Practicing Self-Care Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic
I am a personal trainer and group fitness instructor so of course I am going to encourage my peeps to practice self-care during the COVID-19 pandemic. DUH!!! I am ALL ABOUT THAT!!
But, let me briefly talk to you without my personal trainer/fitness instructor hat on my head.
I am a human being who has experienced some extremely hard knocks that might not be visible from the outside because I am of strong mind and body. You never know the pain anyone is experiencing by just looking at them. Yes, when someone is extremely sick with cancer and is losing their hair, everyone can see they are suffering. They are WARRIORS trying to remain strong while they are fighting for their lives. If someone has lost a limb or handicapped in a wheelchair, you can see with the naked eye they have experienced unimaginable suffering and are finding / have found a way to go on and live their life.
But, when you look at someone who is smiling and looks relatively healthy, you might not think about how much they are suffering on the inside. As I stroll through the grocery store, teach my classes, go to public events, I think about this a lot now because of my own personal experiences with suffering and managing life threatening crises in my own family unit. There are so many people out there who have suffered and endured so much and no one would ever know by just looking at them.
Even if someone is smiling, deep down they might be experiencing lots of different emotions. Always be kind to everyone. You just never know what others are going through.
Why am I telling you a tiny bit about my own personal suffering? Because, self care has been KEY in helping to keep me afloat and not drown in sorrow. Self care has saved my own life and helped me to go on and live as best I can amidst the chaos. Self care has allowed me to not break down when the going gets tough. It has enabled me to maintain a happy and healthy marriage when life throws us curveballs.
I have had people comment time and time again about how they can’t believe how positive I have remained during my many crises. I refuse to be anything but positive because HOPE is what keeps me going. The brain IS THE MOST POWERFUL MUSCLE IN OUR BODY, and staying strong mentally is key in order to get through life’s roller coaster ride. According to the book “The Energy of Life, “The human brain is only 2% of the weight of the body, but it consumes about 20% of the total energy in the body at rest.”
Self care is not selfish. Self care is putting on your own oxygen mask first so that you can help others breath too. Self care is imperative so that you can be your best you in order to help yourself AND OTHERS in need and potential crisis.
Having said all that I feel pretty equipped as a personal trainer and fitness instructor AND as a human who has suffered a lot of hardship, to talk briefly about self care during this major pandemic. It’s hard to wrap our head around what might come of all of this, but we can practice self care as best we can and just keep putting one foot in front of the other as we walk through the mud together.
What does self care mean to me when I have been in “crisis mode” and walking through the mud for a while? The following is my self-care guideline to remain mentally and physically strong through hard times like we are in now.
Keep calm. Just keep moving. Movement is medicine. Notice the beauty in every day.
GETTING A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP IS NUMBER ONE!!!! At the very least, this is an absolute MUST. I know everyone knows sleep is important, but making it a priority during hard times is essential. Even though most of us are not in crisis mode because of the coronavirus right now, there is a massive hysteria, and much is at stake to be anxious about. Sleep is key to help our bodies rest and recover both physically and mentally.
KEEP CALM. Stay calm, and just keep putting one foot in front of the other. We all need to stay informed of the most recent news with regard to COVID-19 but we all MUST remain calm. Live our lives but practice the necessary things to keep us safe and well (hand washing, social distancing, etc). Most us in our community have not been hit with this virus yet, but who knows what is to come. IT IS A PANDEMIC, and there has not been anything like this since the 1918 influenza pandemic.
JUST KEEP MOVING! MOVEMENT IS MEDICINE!!! How many times have you heard me say this. I full-heartedly believe this!!! Keep your heart muscle strong by continuing to move!! Exercise releases the endorphins in your body, and this makes you feel GOOD!! If your exercise class was cancelled because of the coronavirus, then move at home. Go for a quiet walk outside and look at the beauty around you. Beauty is everywhere even when life is hard and anxiety provoking. Finding beauty on any given day, regardless of how bad your day has been, is important. I have learned that although things can be messy and hard, not everything in our day has to be yucky. There is good in every day and just noticing the physical beauty around you as you walk outside might remind you of this.
EAT A WELL BALANCED DIET to the best of your ability. I realize that there have been shortages of meats and foods, but striving for a balanced diet is key and will help to keep our bodies stay well nourished and strong. Our bodies need all the essential vitamins and eating the right food can provide our bodies what we need. Of course we are not in control if the grocery store does not have what we usually eat to stay healthy, but just doing the best we can is all we can do. If the grocery store does not have the fresh veggies you want, buy frozen veggies. They have lots of vitamins too. Are you eating more junk food because you are stressed or home more now? If so, be aware of these choices. Don’t beat yourself up for “stress eating”, rather give yourself permission to get off track and get back on track the next day.
DRINK PLENTY OF WATER. Our body is composed of about 60% water. Water helps maintain the balance of body fluids. Water helps to energize the muscles, and helps our kidneys. Staying hydrated is very important to help take care of yourself.
STAY STRONG! Keeping our bodies strong is such an important part of self care. Keep up your strength training even if the coronavirus is keeping you at home more. Do your exercises in the comfort of your own home. I LOVE to teach people how to keep their bodies strong wherever they are. It’s such an important part of self care. The gym is wonderful, but it’s also fantastic to know how to keep your own body strong wherever you are. The stronger you are physically the more equipped you are to manage life when times get tough.
STAY POSITIVE! PRACTICE GRATITUDE! Keeping positive and practicing gratitude is an intentional practice of mine. I am naturally a happy, positive person, but I have chosen to do my best to stay this way even when things are in shambles. The coronavirus is creating a lot of hysteria and anxiety around us. There is a lot to be anxious about! Staying positive is key in helping us get through the hard times together. Training your brain to think about the positive rather than the doom and gloom and stress is not easy, but it’s helped me stay afloat, and I have made it a way of life.
Stay strong both physically and mentally so that you can show up for yourself and others as best you can on a daily basis.
Remember, self-care is not selfish. Self-care is helping you stay strong, both mentally and physically, so that you can be the best you can be for yourself, your loved ones and friends, and the community in which you live. Who knows what this coronavirus will bring to the United States, but I do keep HOPE alive that we will all get through this safely together! xo
Stay Strong!
Just Keep Moving Forward!
Just Keep Moving!
Movement is Medicine!