Self-care has been a frequent topic of conversation in the last week between my clients and me. I have noticed that many of my clients are feeling extremely stressed and overwhelmed with the ongoing pandemic layered on top of the social unrest happening in Portland. While it may feel as if we have no control over the larger world, we can control how we support ourselves in living in this time of uncertainty. Below are some suggestions for a daily self-care checklist. Incorporating these self-care strategies into our life everyday could help reduce our anxiety and feelings of overwhelm.
- Did I get between 7-9 hours of sleep a night?
- Did I spend time with friends and family I like and enjoy?
- Did I move my body?
- Did I do something to relieve stress like yoga or meditation?
- Did I expose myself to nature?
- Did I do at least one thing just for myself?
- Did I eat healthy, nourishing food?
- Did I do something I enjoy doing?
You may be looking at this list and thinking, “I can’t add anything else to my to-do list!”. However, most of these items take extraordinarily little time and the benefits can be profound. If adding all these suggestions feels like too much, do what feels doable. You might notice that as these items become more a part of your daily routine, you will feel less harried and can slowly add more of the items. We all deserve to have the time and space to take care of ourselves!
Photo from flickr.
