Micro-Moments of Self-Care

I called one of my clients to check in.

The HR Director answered jokingly as she had been for the past week, “COVID Command Center. How can I help you?”

I bet that feels similar to a lot of you. You have been watching this coming like a giant wave off on the horizon wondering if it would lose some power, then the crucial moment when it was close enough to shore you could see most certainly that it was going to be as big as you thought.

So for weeks now, this has been your priority. Your energy is run down and we’re just now in the beginning weeks of this actually hitting shore in most states.

I want to offer you some, super easy micro-moments of self-care.

• Transition Routines: Give yourself pause to move from one set of work to another. For example, from work to home you might change clothes, wash your face and take a few deep breaths. Now if you’re working from home you lost that commute. You may need to be more intentional about moving from one set of work to the next. From your work command center in your home to making dinner, pause, walk to a quiet room and listen to one of your favorite songs.
• Mindfulness: We will all be multi-tasking way more than usual. As I type this, my kids are feet away watching Frozen Two and occasionally interrupting me for drinks and snacks and sibling arguments. As often as possible, create time to do just one thing. For example, I closed out my email while typing this so that I didn’t have that dinging in the back ground.
• Stretching: Being closed in our houses can make us feel cramped. Stretching can take a few minutes and make our bodies feel more expansive.
• 5-4-3-2-1: When your anxiety sends you down a rabbit hole, which can easily happen right now, take a moment to notice five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, one thing you can taste. This practice can bring you back into the present moment and into your body.
• Gratitude: I keep finding myself thinking about all the things wellness experts have been suggesting we do for years, now in the midst of a pandemic, we are doing them. More time with our families, less commuting, work from home, access to virtual work outs, emphasis on community and connection. What of these things can you pause and notice your gratitude for it’s existence?

Self-care right now does not have to look like it did before. It can be just as nourishing to take small, frequent moments to take good care of your whole self.

ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Maggie Gough, RD // Founder • Realize Wellbeing

Maggie Gough has developed consumer-facing health and wellness platforms, created and implemented wellness programs and provided consulting to clients about how to create more meaningful wellness initiatives. Her mission is to create workplaces that allow people to live fully into their divine human experience. Maggie lives in Kentucky with her husband Brad and their three kids.