The A-Z of self care during this difficult time of the COVID-19 Pandemic
A: Anxiety - keep things in perspective and try to stay in the present moment
B: Boundaries - it’s important to find these and say no to anything that doesn’t align with self-care
C: Coaching - supporting oneself to make different choices
D: Diet - less refined carb, sugar and caffeine all help to sustain health
E: Exercise - realistic and achievable - just ten minutes walking a day improves health
F: Friendship - be in remote contact with people who feed you not those who repeatedly drain you
G: Goals - realistic and motivating that reflect deeper values e.g. to care for yourself more
H: Hugs - great for soothing the nervous system (if you have someone in your household to offer one)
I: Imagination - doing something differently such as a bath before bed rather than TV
J: Jumper - snuggle into cosy soft layers to comfort yourself when you need it
K: Kitchen - make how you take time to cook and eat an act of self-care
L: Laughter - take time to engage with things that make you laugh or do things that do
M: Mood - notice your changing state of mood and be welcoming however it feels
N: Noticing - take time to notice the small moments of connection and beauty every day
O: Outdoors - nature is a great soother. Stand outside and take some deep breaths
P: Pets - an excellent means to self-soothe by their companionable presence and through stroking them
Q: Quality engagement with others (as permitted) and activities - maybe take up a new hobby!
R: Rest - essential and underrated
S: Sounds - taking time out to listen to soothing sounds is very beneficial via apps like Insight Timer
T: Taste - eat more mindfully and enjoy eating with others in your household
U: Unplugged - take small windows of time to be screen-free
V: Vitality - do things that feed your soul no matter how seemingly silly or minor
W: Walking - it’s simple and it’s free and if we can do it without distraction, great to ground and nurture
X: Keep distressing images/news etc to a level that doesn’t overwhelm or trigger your threat system
Y: Yellow - a great bright colour that can lift a mood
Z: Zoom-free - it’s easy to get a lot more fatigued using these platforms at this time, so take frequent breaks and mix up with other unrelated activities