During this time of home quarantines and social distancing, it is crucial to keep your mind and body healthy. Even when you feel stressed and overwhelmed, remember that oodles of self-compassion and self-care is the way to get through this difficult time.
From watching the news channel every hour to scrolling down the social media feed a little too much in exasperation, it is easy to feel emotionally exhausted. But don’t worry, you are not alone in this. Here are some tips to take care of yourself if you are in an extended state of self-quarantine.
We begin with the most important one.
Taking Care Of Your Mind
1. Stay informed, but limit your news intake
It is always important to stay informed about what’s going on around you. But, at the same time, getting lost in that noise can lead to many psychological problems like depression, confusion, and anger.
So, try to seek reliable information from trusted sources; in that way, you can be well informed and less anxious. Consider taking breaks from the news and social media and distancing yourself from what’s going on in the world. We recommend not consuming any piece of news for hours at a stretch, but if that seems hard, even taking short breaks can prevent you from getting overwhelmed. It’ll be helpful to engage yourself in activities that remove you from the barrage of news and social media.
2. Try to stick to your routine even at home
Always stick to your daily routine; it can be your skincare routine, your diet routine, or your work routine. In that way, you will have a feeling of control even in a time of crisis.
When you get up, do not open your laptop and start replying to emails right away.
Take time to get ready. Just because you’re not going to the office doesn’t mean you shouldn’t dress up. Wearing your best clothes will put you in a better mood and help you feel energetic.
Try to set a schedule for your work, meals, and bedtimes. Even though you don't have to be rigid, setting a goal will help you in finishing important tasks sooner, leaving you with plenty of time to have fun later.
3. Stay in touch with your loved ones
Speaking to someone you love and sharing a good laugh is the human connection you need right now. In today’s hectic world, keeping in touch with everyone, especially when you live far away, is very hard.
Why not use this spare time to put in an extra effort? Grab your phone and call your parents, friends, or coworkers.
4. Practice kindness and compassion
It’s important to remember that everyone you know is struggling in some way or the other. Some people are worried about their elderly parents or sick loved ones, some are worried about losing jobs, and almost everyone is overwhelmed or anxious with the ongoing events.
We’re facing something we’ve never encountered in the past. So, how can you make it better for yourself and everyone else?
Simply be kind and compassionate. When you follow up with your coworker about a pending task, ask them how they are doing. If you’re living with family, try to adjust and create an environment that helps everyone work better. We can make it through this together.
5. Create your comfort playlist
Creating your comfort playlist will help you keep your mind calm. Your comfort playlist can be the songs you would dance to while in the shower. Or it can be meditative music to help yourself fall asleep.
When you want to unwind after a tough day, turn on the music, reduce the lights in your room, prepare a cup of chamomile tea, and enjoy!
6. Clean and organize to help yourself feel in control
Don't you think this is a great time to clean and organize your home? Well, for me, it's a YES! Clean and organize your closet, cupboards, and the pantry.
Even your kids can do way more than you think. Keep them engaged by making them sort their toys, clean their room, or play areas.
7. Make time to unwind and enjoy
What’s a quarantine for without a fun way to pass the time? List out all the things that make you happy and start with them.
Use bath oil to give yourself a full body oil massage after a long relaxing bath, apply a face pack, write in your journal, read a book you always wanted to read, learn new skills like knitting or painting, meditate, do Yoga, or cook. Along with fighting boredom, preparing your daily fun to-do list will also challenge your creativity.
8. Use Essential Oils To Dissipate Anxiety And Stress
Aromatherapy at home is a great way to keep your mind calm and poised during times like these. Take help of suitable essential oils to create a soothing environment at home, regulate your nervous system and improve focus and concentration.
Here, we've talked about four different types of Kama Ayurveda’s essential oils that can benefit you at this time.
- Ylang Ylang Essential Oil For Calming
If you are looking for promoting your inner-peace, confidence, and relaxation, which is essential for not feeling overwhelmed, this Ylang Ylang oil is perfect for you. Inhaling the floral and intensely sweet aroma of Ylang Ylang, you can easily uplift your mood by bringing on stronger feelings of awareness, confidence, peace, and self-love.
- Tea Tree Essential Oil For Energising
Tea Tree essential oil, which is steam distilled from the leaves and twigs of tea tree, is well known for natural healing and general well being. The warm, fresh, spicy, and herbal aroma of the tea tree essential oil helps in strengthening the vital energy within the body, energizing the heart and mind and uplifting the spirit.
