Well here we are again Australia! Across the country, state and territory Premiers and Chief Ministers have locked us down and thrown away the key.
For the past 18 months we have all lived with a virus that has significantly impeded our movements, changed the nature of our relationships and put unfathomable stress on pretty much every facet of our lives.
In 2020, the immediate novelty of our time away from friends, family, the workplace and the craziness of the 21st Century demands had us all searching for ways to cope with excess time alone and in our heads. Initially, solace was found in Zoom trivia parties, sourdough baking and HouseParty (remember!).
In 2021, we find ourselves caught on the conveyor belt of snap border closures, cancelled holidays and tiered office teams. Nowadays the brief reliefs of 2020’s longer lockdown simply don’t appeal to a fatigued and frustrated Aussie. Needless, supporting your mental and physical well-being should be a key priority during times that are flippantly chaotic.
Here are my five (almost) foolproof ways to give your self-care plan the kick up the bum it needs.
Approachable mindfulness strategies
Mindfulness is somewhat of a dirty word for sceptics. Make no mistake, taking time to find even five minutes a day to rest and digest, is daunting stuff. However, in a world that is spinning around faster than Kylie, there is such power in the act of solo reflection and restoration each day. I recommend meditating each day. Just like you take the time to grab your morning coffee each day at 8am, could you diarise 5-10 minutes a day to sitting in silence. Starting small and simple is key to building up the self-confidence to come back to the practice. Like any muscle, you don’t have a six pack of clarity overnight.
Creating the sexiest work from home space
In the space of less than two hours after NSW’s June lockdown was called, my housemate and I mobilised. No, we didn’t splurge on toilet paper. We redecorated and replenished our work from home situation. Eating, working,socialising and commiserating from the same office or dining room for an extended period of time can result in the dreaded feeling of Groundhog Day. Springtime or not, make the time to give your work from home space the self-care it so needs.
Investing in sexual health
This is for all those single beings! To all you loved up readers, being on your lonesome in love during a lockdown is a stark exercise in learning to love thyself. Whether you are craving connection or not, honing your sexual wellness can help release some built up ~tension~. There are heaps of speed delivery services, I am using a nifty product from Normal Co.
Release your neck
Hear me out! Worse than spending a lot of time with our arses firmly planted on the same seat is the fact that we are hunched over our preferred devices like the king hunch of Notre Dame. Releasing your neck and shoulders should be a must for any desk jockey. Shoulder raises, cross arm stretches, neck rolls. There are a suite of ways to relieve the habitualised tension and stress which manifests in our necks. Beth Borowsky is a master of neck relief!
Ditch the doom scrolling
Even if you have found this post through a trusty SEO spiral of COVID related news, I encourage you to stop! Shut the laptop, turn off your phone. If there is one thing I can promise you, COVID will still be here in the morning. No matter how many news sites you devour, your news consumption won’t make it go away. If you need a COVID news hit, set a timer on your phone for devoted news consumption.
