Tips for Self Care During COVID
We’re living in a time that most of us have never seen and we feel helpless navigating this unprecedented global pandemic. We are hearing the plea to support small businesses, we are concerned about our financial health, we want to maintain our physical well being, we want our parents and vulnerable people to stay healthy, and we feel a sense of insecurity in not knowing what tomorrow brings.
We have been comforted during this time with our commitment to one another; keeping a gym membership at an independent gym to ensure they are there when we can get back to them; supporting a local charity that is lending support to vulnerable people; hearing about the numerous support groups that are ensuring people who can’t leave their house have what they need; and witnessing the outpouring of support to our local breweries, shops and businesses to ensure they survive during this tough time. To keep striving, we need to take care of one another and to take care of ourselves.
Self-isolating is hard. It may last many weeks or longer. It’s time to start implementing some wellness habits and routines. Here’s what we’ve found helpful to keep our bodies healthy, our minds sane, and feel like we’re doing our part.
EXERCISE. Our physical health is paramount. Alexa has been loving Fuel Live offered by her gym, Fuel Training Club. They offer live classes through Zoom. You can expect to have Greg Hetherington correcting your form and pushing you through the computer! It feels like you’re at an interactive class, and that you are keeping up your fitness community. Plus, it keeps you accountable. If you opt for the 5:30 class, you can stay on to have a drink with the other 60 people who tuned in too. If your schedule cannot accommodate a workout at a set time, Nike Training Club is an amazing and free, at home workout app. You can select a workout for any level, muscle group, and duration, whenever it works in your day. If yoga is more your cup of tea, we have been loving Yoga with Adriene YouTube videos or YogaGlo. Victoria’s yoga studio, Breathe, offers classes online with excellent teachers. There are lots of other options through other local studios – find your jam and build it into your routine.
GET CREATIVE COOKING. Usually, getting creative in the kitchen on a weeknight is a pipe dream. We love to cook but usually feel that too tired and too rushed to to make anything exciting. We’re using this time to get creative in the kitchen, trying new ingredients and new recipes. Alexa has been following Jamie Oliver’s lead by selecting fresh ingredients and preparing them in a new way. To try and use up all our food before ordering more, this Ramen Soup in the Instant Pot recipe is a perfect fridge and pantry cleaner. If you want to really liven it up in the kitchen, check out Massimo Bottura’s online and free cooking classes!
WALK and TALK. We both usually HATE the phone, feeling like we’re on it all day and the last thing we want to do when we get home is call someone. Now, we are calling everyone. Alexa is going for a walk, plugging in her Airpods and calling friends in L.A., Austin and across the city, encouraging them to go for a walk too, so it feels like they’re walking together. Check out a new part of your neighbourhood. Victoria is walking in her local park with a buddy – staying a good 6 feet apart – and chatting across the pathway. If talking is not your thing, check out a podcast (A current fave is Esther Perel’s Where Do We Begin?)
VIRTUAL HANGOUTS. On Saturday night, Alexa is having a girls’ night…online! They have a monthly standing date with a group of friends and we’re not skipping it! We’re all attending a Google Hangout (or Zoom, if someone has an account) with wine and beer (if you’re looking for some great microbrews with free, no contact delivery, try Toronto local brewery Burdock or Halo). It’s a great way to have a Saturday night, feel connected and keep at home. Alexa is also playing Trivia and Scrabble with friends online to stay engaged. This week Victoria is participating in a group sing- a-along with her university friends – one on the piano and one on the guitar and lyrics circulated ahead.
DO A PROJECT. We’re picking something that’s been on our to-do list for AGES but keeps sliding to the bottom of the list. There are no excuses, and when we bounce back from this, and we will, we know we won’t want to make time. Alexa is painting her window panes black. Victoria is unpacking the garage and organizing the basement. We’re doing it THIS WEEKEND. Spring is here. Why not promptly start your Spring cleaning and get your outdoor space ready. What’s your nagging project? Short on ideas – try Pinterest for inspo.
CLEANING HOUSE. We don’t mean sweep and vacuum, although if you haven’t done that in a while, maybe go ahead! We mean getting rid of clutter, tackling old papers, sorting mail, getting rid of clothes you don’t wear, online organizing (photos and computer files), and pitching expired pantry and fridge condiments. Untangle the million electronic cords and assess what you actually need. Can you donate something to help someone else? Is there food you won’t eat (the Food Bank needs donations). Marie Kondo the drawers (if you haven’t seen her Netlfix show – watch it!) and make your space feel like somewhere you LOVE to be.
THERAPY. Almost all of us would benefit from therapy- especially now. So many therapists offer phone or video services. If you’ve been stalling on this, now is the time. If you are feeling anxious, scared or lost, therapy can help focus and ground you. Don’t have a therapist – try Talk Space.
BE ENTERTAINED. We can still get out on the town…virtually! Artists are getting hit hard with shows being cancelled. We can support them, and have a great night for ourselves by participating online. Check out: Choir!Choir!Choir!, the Jim Cuddy Band live streaming concerts, or find out whether the concert you had tickets for is livestreaming instead. There are some great new shows to stream ( We’re watching the new comedy, Feel Good and The Morning Show on Netflix, and the latest season of RuPaul’s Drag Race on Crave). Dive into a book and take time to read (Alexa is loving Three Women by Lisa Taddeo and Victoria is rereading the beautiful Kitchen Table Wisdom by Dr Rachel Ramen).
LEARN SOMETHING NEW. What is something that you’ve been wanting to try but have never made time for? There are so many online courses to check out: are you an aspiring artist – check out this free University Art Classes; is there a topic you’re dying to learn more about, check out podcasts from YaleU, or the Stuff You Should Know podcast. I’ve also loved Getting Curious for a fresh take on interesting topics. Do you have an instrument, is it time to take a page from Pink’s book and learn the Piano? Youtube has a million different options. Let’s get our creative juices flowing!
DO SOMETHING TO BETTER SOMEONE ELSE’S DAY. Let’s do our part to remind us all that we are in this together. What can you do, each day, to better someone else’s day? Is it having a Food Service delivered to a friend with 2 young kids who is struggling to work from home and provide childcare (many companies are offering free boxes if you subscribe – check out: Hello Fresh or Chef’s Plate)? Is it dropping flowers by a friend’s house (SweetPeas in Roncesvalles delivers beautiful arrangements)? Is it checking in with neighbours who might need groceries? Or organizing virtual social events to make people feel less on their own? Is it donating or buying something from a company that really needs the support during this time and reminding everyone else to do so (in Alexa’s neighbourhood, she’s trying to support local stores, such as Scout or Cambie Designs that have great online options and many have free delivery)? Is it bartering services rather than getting paid with money? Is it saying hi to everyone you walk by (keeping your distance, of course) and maintaining a sense of neighbourhood? Reaching out, checking in and being a (6 feet away) shoulder for your friends and loved ones will enrich us.
VOLUNTEER. If you are working from home, or find yourself with more free time right now, can you volunteer some time to help others? Many animal rescues like Save Our Scruff, or Helpaws operate solely through volunteers. Would you consider fostering a dog or a cat?
