Coronavirus. Anxiety.

Turns out that a world-wide deadly virus that can make you die alone in isolation is not exactly great for people with anxiety. 

On the plus side, every store I have ever even LOOKED AT has emailed me that they are deep cleaning and care about me.  Thanks, Sbarro, for letting me know you're encouraging employees to use hand sanitizer.  Do you usually not?  *suspiciously eyes mall food court*

Our state is shut down, although an awful lot of non-essential people still think they are essential and are out gallivanting around the town.

In these anxious times, (wait, didn't Staples send me an email that began the same way?), there are a few things that I say/do to keep myself calm.  Fine. Calm-ISH.

I'm not a therapist, counselor, or doctor. So if you need to check in with those people, please do!  I'm just a Fellow-Anxious-Person here, sharing what helps me in case it might also help you!

Things I Say:

• "This will not last forever."
• "I am saving lives by staying home."
• "The sun still shines."
• When my brain says "BuT wHaT iF yOu GeT iT aNd DiE!!!1!1!" I tell it "Yeah, but what if I DON'T.  If I'm going to think the extreme scary then I also have to think the opposite."

Things I Do:

• Take a deep breath. Hold for a count of 4. Let it out while counting to 4.  Repeat.
• Watch a 5 min mindfulness video on Youtube
• Do some daily squats.
• Limit news headline checks to morning/lunch/night.  Limit more if you need to!
• Listen to the birds outside and enjoy that nature and life are still happening!
• Use paper plates and frozen dinners and don't even feel bad about it for a second.
• Pet my dog and tell him he is the goodest of all good boys.
• Take a drive by myself.
• Text Tiger King memes to friends.

If you have found healthy ways of coping with anxiety during this Covid-19 crisis, please let me know!  If simple strategies and deep breathing aren't enough (many times they aren't), please reach out to your local physician or counselor.  If you need immediate help, call the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

 

((hugs from 6 feet away))

*Shared at CreativeKKids ThoughtfulThursday

Self Care at Christmas

The hustle and bustle of Christmas can be wonderful. I love planning gifts for loved ones, seeing decorations up through town, and spending time with family.

However, I do NOT love the stress of making sure every gift is wrapped, that all the gifts we are taking with us actually make it to the car before we leave for the long-distance family, children with cabin fever who won't quit bickering, and constantly being surrounded by people.  This introvert needs a few minutes alone!

Chances are, this season has YOU in need of some self-care, too!  Read on for 9 easy ways to take care of yourself this month.

1. Get enough sleep.

I'm serious!  Quit staying up late for just one more thing.  Go to bed. (This is the hardest one for me to do!)

2. Play holiday music and drive around.

Alone. Or with the family if they can keep their act together. If not, the "family drive" will have to happen another time.  For self-care, play the music you like and drive through some neighborhoods to look at lights.  Bonus points if you bring hot chocolate to sip as you go!

3. Take a hot bath.

One of my favorite forms of self-care!  A nice hot bath with the door closed.  A few candles lit, bath salts, and maybe a book if I dare.  But, uh, good luck.

4. Order takeout.

Give yourself permission to grab takeout if you are overwhelmed.  Sure, it's not usually very healthy. But you know what? Gigantic amounts of stress aren't healthy either. Zip through the Arby's window and call it a day.  No one is judging you---we're all in line right behind you!  Save me some curly fries.

5. Tune in to your faith.

Attend your religious service, read from the Bible, pray, meditate.  

6. Flip through a magazine.

I love to read but we don't always have time for an entire book. If a whole book or chapter feels daunting to you this season, that is okay!  Sit back with a magazine and read an article or two. If you don't have any unread magazines at home, stop by your local library and give yourself a half hour to browse and read their magazine selection.  PLUS, the library is quiet.

7. Schedule a massage.

Many places offer half-hour massages or chair massages that can be quite affordable.  If possible, try to schedule one for yourself.  Or splurge for the entire hour or a mani/pedi!  If spending money on a massage isn't an option right now, try watching a YouTube video on self-massage techniques for the feet and hands and do your own massage!

