “do what you love” as it relates to finding your dream job. And this may true to a degree, because a job is not just about money. The right career can make you more productive, inspire others, and make you feel a sense of fulfillment and accomplishment. You are more likely to be successful in your career if you love what you do.

But doing what you love doesn’t just have to be your paying job. Part of self care is taking time now to create space in your life and schedule for the things you love to do, even if they are not your job. I love to travel, play with my dogs, spend time with my husband, be outdoors, sing, and write. And I make sure I fit those things into my life as a way to take care of me. I am fortunate that I get to write about many of those things and make some money with this blog.

Take advantage of this time at home to research ways to improve your current job, find a new job, take an online course, practice a skill, or even start a blog. Take some time each day to do one thing you love.

So Go Take Care of Yourself!

For me this sudden clearing of my calendar has been a huge blessing, because I’ve been able to work on this blog from home. What about you? Life is too precious to be wasted. We all have choices. Each day when we get up we can decide to make it a productive fulfilling day or choose to stay in our pajamas and surf the net all day.

Along with work and home responsibilities it is important to remember that taking care of yourself is also your responsibility. No one else is going to do it for you, and it won’t just happen on it’s own. A healthy you is up to you! No use putting off things that you have time to do now. Self care is all about making time for things that are good for you. Is there anything else you would add to this list?