The term self-care describes the actions that an individual might take in order to reach optimal physical and mental health.

“You will never speak to anyone as much as you speak to yourself in your head, so be kind to yourself”

Ever since the pandemic has struck the globe, the whole world has turned upside down. A lot of population is suffering like never before, people have lost their rhythm of life and there has been an upsurge of negativity from all around. At such a time, it becomes very important to maintain a good relationship with yourself. Time is bound to create anxieties for us in numerous ways. People all have different requirements for self-care, but in general, the goals of self-care are to find a state of good mental and physical health, reduce stress, meet emotional needs, maintain one's relationships, both romantic and platonic, and find a balance between one's personal and academic or professional life. 

One of the problem that has spread widely in the current situation is Anxiety for situations.

 Anxiety is often seen as a negative emotion that needs to be avoided or kept at far. However, there is a way to cure anxiety. Sit with it, track down the patterns so that you can ascertain when and why an event triggers an anxious response in us.

Here are certain ways of how to tackle that anxiety:

• talk to some mental health professional

• identify your triggers : spend some time reflecting on how the day went, what was useful and what caused you stress (financial, social situations, work, excessive caffeine, relationships, media)

• do relaxation training like, deep breathing/box breathing exercises

• grounding and mindfulness: these techniques could help you redirect yourself to the present moment

• challenge that anxious thought: (attention +believe +challenge +discount +explore)

• affirmations for anxiety (“I know how to cope from this”, “I trust myself”, I don’t have to do this alone can seek help)

Anxiety for something helps us understand what is wrong and be prepared for an anticipated threat in the future.

There are also a lot of ways to support someone who is consciously facing this problem. It has a significant impact on both the parties involved. So here are a list of things which you can do to support someone without being exhausted:

Signs to look-out for:

How to support them:

1. Acknowledge their feelings

2. Help them in breaking down their negative patterns by reminding them of some positive situation or outcomes.

3. Help them rationalize why the positive outcome is not as bad as they were thinking.

4. Give them space if required

5. Give physical affection (eg. hugs) when they need it and are feeling vulnerable.

6. Listen and be present with them.

Now we may understand how we develop self-compassion. This is because the charity begins at home. When we will be compassionate & caring towards ourselves, we would automatically glow up even in the dark.

Developing self-compassion:

Other than these there are other things too which help in maintaining sanity during these hard times. Such as practicing yoga and meditation.

How meditation and yoga may help:

• When you’re dealing with stressful time sitting at home/office all day, you could take some time out and sit in a relaxed position to process your thoughts effectively. This is will give you an insight to what is happening around and how to deal with it.

• Practice yoga to improve your posture because due to continuous lockdowns and curfews it is hard to go anywhere to workout.

• Keep yourself away from unwanted negativity and try to remember all that is good in your life. Yoga will not only improve your posture but will also create a balance in your life.

Eating well and exercising regularly are very common if we want to have good and relaxing time and improve our state of mind. Engaging your brain in puzzles could help you spend some productive time alone as well as revitalize your brain. You can write down your negative/positive thoughts and emotions to acknowledge them even more closely.

You can practice spiritual self-care also in different ways such as

• volunteering to help others in need,

• spending time in the great outdoors connecting with nature,

• or reading about religious practices and values that intrigue you.

Also, there are various other options to maintain your sanity in these times, like, indulging in community service, seeking mental help, reading good literature, taking time off from work, being empathetic towards others.

There is no stigma or shame in accepting that someone is suffering or going through something hard. In fact, that person in himself is very strong to deal with hardships, in the first place. Be kind towards yourself and also others. 

“Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars.”

— Kahlil Gibran