If you don’t look after yourself, you can’t look after anyone else. It’s more important now than ever to keep your fuel tank topped up by doing things that bring you joy, comfort and reassurance.
Ironically it’s not easy, but it is genuinely important. There are some basic things which make a real difference. Here’s some simple advice:
If your children are old enough, try setting aside specific blocks of time to do something you love, or just to do nothing. Let your family know that you’re ‘out of office’ at that time.
Let yourself off the hook. Prioritise things that really matter. If you don’t mind about a few wrinkles, let the ironing go.
Get outside. Follow the rules but get as much fresh air as you safely can.
Exercise. Try out some of online classes that have become free to use. Start that Couch to 5k running programme you’ve been meaning to get round to. Obviously make sure you stay a safe distance from others.
Eat well.
Follow a proper bedtime routine. You may have noticed that even though you might be less active than usual, you’re very tired by the end of the day. It’s not surprising – it’s very hard work, keeping the ship afloat at the moment. Your brain needs to know that night time is sleep time, so stick to the usual night time rituals.
Keep up your social life. Learn how to use Zoom. It’s a free video calling app that lets you video chat to a group of people at the same time.