How to Practice Self-Care During COVID-19 Pandemic

Whilst is crucial that we stay home and do our part in stopping the spread of COVID-19 during the tightening phase 2 in Singapore, staying indoors for prolonged periods of time can trigger anxiety, loneliness, boredom, weight gain and even depression.

Here are some activities to get you out of the rut, improve your physical & mental wellbeing and even pick up a new skill (or two)!

Practice mindfulness 

Being mindful is to be fully present in the moment of whatever activity you are doing. It is especially difficult when most of us are working from home in a small confined space and for many - this also includes managing the kid’s home-based learning curriculum. 

Agree and set aside time with your family members to give each other space during the day. Practice putting your phone away during meals and savour the moment. Chew slower, rest your mind from work, and ground yourself. If you are new to mindfulness and meditation, there are also great apps like Headspace that can guide you through different types of meditation. Sceptical? We tried it ourselves and found that it help reduce anxiousness and improve sleep quality.

Exercise

Admittedly, this is an area that we lack motivation in but luckily there are endless workouts on YouTube that can get your heart racing and your muscles sore in just under 30 minutes without needing to leave your home. Just search for ’30 minute no equipment cardio workout’ and you’ll see what we mean. Get the family involved, or do this over Zoom with friends – happiness guaranteed!

Learn a New Skill

Learning a new skill changes the connections inside your brain, improves your brain health and memory. It also increases your mental wellbeing and happiness. There are countless learning resources like Coursera, Skillshare, Udemy where you can access great courses (often free) in the comfort of your home. You can also pick up a hobby like cooking, baking, or knitting from Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook community. 

Declutter

Having an organised space does wonders for your psyche. It improves your focus, decreases your stress levels by giving you the feeling of control of your environment.

1. Start small. Allocate 15 minutes to this task at a time so you don’t feel overwhelmed.
2. Go easy. Choose an easy area with high impact like kitchen counter, dining table, or your bed.
3. Create a system. Make storage bins for things you want to: put away, recycle, fix, trash, donate.
4. Trust the process. Completely empty each space you are decluttering, assess each item. Put the keep pile back to where it belongs, sort the rest into the bins you have created.
5. Declutter regularly. It gets easier each time!

Remember you don’t need to get everything done at once.

Gardening 

Gardening can be a great stress reliever, studies have shown that it reduces the risk of depression. It allows you to focus on an activity that will bring you joy plus you get to enjoy benefits that come from the produce you grow. Don’t forget to compost your food scraps, it’s a great way to reduce your waste and feed your plants.

Self-Compassion

Remember, we are in the middle of a pandemic, it's perfectly normal to feel what you feel, give space and permission to be kind towards yourself.

At Minimakers, we have been taking this time to slow down, refocus on what's important and enjoying our craft of beeswax wrap making & appreciating the beauty of slow making.

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