Self Care Plans during Covid 19
The Covid 19 pandemic has created chaos and uncertainty for many vulnerable people, especially those in Melbourne who are facing six weeks of level 4 restrictions. Now is a better time than ever to to devise a self care plan with your disability support care worker to refer to in times where you feel anxious and distressed.
So what is self care?
Self care are activities and attitudes that you consciously adopt to care for your spiritual, emotional and physical well being. What those activities may be depends on each person and their specific goals and what works for them.
Some examples include:
Turning off work emails and not responding to work texts or phone calls after a certain time to re-enforce your work/life boundaries.
Taking time to self soothe when feeling distressed and anxious. This may be by mediating, taking a hot shower, going for a walk.
Making sure you maintain good sleep hygiene- going to bed at the same time every night and waking up at the same time every day, turning off electronics and screens at least an hour before bed to help yourself get ready to sleep
Making sure to eat a healthy diet and planning meals ahead when you know you will be busy so you can still get your proper nutrient intake.
Practicing meditation and thought patterns to help de-escalate panic attacks and anxiety.
Making time for a hobby or endeavour you do just for pleasure, just for yourself, eg creative writing, cooking.
Making regular psychologist/ psychiatrist appointments when you are struggling to get the extra support you need.
Self care plans are a great way to combat feelings of stress or anxiety because they can be implemented straight away and can easily be incorporated into your routine. Your support worker is an excellent person to bounce ideas off of to help formulate your own personalised self care plan with specific activities that you find to be helpful and soothing for you.
