I write to you as an anxious person, like most people are right now. I too am stuck in a weird situation. It might feel slightly wrong and selfish to sit here and talk about self-care, but I don’t think it is, because if you’re staying at home, you’re doing your part, and it is more important than ever that we take care of ourselves.
So, here are five things you can do to take care of yourself:
1. Listen To Music
As I’ve already mentioned, I am an anxious person, and music gives me space. Muting the world can be very calming, and it can help you gather your thoughts. Here is what I do: I go to the terrace, put on my earphones, and dance to the music as the sun sets. I feel more put together after this.
2. Wake Up Early
Everyone’s routine is a little messed up right now. I had to get up at 9 a.m. to attend my online class, and I woke up five minutes after the class had started. It put a rush on my day, and it felt like I had no control. Now, I get up at 7 a.m., get my morning work done and read before the class starts. You just have to get up a little early. On days you can’t do much, just take a bath before your day starts. It feels good and gives you some control back.
3. Write One Line A Day
I do this exercise, one line every day. Just write one line about how your day was, what you felt or a movie dialogue you really liked. It puts off the pressure of having to write well or having to say a lot. What happens is, when you do start this, you will eventually write more, since you don’t really have to do it. It helps keep your feelings in order.
4. Monitor The Content You Consume
I cannot stress this enough. When you spend your days following content that’s useless or disturbing, you end up with a feeling of not having done anything. Limit your intake of irrelevant things you watch, and invest your time in activities that will not make you feel bad at the end of the day.
5. One-hour Rule
One hour means 60 minutes; 3600 seconds; and it has one promise. I understand the need to bring changes in your life. If there is something you want to reduce or something you want to invest in, do it for an hour. If you want to start reading, take an hour out of binge-watching, and do it. Slowly incorporate it into your life. Don’t start with ten hours like your history homework. Start with one.