6 Self-Care Tips for a Stay-At-Home Pandemic Holiday

by Abbie Brasch, Verde’s Holistic Wellness Coordinator

I think it’s fair to say that this year has been a whirlwind for all of us. The concept of “normal life” seems like a distant memory after almost nine months of staying at home and social distancing due to the coronavirus pandemic. Many of us have had to cancel travel plans, file for unemployment, work from home, or have gotten sick from COVID 19, so to say that 2020 has been a difficult year would be an understatement. With the holidays now in full swing we have been forced to once again change our plans and for many of us that means being apart from our families.

My family is from the east coast, so every year I travel back home to Rhode Island to spend a couple of weeks with my parents and siblings around Christmas time. I look forward to it all year long, but with the pandemic cases rising I came to the decision that I would be staying in Chicago for Christmas for the first time since it would not be safe for me to travel.

I know that a lot of people are in the same position as me this year. It is heartbreaking having to be away from the ones we love during this special time of year, so I have been looking for ways to prioritize my self-care and make the most out of this difficult situation. I pulled together some tips and suggestions that have been helpful for me on how you can take care of your mental health and add a little extra self-care during this 2020 pandemic holiday season.

1. Create your own traditions

This is the first Christmas my partner and I will be spending together in our own home. Although we are sad to not be able to spend time with our families, we realized that this situation has presented us with an opportunity to create our own holiday traditions. No matter what holiday you celebrate, there is always an opportunity to create a tradition or ritual that holds true to your heart. My partner and I have been brainstorming what food we want to make, which Christmas movies we are going to watch, and have come up with other fun ideas like having a virtual Christmas Eve game night with our families. The possibilities are endless for creating new ways to celebrate the holidays!

2. Decorate your home

Since this is the first time my partner and I are spending Christmas in our apartment, we have felt the urge to decorate and make our home feel special. We have done a few traditional Christmas decorations like a tree and lights outside our house, but I have also been buying a bouquet of flowers every week to display in our living room to brighten my day. 

I also find that decluttering and organizing my space helps keep me clear-minded and more relaxed, so if you feel called to, try organizing your space and making it a beautiful and cozy place to spend the holidays.

3. Go on walks

With all of our normal activities being disrupted by the rise in COVID cases, it can feel discouraging when you want to get out of the house but have nowhere to go, especially with it being cold outside. Try going on a daily walk, either around your neighborhood, at the park, or wherever you feel called to go. Getting outside and breathing in the fresh air while listening to music provides me with so much clarity and gives me a sense of calm. Some of my best ideas have come to me while walking through my neighborhood! Try breaking up your stay-at-home holiday by bundling up to go for a walk and enjoy the fresh air. 

4. Calm your mind and body with essential oils

It’s truly amazing what a positive effect essential oils can have on the mind, body and spirit, so why not incorporate them into your self-care routine? There are a variety of ways to use essential oils but some of my favorites are adding them to a bath, diffusing them in my home, using an essential oil mist, and even just smelling them right out of the bottle. Some of my favorite essential oils are lavender for calming and relieving anxiety, sage for cleansing my space and to use during rituals, and peppermint, lemongrass and eucalyptus to energize and brighten up my day. See which essential oils you are drawn to and try adding them into your daily routine. You can even give them away as presents for the holidays to encourage the ones you love to indulge in a little self-care!

5. Start a new activity that sparks your interest

With our normal, fast paced lives on hold due to the pandemic, we have the unique opportunity spend our free time in new and different ways. Since the stay-at-home advisory began, I have found myself drawn to learning about medicinal herbs and trying out different recipes for tinctures and oils. If there is something that peaks your interest even just a little bit, why not explore it further if you have the time? 

I think an important part of self-care is doing things that feed your soul and fill you up inside. The holidays can often be a time of stress where we are putting so much of our energy into planning and making sure everyone else is happy. With our usual holiday plans on hold this year, it provides us with a chance to slow down and look within and think about how we actually want to spend our free time. Give yourself a little extra love this holiday season and do something that is just for you.

6. Journal

I always recommend journaling to people because of how helpful it has been for me through my mental health and self-care journey. Journaling is a great way to take a pause from the busyness of our daily lives and go within to reflect on how we are feeling. 

Take a little extra time for yourself to sit with your emotions. It has been a really rough year for all of us most likely. It’s okay to feel sadness, frustration and even grief for what this year has brought upon us and so often we forget to pause and let what we are feeling really sink in. After a good journaling session, I always feel a sense of relief and wholeness from allowing myself to just be in the moment and accept where I am today.

I hope these tips are helpful for you and that you have an enjoyable holiday experience!