What does self-care mean to you?
By Laura Griffiths, YBTC Counsellor
There are many excellent resources out there that offer guidance on how to look after yourself during the pandemic, and deal with the many challenges that Covid-19 brings. However, this can also mean information overload.
I have worked as a counsellor for many years, and whilst everybody and their situation is different, the following is an overview of what I believe proves to be the most effective strategies that together can build an individual ‘self-care package’ that will help us get through these difficult months, and indeed life!
Everybody’s self-care will be different, as certain things will help some people, but not others. The key is working out what strategies fit for you and how you can make sure you incorporate them into your day, and start to make them a habit, as natural as cleaning your teeth. This is particularly important as for a lot of people their ‘normal’ day is now vastly different to what it was, for example now having to work from home. Even if this is not the case for you, those activities that gave us anchors around which we could structure our day, may no longer be possible, which is why our days need some careful re-thinking, to enable us to get through this period as well as we can, so that we are still able to thrive.
The following suggestions may help anyone who finds they are struggling with aspects of lockdown.