- Orange Essential Oil To Fight Depression And Anxiety
If you are feeling depressed and having anxiety attacks due to the social distancing, then orange essential oil can be your best friend in action. The cheerful and exhilarating scent of this essential oil can boost focus and mental activity while fighting anxiety and depression.
- Peppermint Essential Oil For Relief From Congestion
If you have fallen sick and have the symptoms of cold and cough, this peppermint essential oil can be your knight in shining armor. The minty and robust aroma of the peppermint essential oil can help in relieving any respiratory issues like nasal congestion, sinusitis, asthma, bronchitis, and even the common cold and cough. Peppermint also helps in soothing headaches, PMS, and nausea while improving mental clarity and raising energy levels.
Taking care of your health
We are all experiencing solitude in solidarity right now! It is a perfect time to get into some serious self-care and establish healthy routines by changing our diet and incorporating better nutrients into it. It's a great time to catch up on your sleep and let the body figure out its circadian rhythm.
Keeping yourself healthy is quite a challenge! Let us give you some tips on how to take care of your health.
9. Make time to work out and meditate
Exercising can make you feel comfortable by keeping your body moving to process anxiety and to stay healthy. Are you missing your gym or yoga classes? Don't worry; they are plenty of at-home exercise Youtube tutorials and applications that can spruce up your fitness routine. You can download Nike Training App, which is completely free on iOS as well as Android devices. It has Yoga as well as other fitness modules that you can follow easily.
Meditation, on the other hand, will help you in slowing down your heart rate and clearing your mind. When practiced regularly, meditation can help you in buffering the effects of stress, which in turn will significantly support your immune system. Headspace App has released free mediation sessions for all to help people get through this time.
10. Cook yourself some easy healthy meals
If you are a fan of cooking, plan out some healthy meals using what you have on hand and cook them for yourself and everyone in your house. Preparing food can be a fun way to challenge your creativity and fight boredom.
Now that you've to work from home and eat at home, it's an excellent opportunity to include healthy nuts, fruits, and vegetables in your diet.
11. Give yourself a relaxing head massage
An Indian head massage with Ayurvedic hair oils is a holistic treatment that helps you in relaxing by releasing stress that has accumulated in the tissues, joints and muscles of the head, face, neck and shoulders. It helps in rebalancing your body’s energies which is a must right now.
Kama Ayurved's Bringadi Intensive Hair Treatment Oil gives you the relaxation you want by soothing frayed nerves. It also helps in uplifting mood and aiding in a good night's rest. If you suffer from hair problems like dandruff and hair fall, then massaging your hair regularly with Bringadi oil will help you. Take a few drops of the oil, and gently massage your scalp in circular motions.
12. Stay hydrated with Ayurvedic health drinks
Another best way to keep you healthy during your Quarantine is by drinking some natural ayurvedic health drinks made from the ingredients readily available in your kitchen. These Ayurvedic drinks help you in boosting your immunity and staying fit. Drinking them is another way to increase your water intake, which is beneficial in maintaining overall physical and mental health.
Some of the best ayurvedic healthy drinks are listed below.
- Fenugreek Water:
Fenugreek Seeds, commonly found in every Indian household, is a storehouse of many medicinal properties. They are slightly bitter but can cure any health problem. Fenugreek seeds are excellent sources for antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. Drinking fenugreek water not only boosts your immunity but also helps in promoting better digestion and controlling blood sugar levels.
Soak one tablespoon of fenugreek or methi seeds in two glasses of water and leave it overnight. You can drink this mixture as soon as you wake up the next morning on an empty stomach.
- Tulsi Water
Tulsi has long been used in Ayurveda for its medicinal properties. It is loaded with tons of antibiotics, antifungal, and antibacterial properties. Tulsi helps in preventing fever, cold and is also very good for your skin and hair. Many people simply chew Tulsi leaves to get rid of the headache and sore throat.
All you need to do is take a cup of water in a pan and add 5 to 6 Tulsi, or Holy Basil leaves to it. Bring this water to boil. You can drink it as it is and can also make tea by adding one teaspoon of honey and half a teaspoon of lemon juice.
- Cinnamon Water
Cinnamon has also been used for medicinal purposes for centuries by Ayurveda. Loaded with antioxidants, Cinnamon helps in protecting our body from oxidative damage that is caused by free radicals. Cinnamon’s inflammatory properties help in protecting our body from any kind of infection.
Just boil a cinnamon stick in a glass of water and have this water for the entire day. You can also add cinnamon powder instead of the stick.
