March 2020 took the country by storm. Lockdowns and face coverings is something that I never would have expected to see in my lifetime. I have been blessed in so many ways over the past year having my family and all of us being healthy. One thing I have learned is that I really love using a mask when I go outside. Since I started wearing a mask every time I leave the house I have noticed that I have been healthier. I haven’t had a cold, flu, or any type of virus in over a year, and yes, even after this is over I will continue to wear a mask everywhere I go because I choose to stay healthy. Self-Care has been a popular topic lately and I have been doing the same thing. Physical, Emotional, Spiritual, And Mental health is always important especially in these unprecedented times so I thought I would like to share five ways I have found peace and happiness.
Meditation
Having a clear and positive mental attitude has been the only way I have managed to survive the past year. I started meditating years ago after suffering a seizure that messed up the wiring in my brain so bad that it left me with extreme anxiety and suffering from agoraphobia for 2 ½ years. Although I managed to overcome the agoraphobia I still suffer from extreme panic attacks. Meditation has gotten me through the worst times of my life. Learning to meditate has never been easier with apps you can download. I actually prefer using guided meditation because it helps me focus better.
Yoga
Yoga has been a daily part of my workout for a long time now. To be honest I never thought I would be able to take up practicing yoga due to a spine injury that left me with chronic pain. One day when I was searching YouTube for yoga workouts I decided to search for beginner yoga for people with back pain. I was thrilled to find so many yoga workouts tailored specifically for people just like me. I watched so many videos and made a playlist of the ones that I would be able to do with my back injury. The first thing I learned about doing yoga is that even though I have chronic back pain the yoga helps with stretching and strengthening my back and I now practice yoga on a daily basis.
Healthy Diet
A healthy diet was a huge change for me in the sense that I spent my life eating convenient food and just nibbling here and there. I never even took the time to actually sit down and enjoy my food. I tended to go for food that I could eat one-handed while I walked around checking things off my to-do list. The first thing I did was to remove 70% of processed food from my diet and replace it with fresh fruit and vegetables. The second thing I did was to stop drinking soda and I replaced my daily soda intake with water. Just to be clear I will never give up my coffee but I have discovered hot tea and enjoy sipping a cup of tea a couple of times a day as well.
Gardening
Gardening has always been a form of therapy for me. Having a beautiful patio full of flowers is very important to me. I can clear my mind and get my hands in the soil and really clear my head.
This year I decided like many others to try my hand at growing my own food. I spent more time on Google than I would like to admit learning how to grow food in containers and decided to start with two types of lettuce{ salad bowl mix, and romaine}, cherry tomatoes, and Yukon gold potatoes. The reason I started growing my own is that I really hate going to the grocery store! I wanted to be able to walk out on my patio and grab what I wanted to eat and walk back to the kitchen. I will be honest and say I had no idea how long it took to grow food. It has required a lot of patience on my part but it has definitely been worth it.
Family
I have been very lucky compared to most people during this past year. I live in a multi-generational household so I was not separated from my family like most people. I also didn’t have the added stress of worrying about my daughter and my elderly parents during this unprecedented time. I have been doing my parents' grocery shopping for years and I have been so thankful to be able to continue to do this for them to keep them from possibly being exposed to the virus. I will admit it took some time to adjust to the new norm especially with the grocery store because it became one trip to buy our groceries, our daughter’s groceries, and my parents' groceries all at the same time. Three different grocery lists and three different checkouts. It has been worth it to keep my loved ones' exposure down to a minimum. I also talk to my brother on the phone multiple times a day and my Aunts, cousins, my niece, and my nephew via social media and video calls weekly. We have also discovered some great shows and movies.
How have you been practicing self-care? Let me know in the comments.
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