If there is a running theme we see in this first full week of quarantine, it is the need to establish new and healthy habits that benefit your physical, mental, and emotional health.
Developing new habits is a pretty normal part of life. When we get a new job, have a new baby, or move to a new location we establish patterns that set us up for success inside of those new parameters.
This quarantine “normal” is not going to last forever, but it is here to stay for a bit so we need to acknowledge and respond to it by taking good care of ourselves and making the best of it.
The purpose of this checklist is not necessarily for you to print a copy for each and every day, but it is intended to be a tool for when you are feeling down and out-of-sorts and wondering why, or even before that. You can mentally (or literally) check the boxes and decide if have done the things for your hygiene, health, home, and others that set you up to feel and be well each day. If you have brushed your teeth, showered, and exercised, but are still struggling to get a handle on your negative emotions, then check out the bottom for some additional self-care options. Perhaps you just need a bit more time to attend to you that day, and set your mind and body on things that breed peace and joy.
Our health is connected – physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, & relational. They feed and breed on one another, so it is important to acknowledge that you
feel
better in clean clothes and with clean hair. When you feel better you are more likely to
do
things that are better for you, like exercise and eat well. When you exercise and eat well you have more
energy
to clean up the house and take care of those who are looking to you for help.
So many connections.
Start with you, care for yourself and your environment, and equip yourself to care well for others.
Here’s one more that isn’t on the list, but is vitally important.
Develop a healthy sleep schedule and stick to it
. 6-8 hours a night, every night. NIGHT. Not mid-morning to lunchtime. Sleep rhythm is ridiculously important to your physical and mental health, and if you need more info on it, go back and read this blog post:
https://www.cflambtonshores.com/2020-your-fittest-year-yet
Feel free to
save/download/print
and use this tool during this time. Your normal is disrupted, yes, but that does not mean that your well-being should stall or diminish. There are ways to thrive in difficulty, and they likely start with brushing your teeth.
*1-minute tasks are things that can be done in a minute or less, so you should do them right away. Put shoes in the closet, hang up your jacket, fold the blanket you just used, put the cup in the dishwasher. These small tasks are manageable when done in the moment, but can add up to additional time and stress when they fester.