Self-care during Covid-19

Self-care can also include:

• Practice relaxation and controlled breathing.
• Try to take a more balanced view. Social distancing is not forever. Remind yourself that this will pass and we will see better days.
• Take a break from things that add to anxiety, such as the news and social media. Recognise the strengths we have that will help us get through.

How young people are practicing self-care

Some of our volunteers in Limerick made this video about how they spent their time in lockdown and practiced self-care.

There has been a lot of messaging out there telling you what to do with your time. We (ahem) can be a bit guilty of that too. Young people told us they felt guilty about not making the most of all the time they supposedly have.

However you look after your mental health and engage in self-care, it’s about finding what works for you. As our volunteers in Limerick say “you be you.”

Young people looking after their mental health 

Many of our other young volunteers shared how they looked after their mental health. Watching feel-good movies, listening to music and keeping in touch with friends were all popular. Making sure they get showered and dressed every day was important too.

This last one may sound obvious, but actually could be something we let slip here and there.

• “I make sure I plan my days to allow for some relaxation time. This includes exercising or even just having a cup of tea and chilling out with a book. I also make a huge effort to stay in touch with my friends from both home and college by using sites like Zoom to chat to them.” Shauna, 19 Meath
• “Getting exercise by going for walks. Taking time out to enjoy hobbies, such as listening to music or playing video games.” Dylan, 21 Offaly
• “Playing music, going for walks, baking.” Ruth, Clare/Galway
• “I really enjoy home workouts and meditation. I am not trying to pressure myself to be overly productive. But doing things I love such as cooking, watching shows that make me laugh and spending time in the sun!” Mary, 20 Dublin
• “I try to go for a run or do some exercise everyday and remind myself it will all be over eventually.” Daniel, 23 Meath
• Someone who didn’t want to give their name tells us how they’re reframing their thoughts about what’s going on. “I’ve decided to change the way I phrase things. Instead of saying I miss things, I now say I’m looking forward to the things I can do again. That’s something that makes me feel happy.”
• “A lot of us are spending more time on our screens. So for a few minutes everyday I make sure to put down my phone, put my laptop away and turn off all screens. It’s really important not to be too hard on ourselves, we’re living in crazy times. Don’t be too strict on yourself if you don’t get everything you thought you’d get completed done.” Michaela, Galway