Top 10 Amazing Self-Care Tips for Lockdown

It is normal for you to be in a slump during the lockdown, however, there are many ways to prevent this. Self-care is ever so important, releasing any stress you are going through and most of all, having some ‘me’ time.

Self-care comes in many shapes and forms and every single person on this planet holds a different perception of the term.

Maria Baratta, who is a clinician wrote an article for Psychology Today on self-care. She says:

“Self-care means knowing who you are and your limits. Self-care means recognising when you are doing more than you are used to handling and trying to figure out what can be done to slow down.”

It can mean simply, binge-watching your favourite Netflix show, having a cheat day or indulging in some chocolate. The lockdown has proven that we all need self-care in our lives, now more than ever.

Bettering your mental health is a major reason why it is important to adopt self-care. After all, you should do whatever makes you happy!

DESIblitz highlights 10 perfect self-care tips for you to use during the lockdown.

Take a Bath

Sometimes it is all about the small things in life, like simply taking a bath. Even though it does not sound like much, if you do it right, it can lift your mood so much more.

Taking a good old bubble bath can reduce stress levels, which is very much needed during the lockdown. If you are stressed and overwhelmed by your financial situation or even if you are feeling a bit down, this will help you for sure.

It is all about self-care, after all, so, do it right. Schedule your bath time and circle the date and time on your calendar so you do not forget.

Whether you want to soak in the bath for 30 minutes or two hours, the choice is ultimately yours. There are many things you can do to ensure your bath is top-notch like having the right essentials.

Buy some bath bombs, oils and salts and get your bath to look and smell delightful. The better it looks, the more you will want to get in.

Grab a waterproof Bluetooth speaker and put on your favourite playlist to keep your mind off all your troubles and worries. After all, this is YOUR time.

If you would rather have some quiet time, why not read a book instead? Another great way to focus your mind is to take care of yourself.

Moreover, if you really want to go all out, make yourself a lovely brew to sip on while you are in the bath. Also, do not forget the candles!

Skin Care

Looking after your skin is one of the biggest elements of self-care. During the lockdown, your skin will not be receiving much sunlight and fresh air, so it is important to clear out all of the toxins!

Spend an evening away from all of the stresses of your life and get your skin feeling squeaky clean. First thing is first, if you do not have any skincare essentials, you will need to purchase some from online.

Have a full facial from the comfort of your own home with a face mask of your choice and other skincare necessities.

Turmeric based face masks tend to be great for your skin as they remove blemishes and scars, leaving your skin glowing.

If you do not want to use a mask, you can use cleansing oils, cleansers, exfoliators, eye serums and much more. There are many to choose from depending on your skin type.

Skincare is generally an important element of everyday life, even outside of the lockdown. It is healthy to keep your skin at bay, ensuring you prevent breakouts and blemishes.

Many women are going makeup-free during the lockdown, so if they prepare their skin now, their makeup will sit on beautifully the next time they wear it.

Moreover, skin care does not only mean taking care of your facial skin but it also involves your skin in general. May that be your legs, arms and even your whole body!

Workout

For many people, self-care means to look after their body by regularly working out. Getting your daily exercise in, even during the lockdown can be extremely vital for many.

Even though working out can make some people feel tired and drained, it can make others feel full of energy and lively. More so, it can make them feel happy and positive, mentally.

So, if it makes you feel good, do it more often! Organise a strict routine for yourself, it does not matter what time you work out, it just matters that you do.

Working out can often lead to weight loss and a healthy metabolism which makes people feel better about their bodies.

Confidence is what self-care is all about, it is there to make you happy.

If you are new to working out and want to try to fit it into your lockdown schedule, there are many things you can do.

It depends on the type of workout you want to do, are you trying to flatten your belly or are you trying to slim down your thighs?

By searching up workout videos on YouTube, there are hundreds of options to choose from. There are some workouts that are shorter and some that are longer.

You could even become so motivated that you want to create an indoor gym at home. Simply order a few vital gym exercising machines and jump straight into it.

Learn New Recipes

Cooking can be therapeutic for many of us, especially during the lockdown. With various foods to try and make, your mind will forever be at ease.

As a Desi, it can become fairly boring eating the same types of food on a day to day basis. So, why not liven things up a little and rustle up something new?

For example, get online and search up some recipes on how to make some lovely Chinese noodles and some prawn crackers to go with it.

As there is a wide variety of desserts in this day and age, it would be a great idea to whip up a dessert of some sort. Start simple and bake a classic victoria sponge or even a scrumptious chocolate cake.

It is perfectly fine to treat yourself whenever you like as a form of self-care. So, get out the icing sugar and self-raising flour and get baking.

If you do not normally cook, then this is the appropriate time to perfect your culinary skills. Get your parents to teach you. Who knows, you might end up loving it?

You will have gone into lockdown knowing nothing about cooking and you will leave as a top-notch chef! Tie up that apron and wow your taste buds with some new, tasty foods.

Gardening

When you wake up first thing in the morning, is it not nice to open your curtains and look out onto the garden?

However, if the garden is looking a bit overgrown and lifeless, there is no thrill in looking at it at all. Brush up your self-care routine and get your garden looking full of life.

Put in your earphones, put on a lively playlist and get gardening. There is so much to do, you will be surprised; from mowing the lawn to planting seeds.

Gardening is known to be very therapeutic and is enjoyed by many individuals. There are some people who cannot simply live without gardening.

