Self-care in quarantine

Taking care of your mental and physical health

I don’t have to tell you that we are living in difficult times. We’re all experiencing hardships during the coronavirus pandemic, so now more than ever, it is important to practice self-care and listen to your personal needs.

In this article, I break self-care down into six aspects of health: social, emotional, mental, spiritual, environmental, and physical. Take a moment to reflect on yourself and think about what you’re lacking lately in this new reality. If you don’t find yourself lacking in anything, then use this article as inspiration for ways to keep from getting bored while you’re in quarantine.

Social health

Quarantine can be tough for people who thrive off of social interaction and being around others. Despite Corona, it is still possible to maintain personal connections and relationships from a distance. Stay connected to your peeps by utilizing social media, facetime, email, and even snail mail — it could be fun to have a “pen pal” during these times. Plus, you are most likely not entirely alone. Use this time to bond with the people that you are living with in quarantine. A personal favorite for my family is game night. If you prefer not to play games with the people you are living with, there are ways to play games like Cards Against Humanity online with friends. Here is an article that shows three different online venues to play this game.

Emotional health

Learn how to do something that you’ve never done before; I tried origami for the first time.

Emotionally healthy people take control of their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. To take care of your emotional health, find what works for you, personally. All I can give in this regard is advice that works for me. Sometimes, when I know that I have lots of built-up emotions that I have not had time to deal with, I just need to cry to let it out. A 2014 study shows that tears activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which releases stress and creates a calming effect in the body. A good cry can be awesome, so I watch a sad movie to cleanse my emotions. I find that Titanic and The Notebook are great for this purpose. If this type of emotional release is not your forte, find something that makes you particularly happy. This could be anything that releases feel-good hormones. Do an in-home workout, work on a puzzle, start a painting, or learn origami. Finding something to do that makes you happy creates balance in your life and improves your emotional health.

Mental health

Mental health is closely related to emotional health. To take care of my own mental health, I focus on reducing stress by starting a craft, project, or a good book! Other ways to reduce stress are to play games, watch Tik Toks, and chat with your friends. Do not let quarantine get you down, or give you an excuse to stop doing things that are necessary for your mental health. This is a friendly reminder to reach out to someone if you need help. The counseling center is open: they are doing 30-minute sessions by video or phone. These appointments are open to all students. Students who have not been to the St. Kate’s Counseling Center before should fill out this form to get started. If you have been before, you can set up an appointment via email (counselingcenter@stkate.edu) or phone (651-690-6805). More detailed information about the Counseling Center can be found here.

Spiritual health

Spiritual health involves a person’s beliefs, values, and purpose. I reached out to staff in the Center for Spirituality and Social Justice to see if they had any insight to offer. “The holistic journey through this crisis necessarily includes care for our spirits,” said Sister Sharon Howell, CSJ (Director of the Center for Spirituality and Social Justice). “Take and make time for meditation, yoga practices, mindfulness practices, prayer for others and ourselves, especially when it is healthier to keep physical distance from those who sustain us. Believe that there is no place where God is not, a prescription often shared by Maya Angelou.”

Make time for yourself to connect to your spirituality, especially in such times as these. However, sometimes it can be tough to even think about your spiritual health, and that is okay: “It is enough to be thankful for the strength to put one foot in front of the other and make it through another day,” says Samuel Kelley (Assistant Director of the Center for Spirituality and Social Justice). “We need to be kind to ourselves because we are all doing our best. Spiritual health is hard to find right now, but hopefully we can be praying for ourselves and the world.”

Environmental health

This aspect of health has to do with a person’s immediate environment. I truly hope that everyone has a roof over their heads and a safe place to stay amidst these troubling times. If you do, take some time to start some early spring cleaning (you’re inside anyway — might as well, right?) and refresh your surroundings to make quarantine a little less dull and a little more comfortable. Remember that your body is also your home. Take time to make sure that you are comfortable in your skin: have a spa day! By taking a bubble bath or doing a face mask, we can reduce stress and really start to feel good in quarantine.

Physical health

When you hear the word “health,” this is probably what you have in mind. To be physically healthy means to take care of your body. With the Butler Center and the cafeteria closed on campus, and gyms and restaurants closed universally, working out and eating healthy may seem like a challenge. However, like everything, we must find a way. Thankfully, we have the world wide web at our fingertips, and can use it to search for healthy recipes to make. Most grocery stores are still open for business, although lines may be long. You can also find an in-home workout that works for you, or you can go to the park or on a walk (just make sure you stay 6 feet away from anyone else who ventures outside). If you have a sweet tooth like me, taking care of your body also might mean baking the casual batch of cookies at midnight. Whatever makes your body go mmmmmm. If you have had trouble taking care of your body in the past, maybe take this time to switch it up and try something new. Currently, I am doing a 30-day yoga challenge on YouTube that is good for the mind, body, and spirit. This yoga challenge is applicable for beginners or advanced yogis, and it helps people reflect and “return home.” Find the 30-day yoga playlist here. Find what feels good for your body.

Continue to take care of yourself in these tough times and don’t let corona get you down! As a community, and as citizens of the world, we are all in this together. Please enjoy this video posted by Gal Gadot on March 18 as a reminder to stay strong.