One lesson this pandemic has taught us is this – we are all connected; no man is an island.

When we are worn out, others are affected, especially our family. The atmosphere at home gets tense, stress levels increase and emotions run high. It is therefore important that we take good care of ourselves.

Self-care is essential to a healthy and happy home, and it is not selfish or wishful thinking to set aside time for yourself. Whether you manage a daily 30-minute “me time”, or work in a weekly self-care discipline, doing so would keep you going for the long haul.

Here are 9 simple ways to care for yourself during COVID-19.

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The Mind – Caring for your mental well-being

• Unplug and unwind. Cut down on mindless social media surfing and go to bed without your mobile devices next to you. Pick up a book or take up a new hobby that allows you to get centred and relax.
• Focus on what is within our control and accept what is outside our control. Choose to give our energies and attention to the changes we can make to our own lives, e.g. having more home-cooked meals and teaching our children to be mindful of personal hygiene when school starts in June.
• Reframe your negative thoughts and encourage yourself with what is going right and well. Instead of thinking, “No one ever helps me”, “When will this end?”, “This is way too hard”, tell yourself, “We are already more than half-way through Circuit Breaker”, “Our family is healthy”, or “I am thankful we are able to give to those with greater needs”.

The Heart – Caring for your emotional well-being

• Practise kindness to yourself and others. Remember that we are living in unprecedented times; it is okay to not always function at our fullest capacity. And extend that same kindness and compassion to our family members and others.
• Engage in uplifting conversations with your spouse and good friends. Communicating and connecting with our loved ones has a way of filling up our “love tanks”.
• Learn to pause and withdraw from tense situations, especially when things get overwhelming at home. It could mean finding your personal space at the window, just gazing out at the sky, and taking in fresh air to regulate your emotions.

The Body – Caring for your physical well-being

• Start your day with a good night’s rest. Getting adequate sleep helps us to be recharged and refreshed for the day’s activities.
• Take a 30-min exercise break. Whether it is a brisk walk to the nearby shops for groceries, a family work-out session following the many YouTube work-out videos, or just going crazy on a dance break with your favourite song, get moving and shake off the feeling of inertia!
• Relax your body. Take a long, uninterrupted warm shower, have your children give you a massage or do simple stretches to ease the tense muscles around your neck and shoulder.

Let us prioritise caring for ourselves, so that we are better able to help and care for our families during this time, and develop the resilience to weather the pandemic.

© 2020 Focus on the Family Singapore. All rights reserved.

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