8. Make your house smell great.

Stovetop simmers, candles, wax melts, or wall plug ins.  Choose a method and treat your senses to a pleasant smell.  Self-care should involve all of our senses: smell included!  Kohls had great wax melts called Caramel Toffee that they don't seem to have right now but they do have a candle version.  Any time of year, but especially fall/winter, I love to have deep cinnamony/caramely fragrances. My absolute favorite wax melt though is this one from Swan Creek. HOLY COW. 

Right now they are under $8 and well worth it!  I get compliments every time I have these melting in my house.  It's also a much larger package of wax melts than the standard ones you get for $3-5 at Target/Walmart.   

9. Get your endorphins flowing.

I'd like to think that running store to store for all the last minute things I forget counts as "running" but something tells me that my doctor would disagree. Exercise, even brief bits of it, can help release endorphins and make us feel better.  Try yoga in the morning, or a short walk on your lunch break. If you're into it, take a class at the gym or do some weight lifting.  Or just crank up some happy music and have a dance party with your family!

DIY Self-Care Gift Set (on a budget!)

Tis the season to be....stressed out! Fa la la la la, la la la la!

Self-care is the practice of taking care of one's self physically, mentally, and spiritually.  Like the old saying goes, "You can't pour from an empty cup."  I'm trying to be better at caring for myself in ways like getting to bed on time, getting semi-regular massages, staying connected with my faith, etc.

As a teacher, I happen to know that the rest of the staff at the school is just as busy as I am!  Though we all have different roles, everyone is giving it their all.  Sometimes we need encouraged to recharge.  Our family tries to do a gift to all of the office staff each year at Christmas.  This year's gift is a self-care kit.  

I've been gathering things for several months in preparation.  Not only is a self-care kit a great gift but you can also do it within a reasonable budget.

Here is the breakdown of what is in each kit (and what it cost):

• wax melts  These were from Kohl's and were $5 each.  I bought 6 but used Kohls Cash and a promo code.  Total cost: $0.
  
• face masks  These are also from Kohl's and were $3 each.  I bought 6 but like above, used Kohl's Cash and and a promo.  Total cost: $0.  Amazon has the Earth Therapeutics masks right now ($13 for 5 masks).  A fair price if you're out of Kohl's Cash!
  
• candles  These were from Kirkland's and I had paid $3 for an entire container of 20 candles. Total cost: $3.
• mini notebooks     These are from a recent trip to Dollar Tree. Total cost: $6.
  
• candy   I used 2 bags of Dove Promises and 1 bag of Hershey Kisses. I bought 3 packs from Dollar Tree and divided it up. Total cost: $3.
• magnets I only had 4 of these so the 4 office workers will get one but the 2 specials teachers will be out of luck (I don't think they'll mind).  These were list price $6 but on clearance at Barnes and Noble.  Total cost: $1.50.
  
• tea  It turns out that the sampler box of tea has easily gift-able packets inside. There are 5 flavors, so 5 packets. You can't open them up to further divide because the tea  bags themselves are not marked/labeled (learned that the hard way).  So again our office staff gets tea and the specials teachers will not.  Total cost: $2. 
• cellophane bags  These are from Dollar Tree. Total cost: $1
• ribbon I will add wide ribbon around each one before gifting them.  The ribbon will come from Dollar Tree. Total cost: $1.
• gift tag I used Canva to make a label with a little poem I wrote.  Canva has a free and a paid version. Of course I use the free one. ;)  If you're crafty you could make your own tag. Bottom line: the gift tag is free. Total cost: $0.
  

Grand Total: The kits have a value of $11.50 each but with sales and coupons I spent just $17.50 for all 6 self-care kits!  That means just $2.92 spent to give a gift worth over $11!  Not only did these turn out super affordable (less than the cost of a $5 gift card) but also they are promoting care and compassion to their recipients.  I can't wait to give these little self-care kits out next month!

Of course we are giving these to school staff but the little DIY kits also make great gifts for: teachers, tutors, coaches, Sunday School teachers, nurses, secret pals, moms group friends, neighbors, coworkers, and stylists!

Need an easy to follow/remember guide for making a self-care kit?  I've got you covered!  Check out the infographic below:

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