Why Self Care Could Be Your Ultimate Antidote To Lockdown lll

Lockdown, winter weather and avoidance.

That's what's certain right now.

The avoidance could be said to be the desire to block out the reality of lockdown, dark mornings/afternoons and the fact that life is no longer as we know it.

You might find yourself eating more, over-exercising, binge watching TV, online gaming more, drinking more, drugging more, sexing more, online shopping more, online connecting more or even sleeping more.

You could also be doing any of these less to forget about reality and create an alternative momentary buzz that distances you from your emotions and what you feel each day.

These escapism habits remove the present moment from your sights and encourage a numbness that can ultimately lead to depression, weight gain, anxiety and low self esteem.

For many of you, you've got more time on your hands than ever before.

So, does that mean it’s more about how you spend the time than the time itself?

Perhaps you could take a moment to spare a thought for the key workers who are not so gifted with time in this present moment. Unlike you, they don’t have the luxury of slowing down as they follow their calling to serve in this way.

As you bring yourself back to your own lockdown experience, you might find yourself feeling numb to your present circumstances or you might be completely enjoying this opportunity to tick off the once never ending dregs of your task list.

Either way, self care could be your ultimate antidote to compassionately making it through lockdown lll.

Six Self Care Tips to Support You During Lockdown lll

1.   Get Rooted

Getting out during the winter months is less inviting than at other times of the year but very possible.

When you can venture out and about in nature, take a minute to ground yourself with every step you take.

Imagine the earth reaching up to you whilst you press down into it.

This is such a beautiful way to build a relationship between you and the surface you’re walking on. Rather than just taking from it - you can choose to give as well.

Another way to ground yourself is by having a tool that brings you back to the present moment.

Tools like elastic bands on your wrists, stroking rough/smooth stones, holding textured or smooth pieces of material can all support you returning to the here and now.

You can also use these tools when feeling anxious or panicky. Simply ground yourself and observe your surroundings to return you to your body.

2.   Sense Awareness

Bringing awareness to your senses is a very powerful way to distance from spaced-out moments.

Smell, touch, sight, hearing and taste are your intrinsic resources that remind you you’re alive.

Why not savour some dark chocolate, rich in antioxidants and minerals. It's comforting whilst raising your mood.

Consider your favourite hot drink whether it's soup, hot chocolate, mint tea or another and allow them to provide you with feelings of self-soothing during anxious and uncertain times.

3.   Healthy Foods First

In those moments where you feel like pigging out on what I call ‘naughty foods', pause and take a minute to consider eating something healthy first.

It might sound weird but after having a healthy food option like roasted vegetables or grapes, you might not still feel like the pizza or sweets.

A word of caution here.

Be kind to yourself in the process. You might not always choose the healthy option but that’s ok because you’ll have another opportunity to do so next time.

Identify what the desired food is actually substituting emotionally.

Perhaps you miss a familiar hug and something stodgy soothes that or maybe you miss the healing of simply sitting with someone so a bag of your favourite crisps fill that gap.

It might also be that you can't quite put your finger on it.

And that’s ok too. You don’t always have to know. Just be aware without self-judgement and this alone can bring about a shift.

4.   Be Still

There's something very magical about finding stillness. Especially amongst chaos!

As a human condition, you’re constantly processing thoughts, emotions, people, experiences, your surroundings etc and sometimes you just can’t quite grasp for a moment to reflect, assimilate and digest.

Being still allows you this gift, however it can be very scary especially if you’ve habitually found ways to escape your mind on a daily basis.

If this is you, why not start really small and grow into your silences. Just 15 secs, 30 secs, 45 secs until you can manage 1 minute. allow this to grow organically and without force.

Quiet time can assist you in resolving challenges, reconnect with yourself, listen intrinsically and respond/ honour the ability to build resilience for stressful moments whilst learning to self-soothe and create internal feelings of calm.

5.   Deliberate Reflection Time

Giving yourself permission to deliberately review what's been going on in your life allows you to see the truth about what's right in front of you rather than the stories you might be telling yourself.

It also gives you some time to feel your emotions and decide what you'd like to do with what shows up.

Why not use this time to determine what things to change, how to understand your successes and the key to figuring out conundrums and future next steps.

If you like the idea of making quiet time for yourself, why not incorporate some deliberate reflection time within it.

It's a wonderful way to self express, release emotions and empty your mind.

Here are some ideas to support this:

·      Create a reflection jar to write down your achievements that week or month

·      Source a note book where you can journal and write down your thoughts

·      Tap into your creative side with poetry reading or writing, free flow drawing where you allow your hand to go wherever it wants to on the page without leaving whilst reflecting on something ie an emotion, a concern, a challenge. Or move how you feel/play an instrument/make something all whilst considering the contents/experiences of your day/week

6.   Connect with your Chakras

This is not for everyone and can come across as airy-fairy.

It is however very nourishing and self-serving when implemented.

Chakras are wheels of energy within the body that sit along the spine.

They represent the many areas of your life like experiencing love, vocal expression or as mentioned earlier feeling grounded.

Each chakra is distinguished by a colour, for example the base chakra is red, the throat chakra is blue and the heart chakra is green.

Lockdown can bring up many emotions like fear, anger and shame or guilt.

As an example, the third chakra (Solar Plexus/Manipura) which is located in the diaphragm is yellow and regulates fear because of its connection to digestion and the adrenal glands.

You could support this chakra by eating yellow foods, foods that assist digestion like yogurt or apples, wear more yellow or have yellow plants at home like flowers.

You could also take some time to declutter your mind, body, home or office.

How is this useful?

Well, our chakras are most balanced when they're not blocked so creating spaces around you for free flow can support the smooth flow of energy around and within you

Let’s not forget that this also includes being willing to release that which no longer serves you.

Closing

We are all so different and lockdown will impact you in different ways to someone else.

My wish for you is that this writing serves you however you need it most.

Please take that which resonates with you and discard the rest to reduce internal clutter.

Can you resist holding onto information, thoughts and feelings that only negatively impacts you?

A challenge and a curiosity that many of us could truly benefit from, I think.

So, right now in your life as you navigate through lockdown lll, where can you see the beauty in this unusual opportunity to create space, honour your needs and listen to your calling.