Practicing self-care in self-isolation

Self-care has become a real buzz word over the last few years, but with the prospect of potentially weeks of social-distancing ahead of us, it’s never been more important.

The term has become associated with lighting candles, taking baths and relaxation - but it’s actually about much more than that.

Mind defines self care as ways that you can help yourself to improve your mental health, using lifestyle changes and other techniques. With polls showing that the coronavirus outbreak has already had a negative impact on mental health, there’s never been a more important time to look after ourselves, mind, body and soul.

So what steps can you take to care for yourself?

Connect

A vital part of staying mentally well is to stay connected to your friends and family. While you aren’t able to spend time together in person, make time to eat and drink together using Skype, Zoom or Facetime. Virtual quizzes have become hugely popular, giving people a chance to have fun and exercise their brain cells from the safety of their own homes.

Awareness

You know best what’s good and bad for your mental health. Take the opportunity to make time for the things you find helpful, whether that’s running, yoga, crafting or reading.

You can also keep a simple mood diary using an app, or your diary, which might help you to see correlations. If you notice that your mood is worse on days where you don’t exercise, or sleep for too long, you can take positive steps to correct those things.

 Physical health

 Our physical and mental health is intimately connected - when one suffers, the other often follows. By looking after your body, you can give your mind the best chance to stay healthy.

That means trying to get enough sleep, eating healthily most of the time, avoiding drugs and alcohol and getting some exercise when you’re able, even if it’s just a brisk walk.

Remember that the coronavirus crisis and its ramifications are unprecedented in modern times - so it’s completely normal to feel anxious and overwhelmed - but sometimes a little self-care can help to ease those feelings.

Like so many people right now, we at Alpine Property Investments are getting used to working from home, so should you want to spend this time starting or continuing to understand the process of buying a property in the French or Swiss Alps, or have any questions, please do contact us. Now is the ideal time to think about the future.

Stay safe.