Plant a bright vegetable patch in a corner of your garden and grow your favourite vegetables. We can promise that once they have grown, it will be something that you will be so very proud of!

Trim the hedges and chop the overgrown weeds, ensuring your garden is in tip-top condition.

After all, a happy garden equals a happy mind!

Moreover, gardening does not have to resort to getting your hands and knees dirty. It can also mean ordering some outdoor furniture to jazz up the garden a little, ready for the summer.

This is the perfect time to enhance your garden, saving you time in the summer months so that you can wind down and relax.

Create a Journal

Sitting down and reflecting on your life is a vital element of self-care for many people. The lockdown is a great time to do just this.

Grab your journal and start by writing down all of the things that you have achieved in the past and the things that made you happy. These can be things as little as losing weight or even braving a trip to the dentist.

Next, you can write down the things you would like to fulfil in the near future. This will focus your mind and can give you ambition for the future.

Finally, make daily plans for the present day, from when you wake up to when you go to bed in the night. Productivity is key during the lockdown, but it is absolutely fine to occasionally have a down day.

You could also use your journal to collect quotes that inspire you or to make a list of the things that you love in your life.

Making a list of things you need to let go of in your life can also be a good idea for your journal. These include all of the things or even people that are making you feel unhappy or worthless.

Writing about self-care in your journal can also be effective when trying to better your mental health during the lockdown. Write about your own self-care rituals and the things that you most look forward to in life.

Meditate

Meditation can typically be one of the main self-care acts you can carry out during the lockdown. It is able to reduce stress and anxiety levels, making you feel at ease.

There are various apps you can use to help you to meditate, however, there are also several videos on YouTube to get you through it too.

If you are a beginner, it is recommended to start small and meditate for roughly three to five minutes. While meditating, it is important to take a few deep breaths in and out to relieve your levels of stress.

However, before you start to meditate, it is fairly vital that you are aware of the benefits of meditating.

It can calm your nervous system and is fantastic for keeping your stress, depression and anxiety levels at bay.

You can also defeat overthinking through meditating as it makes you feel calm and happy. When meditating, allow yourself to think about absolutely nothing for the best results.

Being in the lockdown can result in arguing with your spouse or even bickering with other household members. However, by having a self-care session by meditating, it can relieve your mind from any stresses from the day.

Meditating can be seriously addictive, once you start, you will not want to stop. By starting to meditate during the lockdown, you might even want to continue it when the lockdown is lifted.

Video Call Friends and Family

The lockdown is extremely difficult for everyone, however, it is particularly hard for those who are living alone or are having to self-isolate.

Being isolated on your own with no one to talk to can lead to depression and extreme loneliness. At times like this, where all you want is your close ones around you, it can be hard when they are not there.

If you are living on your own or you know someone who is living on their own, you can always speak to them over video chat. It will of course not feel the same as being there physically, but it is the next best thing.

There are several apps you can use to video call your loved ones. Houseparty has become particularly popular throughout the lockdown period.

Other apps such as Skype and Zoom are also great for video calling multiple family members or friends at the same time.

If you have an iPhone you can use FaceTime. WhatsApp also has a video calling feature which you can use.

By video calling a close one during the lockdown, it can be a factor of self-care. It can instantly lift your mood and get you back on your feet.

To really make most of your self-care session, why not do something fun over video call? You can schedule a time to video call your friends for example and play a game.

Quizzes are always a great idea to do over video chats; before the call, get your friends to come up with a few questions to ask each other. Take it in turns to ask your questions and whoever gets the most answers right, wins.

Games such as ‘Cards Against Humanity’ and ‘Would you Rather?’ are also fun to play over a video call session.

Sleep

This probably sounds rather basic, but for many people, it is difficult to get in a good night’s sleep. Sleep is one of the best things you can do for your mind and your body.

Self-care means to take good care of yourself, so if you have not had enough sleep, you simply will not feel good.

To try to get a decent sleep, worth seven to nine hours long, it is good to schedule it beforehand. Schedules work for those with busy lifestyles or many parents with younger children.

First, you will need to base it around the time you need to be up in the morning and then ensure you fit in your essential activities.

Do not forget to sit back and have some rest throughout the day. It is not particularly healthy to be on your feet 24/7, as it can build up stress and anxiety.

If, at one point in the day you feel tired, take a quick power nap; they always seem to work. Sleep is the cure to everything, especially during the lockdown.

It is the only time in the day where you instantly forget about your worries and the outside world. Sleep is great for healing and repairing your body, ensuring you are ready for the next day and providing you with energy.

Read a Book

Reading is the best form of self-care due to many reasons. For example, it is known to calm us down and relax our bodies.

However, in order to feel this way, you will need to make sure that you are engrossed in the content of the book. If you are not enjoying the book within the first five minutes, you will not feel calm or relaxed.

Reading can also strengthen the brain, as well as the heart, bones and muscles. By reading regularly, your general knowledge will increase too.

If you find it difficult to fall asleep immediately, instead of using your phone before bed, you should instead, read a book.

As books calm and relax our bodies, it means that they then allow us to sleep much more peacefully.

Reading is also a great form of entertainment, especially during the lockdown. It does not mean that you need to read a storybook, you can read anything, from a magazine to a newspaper.

Self-care is important, especially during the lockdown period. It helps us to sit back and remember how vital it is to take care of our bodies, minds and souls.

It is simple, if your mind does not feel at ease, you will not be at ease. So, the next time you are feeling overwhelmed or stressed, take some time out and do the things you love! It is that simple.