Creating an environment for yourself to thrive: self-care tips for the winter months of a pandemic.
by Iram Noor Ashgar
With winter just around the corner It is crucial for us all to get a handle on our routines and environments now more than ever. This can be an exciting journey though. We are creating our own worlds! Whether you live alone or with family, friends, children or partners, we all ultimately get to decide how we craft our spaces and structure our lives. This is a great opportunity to put some effort into making our days look and flow with as much ease as possible.
1) Set things up the night before
There are so many stressors coming at us right now from both external and internal forces. It is important to provide yourself with a structure that supports you so that you aren't constantly battling yourself.
How can you reorganize your space so that you can clearly move through all the tasks and activities of your day as soon as you wake up?
If you often skip out on exercise because you are feeling low energy or dont have the right environment to support it, can you lay out your yoga mat the night before? Or perhaps pick out your workout clothes and set them out so they are ready when you wake up?
How else can you support yourself?
Fill up a bottle of water before you go to bed so it's ready for you to drink first thing in the morning.
Take time to ask yourself what you need in a supportive environment and provide it for yourself.
Sometimes that means making a couple big changes. This week I realized that my mattress was just not right for my body's needs at the moment and I switched to sleeping on a floor futon.
What is your body telling you about your environment today ?
2) Create clear rituals and routines
These can be especially helpful when we are dealing with mental health. Having a degree of predictability makes us feel safe and able to move through our day, Can you provide yourself with some predictable and supportive routines?
That could be as simple as drinking a cup or water as soon as you wake up, or taking time to journal first thing in the morning.
Setting aside sacred and predictable spaces for self-reflection are crucial for grounding our minds. Especially when everything else seems like it is moving, Having points of stability can be valuable anchors for peace and sanity.
3) Do some kind of physical activity
There is really no right or wrong for this and everyone should find the type of physical activity that feels best for their body. This can also change from time to time and it's great to switch up the type of physical activity you do.
You could go on walks or runs, do yoga, dance, do gentle stretches, strength training, …. really whatever speaks to you the most will be the most helpful.
4) Take time to quiet your mind
This can be really hard! Some people like to meditate in silence while others like to use guided meditations or even just go for a mindful walk. With quieting your mind, again there is no right or wrong way to do it.
I started out using guided meditations and then realized that I was getting interested in Zen meditation. At some point Zen meditation became difficult and I went back to guided meditations. I also find going on silent walks to be a great way to connect with myself and with my intuitive body.
A way in which I have been adding magic and contemplation to my life has been through unplanned walks. I allow my curiosity to guide where I end up taking my silent walks and I often make fun discoveries along my path. The other day I found a couple of amazing books on one of these walks when I came across a little free library!
Quieting our minds can be a way to get curious about what is going on in there, what tracks are playing, where do they lead you and which tracks of thought do you need to reevaluate? Are there unhealthy thoughts that you can redirect? Is there inspiration that you could nurture into a new project or idea? Silence is a great way to get to know yourself.
5) Take time to play!
A lot of people have been picking up new hobbies while at home. However, play doesn't just have to be a new hobby. It doesn't have to look like drawing or photography or a large new commitment. It could also be just watching the trees outside of your window, or trying a new way of thinking about something. Perhaps you add play to an existing habit or activity like making food. Play can simply look like finding out where you can let go and experiment with your life and not worry too much about the outcome. It could be taking time out of your day to doodle or adding playfulness to your cleaning routines - maybe you dance to 80s pop while vacuuming. Find a couple ways to shake up and add joy and experimentation to your life and see where that takes you, you might make some new discoveries about yourself.
6) Dress up just for you!
Though we might be at home, the psychology of how we present ourselves still affects us tremendously. If you wear your sweats and pajamas around all day - odds are you are going to feel a little grimy at some point. It is so natural to want to do that, especially when you are barely seeing anyone. But this is also a great opportunity to love yourself! Dressing up just for you is a great way to show yourself some much needed love and attention. There is also no reason why you can't use this to experiment with new clothes. What colors make you feel like the real you? You are the only one that is around to see it and that is totally fine. It's a great way to enjoy that wonderful process. How do you want to present yourself to yourself (who btw is the most important person to present yourself to). During the pandemic, I have discovered that I gravitate more towards comfortable clothing. I like to wear similar silhouettes and quite honestly stick to a lot of the same clothes every day. This has led me to downsizing a lot of my wardrobe, which is exciting. Approaching things with curiosity and play in this way can make something that feels depressing, like dressing up when no one is going to see your sleek look and turn it into an empowering self discovery!
I want to mention that it may not be possible to implement all these tools at the same time. It is important to integrate them slowly and thoughtfully into your life. The most important thing is being aware of tools and resources that you can provide yourself and listen to what your body actually needs. No two bodies are the same.
Having said that I wish you the best of luck on your journey to create a positive environment for your body and mind. It might be hard at first to consistently implement tools and experiment but once you find your rhythm, small changes can make a huge difference in your overall mood.
Iram Asghar is a 24 year old, Chicago based Textile Artist who is very passionate about mental health advocacy and using art making as a healing modality to process emotions and trauma. She has a small textile art business and is always thinking of new ways to use art as a means to advocate for mental health.