What I’m Doing for Self-Care During a Pandemic Winter
By: Louise Lumia
Tags: Self Care, Pandemic, Winter, Self Improvement, Personal Growth

What I’m Doing for Self-Care During a Pandemic Winter

The first snowstorm has hit the northeast, forcing me to make peace with the fact that winter is here (does someone want to let Jon snow know?).

My friends and I have been talking about this winter for a few weeks now, given that we already know how it feels to be in isolation, but we haven’t experienced it during the already somewhat isolating winter season.

As COVID-19 cases rise, and the vaccine has yet to hit the mainstream, staying at home is back in season. Although if you’re like me and this isn’t your first New England winter, part of the decision to stay at home more frequently comes from the simple fact that it's winter in New England, enough said.

I learned so much this year about my reaction to unprecedented amounts of alone time, the difference between solitude vs loneliness, and self-care that doesn’t take the shape it did in years past.

In the spirit of embracing the light at the end of this tunnel, I wanted to share some slightly unconventional self-care ideas. I welcome you to join me in any of these while we stay home for one final push to keep everyone safe.

Here are 10 things I’ll be doing this winter while I optimistically wait for springtime.

Watching all the Marvel movies in chronological order

A solid way to beat the what should we watch rabbit hole. And Disney+ has them listed in chronological order so there is no deep-dive internet search required. The more recently made movies (like Captain Marvel) actually start the saga, and so far watching in this order has been an interesting new perspective.

2. Rolling out my yoga mat when I’m ready to use it (instead of staring at it all day and falling down an I should work out shame spiral)

Here’s the thing about working out from home. It’s hard. It took me months to figure out a time of day and a workout routine that worked for me. Little did I know at the time that these months would be nothing in the grand scheme of pandemic life. I’m happy I didn’t let shame over not exercising keep me from finding an at-home workout that works for me.

Some days exercise just isn’t in the cards, for whatever reason (and the pandemic has given us many). Being okay with not hitting your exercise goal is a huge part of winter pandemic self-care.

It’s also important to set reasonable goals. A yoga class on YouTube after a long day on your computer? Super achievable. Running 10 miles in 10-degree weather? Maybe not. Everyone is different in terms of what kinds of movement they like, so find something you enjoy.

3. Journaling

I’ve never journaled as much as I have over these past few months. Some days I really resisted it. I didn’t want to check in with myself when I knew I wouldn’t like what I would find, but those were the times I needed to the most.

If journaling isn’t your thing, try meditation, walking, or anything that allows you to slow down, unplug from a day spent behind the computer, and make space for your thoughts.

For some staying at home was a time of connection and creativity. But for myself, I didn’t find that to be the case. When every day takes place in the same location, with the same people, and the same tasks, it’s easy to go on autopilot and lose sight of our thoughts and emotions. This can become the perfect storm for the loss of personal growth.

Journaling helps me check in emotionally and allows me to reflect and make changes when necessary.

4. Drinking lots of water (to offset the increased coffee consumption)

Did anyone else’s coffee consumption rise dramatically this year? Turns out when all events got canceled, making coffee became an event in and of itself — French press, party of one?

I realized I had to increase my water. In the winter it’s just as important to stay hydrated as it is in the sweaty summer months. People tend to drink less water in the winter because they don’t crave a cold beverage, so it’s really important to stay on top of your hydration even when your body doesn’t send the same ‘in-need of hydration’ signals.

5. Going to bed early & waking up early

When it’s dark by 4:30 it’s hard to stay motivated to finish work, make dinner, eat dinner, and try to entertain yourself for a few hours. I’ve embraced a life of getting in bed around 8:30, reading for an hour, and going to bed (not exactly what I envisioned for myself in my late 20s).

Feeling well-rested when I wake up at 7 makes life a lot easier (generally speaking, more sleep makes everything in life easier). I find 7 AM–9 AM is an enjoyable time in the winter to drink my coffee, catch up on the news (or ignore it completely), journal, have a nice breakfast, and enjoy the benefits of not having to commute as the sun slowly decides if it will make an appearance that day.

It’s easy to roll out of bed right before hopping on Zoom at 9 AM, but giving yourself some time in the morning will change everything for the better. The only way I was able to accomplish this without feeling like a zombie was to make myself go to bed earlier.

6. Cleaning my space on a regular basis

Working and living in the same space has a number of challenges, one of which is the mess that accumulates. Coffee cups decorate every room, dishes pile in the sink, clothes piles getting higher and higher — the dirty pile vs. the clean pile I just haven’t folded yet become indistinguishable. I’m not someone who needs my place queen-visit-ready at any moment in time, but this year has taught me a little extra effort goes a long way.

Waking up to a clean kitchen, a tidied bedroom, an orderly workspace, makes all the difference when spending so much time at home. I don’t worry about it throughout the day, but I spend a few minutes at the end of the day making my spaces clean and comfortable for the next day. Oh and make your bed, always make your bed.

7. Becoming okay with not being okay

This is a lot tougher than making your bed but equally, if not more, as important. The benefit of entering winter now is that the pandemic isn’t new news to us. We’ve entered this strange new world, walked a mile in our masks, we have more information than we did before. That information and experience can help our mental health, but it doesn’t mean we’re happy with the state of the world. Watching cases rise, living in isolation, experiencing something that a year ago was unimaginable, all of that can take its toll.

It’s important to remember you’re not being too sensitive or too emotional when you have bad days. Feeling sad or anxious about something sad and anxiety-producing is completely normal. It’s what you do with those feelings that matters.

8. Not giving up on telehealth

I’m not the biggest fan of telehealth. There are wifi issues on the regular and awkward pauses that would be much more natural in-person. It’s hard to ‘come down’ from a therapeutic conversation by closing your laptop and being in the same space you work and live in, with no commute to process the session. I really, really want to give up on it, but I’m not going to because I know it’s been good for me.

9. Eating nachos on a regular basis

Nachos are my favorite food, and I’m very lucky to live with someone who makes a phenomenal batch of them. This winter I’m enjoying the things I can enjoy with as much frequency as I’d like. In this case, it’s dependent on how frequently I can convince this particular person in my life to make nachos, but you get the idea. Enjoy your favorite things this winter, whatever they may be.

10. Reading before bed every night

When I say reading I don’t mean Shakespeare or Mark Twain, I mean the reality TV equivalent in book form. A page-turner that I can barely put down to turn out the lights. Having something to look forward to at the end of the day is important, especially when we won’t be seeing friends as frequently or doing the fun winter activities we’re used to doing.

Having a great book, whatever that looks like for you, will get you off the couch and away from Netflix to stay on track with a healthy winter bedtime. Just make sure you don’t pull an all-nighter to read it! When your eyes start to close involuntary it’s time to put the book down for the night.

Winter is not a time to take anything for granted — not our health, the health of our loved ones, or the things that bring us joy on the day-to-day. Some of us feel more sensitive in the winter months (I partly blame the lack of vitamin D) and that’s okay. We think of sensitivity as having a negative connotation, she’s too sensitive, but sensitivity can allow us to feel more, to access more of an emotional range, to keep us from numbness and indifference.

Heightened sensitivity can make the small joys in life that much more enjoyable, and during winter, that can be extremely beneficial. Let the sensitivity in this winter and let it open you up to enjoy all the indoor things you love that you may have been too busy for in years past.