Self-care, COVID-19 and the holiday season

MAPLETON – It is fair to say that Christmas 2020 is going to be unlike any other Christmas holiday in memory.

Christmas can already be a challenging time for some and, along with all the good events, it comes packaged with stress and expectations.

This year’s holiday season challenge is going to be a doozy.

You may be worried or feel upset and lonely at the prospect of a Christmas without the usual family gatherings.

You may have someone in your life who has recently died or perhaps you are feeling overwhelmed by the pandemic.

In years gone by we may have been told to “pull up our bootstraps” or to “stop feeling sorry for ourselves.”

However, we now know that it is important to talk to a trusted friend or family member about how we are feeling.

It is perfectly okay to cry or express our feelings aloud; “fake it until you make it” doesn’t apply here.

There is no better time than now for self-care.

Self-care is defined as “the practice of taking an active role in protecting one’s own well-being and happiness, in particular during periods of stress.”

At the end of this article is a list of things we can do to help take care of ourselves.

Taking care of self is difficult for some of us to do as we have often been taught to put others before ourselves.

It’s hard to not feel selfish when we do this to protect our own physical and mental health. That’s why I like this quote by L.R. Knost: “Taking care of myself doesn’t mean me first. It means me too.”

Here are some simple examples of self-care. In other words, take time for yourself:

1. Arrange to call a friend and enjoy a nice hot “cuppa” with them over the phone or computer. Talk about your feelings. Don’t eat or drink them;

2. Exercise, move your body each day, and remember that “motion is lotion”;

3. Read a favourite book;

4. Listen to your favourite music; and

5. Take time to do a hobby you enjoy.

Look to the future. 2021 seems to be the light at the end of what has been a rather dark year.

We are so glad to have had the opportunity to connect with you over this year. We know that we have learned many news skills especially Zoom and the Party Line teleconferencing program.

Know that in 2021 there will be new and different challenges ahead, but we will all be in it together.

While feeling sad and anxious is normal some of the time, if it is overtaking your life, please speak to your family doctor.

– Helen Edwards is program coordinator for the Seniors’ Centre for Excellence in Mapleton

Helen Edwards