32 ways to practice self-care in quarantine

I’ve always struggled with the idea and execution of self-care, not because I’m doing it wrong, but because it appears in many different forms — and my intrepid nature will not allow me to pursue anything for too long. 

Prior to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, my self-care took the form of retail therapy, manis/pedis, lunch dates, expensive dinners, rock climbing, travel, yoga, and brewery visits. My bank account dwindled while my self-care was seemingly at an all-time high, and my FOMO was real. I had a YOLO mindset. Who wants to leave this earth without eating, praying, and loving in Bali? Certainly not me. 

Our money will return, but our time won’t. 

We live in a “treat yourself” age, and unfortunately, this time has come to a screeching halt. We’re up against a widespread disease that is not only frightening, but wreaking havoc on our personal lives. Job loss. Postponed weddings. Canceled honeymoons. Limited childcare. Newly pregnant and nervous. Single. New to the area. In the midst of a breakup. College students. Despite where we are in our lives, we are all in this together. 

So, what does self-care look like during a quarantine? Here are some ideas:

Schedule virtual meet-ups with friends and family

We live in a digital age where (almost) anything is available with the click of a button. We thrive on the idea of instant gratification. I’ve purchased groceries, booked travel, set updates, and even had telehealth appointments without ever leaving the butt dent of my couch. Amid this pandemic, I find myself going a bit stir crazy. In order to ease the signs and symptoms of loneliness, there are several platforms for enjoying virtual time with your loved ones: 

1. Skype

2. Zoom 

3. Google Meet 

4. Duo

5. Facetime

6. Facebook (I even celebrated my bestie’s 35th birthday via FB video chat last week)

Break a sweat

Many gyms are offering free classes and workout videos. This is a great time to try a workout you’ve been too busy for or perhaps one you’ve been too embarrassed to try. When this pandemic is over, I urge you to try a new workout class even if it isn’t “you.” Until then, here are some workout ideas to get you started:

1. 24 Hour Fitness – the 24GO app includes 1,500 workouts that can be tailored to your individual needs and goals after filling out a short questionnaire

2. Planet Fitness – streams workouts daily at 7pm EST which last approximately 3o minutes

3. Daily Burn – a subscription service currently offering a free 60 day trial

4. Orangetheory Fitness (OTF) – offering 30-minute workout videos

5. Movement Climbing + Fitness – offering live, free daily workouts on their Facebook page

6. ClassPass – 2,000 audio/video workouts available with no subscription required

7. Yoga with Adriene – over 500 videos available on YouTube

8. Fitbit or Apple Watch – start a friendly competition with your friends and family to see who can get the most steps in one day. Loser buys take-out

Break a mental sweat

I bet you have a stack of books somewhere in your home just screaming to be read or listened to. You know, the ones that you swore you’d get around to and read eventually? I have a very similar stack and am slowly paging my way through. This is a perfect time to take a step back from technology and work on improving your cognitive abilities. A couple recommendations:

1. Atomic Habits by James Clear – my current favorite NYT Bestseller that includes evidence-based self-improvement strategies (As someone who has worked in healthcare for nearly a decade, we strive to use evidence-based practice with our patients.)

2. Brain games – designed to improve your attention, problem solving, memory recall, and reasoning abilities. My personal favorites are Lumosity, Scrabble, Bananagrams, sudoku, word search and jigsaw puzzles

3. Trivia – download the HQ trivia app and tune in at 9pm EST to play live

Step into the kitchen

Working remotely has its advantages. You can wash, dry, cut, dice, and chop during the day instead of coming home and trying to juggle workouts, meals, meal prep, and tending to our kids and fur babies. This is a great time to hone those Martha Stewart skills. We have plenty of resources at our fingertips to become inspired and find simple recipes:

1. Delish, Pinterest, Allrecipes and Food Network

2. Myfridgefood.com – input the ingredients you have on hand and the site provides simple and easy-to-follow recipes using those items

3. Meal subscription services such as HelloFresh – you choose the meals and they deliver the ingredients with simple recipe cards that you can also store for later use

Indulge in some digital distraction

There’s never been a better time than now – when you have to stay home – to get comfy and dig into some feel-good virtual self-care:

1. Attend virtual church – lots of congregations offer webcasts if you’re craving some spirituality in your life

2. Meditate – download the Simple Habit, Calm, or Headspace apps for a little zen

3. Binge watch – plop down on the couch and commit to a guilt-free season of your favorite Netflix, Hulu or Prime series. 

4. Take a virtual tour – check out a famous museum, national park or zoo online

5. Catch up on your favorite podcasts – if you’re a huge true crime junkie like me, check out these lesser-knowns: The Thing About Pam, Man in the Window, In the Dark, and Bardstown

6. Stream a concert – let go of your pride and dance shamelessly around in your living room

Take it offline

Sometimes we all just need a break from the digital world. Here are some ideas for when you just need to say no to screen time:

1. Organize your closet – donate clothes, suitcases and hangers to women’s shelters and foster children, and old towels and blankets to animal shelters

2. Get your hands dirty – work on improving your green thumb in the garden

3. Pump those deflated bike tires – take your Schwinn for a spin around the block to breathe in some fresh air (just be wary of pollen)

4. Mix a cocktail or mocktail  – experiment with different flavors and make a signature cocktail or a “quarantini” 

5. Take a hot bath – throw in some Dr. Teal’s lavender-scented bubble bath or eucalyptus bath salts for extra relaxation

6. Research your next big trip – create a savings plan to get you there

We are all given the same amount of time each day… Use some of it to continue to nourish your mind, body and soul. Stay strong. Be kind. 

We’ll get through this.