Managing a full time job while at home with an infant and a chronic illness is not easy! Toss a pandemic on top of that and yikes! Anxiety, stress, fatigue and complications from your disease can absolutely get the best of you. Normally, I’d run to the gym, sneak in a nail appointment, some retail therapy at the mall or get a massage, but none of those stress relievers are currently available so I’m looking for other ways to sneak it some oh so important, self care. Here are a few of my favorites.
- Foot soak & detox: Combine the following ingredients in a mason jar or tupperware and use 1/4 of the mixture in your tub or bucket of hot water per 30 minute foot soak
- 1-cup epson salts
- 1-cup sea salt
- 2-cups baking soda
- 6-drops of lavender essential oil
- At home pedicure. This can be particularly beneficial after the foot soak when your skin is soft. Add warm lotion, use toe separaters and include any other upgrades available at spa du casa.
- Trade one of your kids or spouse for a 15 minute neck & shoulder massage
- Place a heating pad on achy joints
- Stream a yoga class from your local gym: There are so many great, free options out there right now! My fave is Black Swan Yoga here in Austin, TX.
- My husband and I have been gargling with hot salt water before bed every night. While there is no evidence that this can eliminate or prevent coronavirus, it does alleviate any symptoms of sore throat and feels good while we are experiencing allergy symptoms.
What are you doing to practice self care during these high-stress times? Are you cooking more, building something, writing more, reading, walking, playing games? I’d love to hear about your creative self care outlets.
Chronic Mum 