Elephant’s Continually-updating Coronavirus Diary. ~ Waylon

This meme is a pretty accurate description of my life for the past 10 weeks. 

It hasn’t been easy to navigate these uncertain times, but the best thing I’ve done for myself (which you can do too) was establishing a self-care routine. Something that you can continue to fall back on even when you start venturing back out into the world. 

Here are five self-care tips that will leave you feeling refreshed, grounded, and connected (start them now):

1. Gratitude. 

I start my day every day with The Grateful Wakeup. It’s simple; I think of three things I’m thankful for as I take three big, belly breaths. It’s a reminder to myself that a new day is here full of infinite possibilities. Try it right now; just breathe in and out and list something you’re grateful for. Do this three times. Don’t overthink it.

2. Meditation. 

It has been popping up worldwide, especially with May being Mental Health Awareness Month. When I first started meditating, I found myself constantly falling asleep when trying to sit for longer than five minutes—and then beating myself up for it. If this happens to you too, don’t be so hard on yourself. Maybe try a shorter amount of time and explore different styles of meditation. There isn’t just one right way. I enjoy practicing with the Insight Timer app. Sometimes I do guided meditations, sometimes with music, occasionally silent—every day is different.

3. Yoga. 

Yoga has so many healing benefits physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually. Even if it’s only 10-20 minutes during your day, it helps! 

After practicing many different styles over the years, I’ve noticed that there isn’t one right way of this either. I have been a Bikram yoga addict, enjoyed many styles of Vinyasa, and even gentle or restorative classes—my obsessions have evolved over time right alongside whatever I’m going through in my life. Let your practice be what it is for today, and come back and try it again tomorrow.

4. Use essential oils.

They are excellent for various reasons. I enjoy lavender drops in my warm bath for calming, and lemon in my water for digestion and a little flavor. My essential diffuser has also gotten quite a bit of use lately with orange and refreshing Springtime blends. The oils help me ground and become present.

5. Hydrate.

I started a Water Challenge WhatsApp group with 48 people in it. We all hold ourselves accountable for drinking 75 ounces of water a day. My skin feels better, my body feels healthier, and my mind clearer. I mean, our bodies are either 60 or 70 percent water (based on which Google search you believe). 

Are you drinking enough water? If not, go grab your water bottle and fill it up now!

I hope these self-care tips help you. Start small, implement one thing at a time—something you can stay consistent with. Small daily wins are better than one big score and then letting everything fall to the wayside. Stay strong, and you got this. #selfcare