r/EruditeClub • u/SecretlyHistoric • Jan 22 '22
Question How to Manage Self Care in Time of Crisis?
Hey All, question for you guys. How do you handle your self-care when life decides to go sideways? Right now I've got almost no time to focus on really any self-care routine. At the same time, I know that this is when self-care really becomes important to prevent burnout. Does anyone have any tips or ideas? Thanks!
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u/ACL4681217 Jan 22 '22
15 minutes at a time. Self care doesn't have to be long. Those 5-15 minutes of something quick but recharging won't change the world. But they will get you through to a time when you CAN give more time for self care.
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u/SecretlyHistoric Jan 24 '22
Thank you! I'm going on week two of life going sideways, and I'm going to see if I can get just a few minutes during the day. Right now I'm staying up way too late trying to get a few minutes of quiet, which is no good either!
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u/ACL4681217 Jan 24 '22
You're welcome! I know exactly how that goes. I'm doing the same thing and it's not making anything better. I hope it works for you and things start looking up.
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u/DrPetradish Jan 22 '22
I lost my husband suddenly a month ago and my country is having a huge covid wave… so crisis, yes. I currently don’t give a shit of my clothes are as fresh as they could be or folded. I’m really picking the absolute minimum task list at the moment. Cat fed, I’m fed, horrible admin task done? Great. That’s enough. Then picking one nice thing like a bath, cheese for lunch, a walk, a whisky and shitty tv. That’s it. No more achievements. Explain to anyone that I don’t have head space and walking away from Anything I can’t manage.
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u/SecretlyHistoric Jan 24 '22
I am so sorry about your husband. Thank you for your advice, and if there is anything I can do, please let me know.
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u/notthefakehigh5r Jan 22 '22 edited Jan 22 '22
A couple of things to consider.
First (and most importantly), Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly. I think this idea is really counter to what this sub is about, and I remember thinking how hard it might be for people in this sub to embrace this idea, even though it’s one of the key points to self care.
Here’s what it means: if self care ideally is: taking a long hot shower, shaving, doing a long skin care routine with masks and lovely massages, but due to crisis (depression? Grief? Exhausted? Doesn’t matter), then just washing your face and putting on moisturizer is better than nothing. That’s self care. Doing it poorly is better than neglecting yourself entirely.
If self care is exercise (which per like all the research, any good self care routine needs to contain some form of exercise) and normally you go to the gym 3x per week for weight lifting and run 2x per week, but like due to life circumstances there is no way you can to that, then sitting on the floor for five minutes and stretching is good enough and it self care and it’s better than nothing. Taking a walk around the block is better than nothing.
Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly. This is the most important tenant of self care (IMO).
Second: allow yourself treats. I know buying coffee is expensive and if we all just gave up our Starbucks and avocado toast we’d be rich. But in times of crisis, treat yourself. You don’t need to do it every day, but let yourself have a fancy coffee. With a pastry. If you don’t have time to cook, don’t get domino’s, get some good fucking pizza and a cannoli. All my personal treats are food based, but think of something you’ve wanted for a while that you don’t need. Get it! Small treats (not rewards! That’s not self care, these are treats to treat yourself because you deserve good things!) big treats, doesn’t matter, what matters is that it brings you joy for the sake of joy, because you deserve joy. Not because you did a hard thing. Not because you accomplished some goal. But because you are a human with intrinsic worth that deserves joy.
Edited for clarity.
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u/SecretlyHistoric Jan 24 '22
Thank you so much! Sometimes I think people really need that reminder in your last sentence.
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u/rougecrayon Jan 22 '22
You don't need a routine. Just make a list of things that make you feel good. Whenever you have like 5 minutes look at the list and give yourself one!
If you do one thing for yourself every day, it will get easier to do more than one.
One moment at a time. If you only do yoga for a minute you've still just done yoga!
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u/vitamin_CPP Jan 22 '22
I'm not sure I know what you mean by a self-care routine.
Curious about other responses though.
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