Self-Care During COVID-19 Outbreak: Part 2

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​Guest Blogger: Anne Miller-Uueda, LCSW

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Taking care of Emotional and Spiritual Needs

Emotional Self-Care
Do something you like. A lot of activities are restricted right now, but not all. Maybe re-read your favorite book, have a dance party in your kitchen to your favorite song, do a puzzle, knit, take a bath, listen to music, sit on your front steps and listen to the birds, write, create art, cook, bake, play with your pet or child, color, read poetry…
 
Laugh! If you can, find something that always makes you laugh. It could be clips of your favorite late-night host or comedian on YouTube, your favorite Shakespeare comedy, your favorite video of your two-year-old imitating your partner, a comedy podcast – anything!
 
Practice self-compassion.  Try to talk to yourself as kindly as you would talk to a friend. We can often be much harder on ourselves than others.
 
Spiritual Self-Care
Practice mindfulness. Mindfulness is simply being in the moment. This is much easier said than done, and it is often so worth the practice it takes. Focusing on your breath or engaging with your senses are a couple ways to do this. There are many other ways to practice mindfulness and many mindfulness resources are making some of their content free right now (see the resources at the bottom of this blog for a few suggestions).
 
Get outside and notice nature. There are many places that you can be outside and stay 6 feet from others. If you are having difficulty accessing outdoor spaces, you can sit on your front steps or even be by an open window for 15 minutes a day.
 
Access your spirituality. This can look different for everyone but try to be in touch with your higher power or access your version of spirituality. You know your belief system best, so you know how to best do this. 

Mindfulness and Self-Compassion Resources:

• SomeCOVID-19 Specific Mindfulness: https://mailchi.mp/01c0e1a7bdb0/coronasupport
• Free Access to some of Headspace’s Content During COVID-19: https://www.headspace.com/covid-19
• Self-Compassion Resource with Mindfulness Activities: https://self-compassion.org

 
Reliable sources of information regarding COVID-19:

• Philadelphia City Government COVID-19 Resource Page: https://www.phila.gov/programs/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/updates/
• CDC COVID-19 Resource Page: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

 
Parenting:
New York Times’ Parenting During COVID-19 Collection: https://www.nytimes.com/spotlight/parenting-kids-coronavirus