I had to search a while for the source of the list that prompted the modified version below. A friend posted it on her Facebook feed; it took me some time even to find that post. Then, it was not so much of an effort to go to the originator. It was created by Linday Braman (https://lindsaybraman.com/). The original was entitled “Isolation Well-Being.” It was perfectly fine in its original form, but I wanted to tweak it just a tad so it would fit me just a little better; the new title fits my personality slightly better, too.
Self-Care in Isolation
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- Shower
- Shave
- Take necessary medication
- Drink plenty of water
- Clean one thing/space
- Tend to something growing/living
- Be mindfully present to…
- A sound or song
- A sensory feeling
- Something you see
- The appearance of the sky, whether cloudy or bright
- Other person(s) who share your isolation
- A spiritual or mental practice for your own serenity
- Reach out to a person outside your home, whether by phone, text, email, or video
- Spend a significant part of your day thinking about the well-being of others
- Do one thing to get your heart rate up
- Do one thing you’ll be glad you did later…write it down
- Do one thing just because you want to
- Get in at least one good laugh
Perhaps we should not need a reminder to take care of ourselves as we isolate from the world around us. Whether we should or not, we do. Whether it is a list on the bathroom mirror or a calendar reminder to spend three minutes paying attention to the “to-do” list, I think consciously thinking about taking care of one’s mental well-being is a wise investment of time. As dark as is the other post I just launched, we need to take care even in darkness.
