I have seen a plethora of articles about self-care, but this one is a little different…I feel an obligation to write my own self-care post to remind you that self-care is not just sitting around relaxing and pampering yourself.
There IS a difference between relaxing and laziness.
As important as taking the time to care for your mental health is, there is a line between taking time to relax and recharge and being just plain lazy. I know when we are stuck at home, it’s easy to lose track of what day it is. It feels like all you do is cook and eat. Getting stuck in a rut, binge-watching and ordering in is extremely easy with this extended period of time at home, but get off of your couch already!
I don’t mean to sound insensitive, but I see some people falling apart, spending much of their time arguing with strangers on Facebook, watching every season of every show on Netflix, constantly checking statistics and news on COVID-19, being depressed about being stuck at home or sleeping these weeks away.
Grandma says…
Makes me think of what Grandma would have said…I can hear her now. “Suck it up buttercup and get moving.” She was an extremely strong woman and mentor for me. My grandmother was a mother to 9 children, 8 of them boys. She was married to an alcoholic for many years who would spend his time after work in the bar till closing time. He was angry and abusive. She could have easily been swept up in her situation. But that was not her way. She was strong and stubborn. And she sucked it up and got moving. She left that man and moved on with her children. I often think of her and what she would do when I am struggling with something.
Do YOU!
You can only sit on your couch for so long in those same clothes you’ve been wearing for days and binge Netflix or scroll through your social media feeds. Don’t get me wrong, I have taken a couple of hours here and there or even a day to relax and recharge. We are going into the third week of the stay at home order in my area and the boredom with the lack of activity has set in…just because we are stuck at home doesn’t mean we cannot still be motivated and productive!
This is me (and Grandma too) telling you to get up off of your couch already and motivate yourself! Now is the perfect time to be forming better habits, reading and writing more, learning a language or skill, planning and goal setting, diving into your passions, spending time with your children, accomplishing projects and so much more! Plant a windowsill garden, experiment with essential oils, clean out your pantry or closet, make a homemade face mask, organize your workspace, clean the garage, or start a journal. The possibilities are endless!
Don’t worry, Be HAPPY!
Stop reading all of those coronavirus and COVID-19 articles and worrying yourself to death! Stop ranting on Facebook and aggravating yourself! These things will not be of any benefit and will only help to make you miserable…
Choose to be more motivated and the happiness will follow! When you are on social media, choose to send out positive vibes and comments, connecting with others! Connect with family and friends through phone and video calls! DO SOMETHING! Your body AND MIND will thank you.
You will be amazed at how much better you will feel if you use this time to get some exercise, expand your mind, and accomplish some of those things on your to-do list!
If you have been using your time wisely and doing something inspirational, educational, or productive, I would love to hear about it!
Drop it in the comments or send me an email! Bonus points for photos 🙂
donna.naturale.wellness@gmail.com
Thank you for sharing this! You and your grandmother sound like strong, awesome women! I love the effort to try to strike a balance with our time, especially during the pandemic. I actually went a little overboard at first with the productivity and had to back off a smidge, remembering to take a few of those breaks to better focus on projects and potential new hobbies. Right now, I’m learning the Adobe Creative Suite, pursuing Google Analytics certifications, photography, and more. Exciting to see what comes next! Stay healthy!
Thank you Melanie! I have also fallen into this trap of being over-motivated (yes, there is such a thing) and then burning myself out. Balance is so important!
I love that you are being productive and learning new things! I feel like those who are taking advantage of this time learning and growing themselves will be so much better off in the long run!
Good post. Lying around all day makes you feel worse every time.
Great reminders!! I will share it😊
This is the motivation I need! I’m planning each day as if I’m working but filling with hobbies and tasks instead.
YES! Love to hear this! Thanks Ruby!
A great article with amazing ideas, I don’t watch more TV but spent more time on reading and writing. I will try to avoid COVID-19 pandemic articles but it is the need of time to know about world and current situation too.
Thanks for this article! I tend to waste the day away if I had a rough night sleeping. But this got me out of the funk 🙂
I am so glad Breanne! It’s very easy to get stuck when you are at home and have all the time in the world it seems. Getting up and getting something accomplished has definitely helped ME stay sane during this extended period at home.
Great article! I definitely notice that I get more depressed if I spend a lot of time watching TV. Even it feels great and enjoyable at first I really feel myself take a downturn eventually.
Thanks Chelsea! I have been doing so many things to occupy my mind to prevent that depression from sneaking up on me…cleaning closets and drawers, DIY and crafting projects, learning Italian, practicing my harmonica…I could go on. It’s actually been fun trying out new things that I didn’t have as much time for previously!