13. Ensure that you have a good sleep at night
Your energy and mood greatly depend on the quality of your sleep. Daily stress and a change in routine can make it difficult to fall asleep. So, we have a few tips to help you sleep better.
- Try to get up at the same time as it sets your body clock
- Even though times are hard, avoid too much alcohol as it can make you get up in the middle of your sleep and cause disturbed sleep.
- Stop using screens at least 30 minutes before bed.
- Get relaxed before bed. You can take a hot bath or read for a while to unwind.
- Avoid consuming caffeine after midday.
- Keep a notebook to jot down all your worries and your plans for the next day.
- Put lavender essential oil in your bath or in your oil diffuser as it promotes sleep.
- Go early to bed so that you have at least 6 to 8 hours of relaxing sleep.
Take care of your skin
Even though your priorities are taking care of your emotional and physical health, never leave out taking care of your skin. Remember how you’ve been trying to make skincare a priority for a long time but couldn’t because you never had the time for it.
Well, you’ve all the time now. Here are some best tips to take care of your skin during the time of Quarantine.
14. Wash your hands regularly, but do not forget to moisturize them.
If you are following the news up to date, you will already know how important washing your hands is. It is the first and foremost thing you have to do to protect yourself and your family from Coronavirus as it is your hands that carry all your germs to your respiratory tract. Keeping them as clean as possible is essential.
How to wash your hands and which cleanser to use? Read on to know.
Wet your hands with water and apply enough soap that contains natural oils and actives for gentle cleansing. Spend at least 20 seconds washing your hands.
You can use Kama Ayurveda’s Rose Jasmine Hand Cleanser to cleanse your hands and soften them with the luxurious blend of floral and plant ingredients. The Aloe Vera juice in the cleanser helps in nourishing and conditioning the skin. Rose Jasmine Hand Cleanser is best for frequent hand washes as it does not dry out your skin.
Here are the steps to follow to wash your hands -
- Rub your hands together and thoroughly wash them. Rub one hand on the back of the other hand. Don’t forget to clean in between the fingers.
- Wash your hands with water and dry them out with a disposable towel.
- Now, moisturize your hands with a moisturizer that can hydrate your hands and leave your skin soft and silky.
Kama Ayurveda’s Rose Jasmine Hand Lotion is enriched with Olive oil, Aloe Vera juice, Tea Tree Oil, Rosemary Oil, and Basil Oil to help you in calming and conditioning dry and sensitive skin. The pure rose and jasmine essential oils leave your hands feeling soft and hydrated.
15. Your daily skincare routine
Since you are at home, it's a great time to practice being regular with your skincare routine. You finally have enough time at your hand to focus on your skin. Following a skincare ritual is also a fantastic way to relax and become mindful.
If you don’t have any skin care routine yet, then we have Kama Ayurveda’s Skin Care Regime Kits to help you get started. (And you can get them delivered at your place by simply placing an order online or giving us a call.)
Your basic skin care is a combination of CTM (Cleanse, Tone and Moisturize), and our Daily Face Care Regime For Women simplifies this for you.
1. Cleanse - Use Rose Jasmine Face Cleanser that contains soothing and antibacterial properties that help in cleansing and keeping skin soft and clear without drying.
2. Tone - Use Pure Rose Water to balance and restore the skin’s pH levels and tighten pores.
3. Moisturize - Eladi Hydrating Ayurvedic Face Cream enhances skin texture and repairs acne, blemishes and signs of early ageing.
To make this skin care routine even more effective, you can start by applying Moringa Oil which repairs the skin from pollution and provides your daily dose of hydration. Now that you’re staying indoors, it’s a great opportunity to reverse the damage caused by the pollution and renew the skin cells.
To get even better results, we recommend that you repeat the CTM routine at night as well. However, you should replace your day cream with Kama Rejuvenating And Brightening Ayurvedic Night Cream or Kumkumadi Miraculous Beauty Fluid and Ayurvedic Night Serum. Your night skincare routine gives your skin an opportunity to heal and rejuvenate. It also serves as a great night time ritual that prepares your body to sleep.
Daily Face Care Regime For Men is the perfect skin care routine for men. The following simple steps will improve your skin texture resulting in smooth, soft and clear skin.
1. Cleanse - Using Himalayan Deodar Face Cleanser will leave your skin perfectly cleansed and hydrated. It also helps in preparing the skin for a comfortable shave.
2. Tone - Spray refreshing Pure Vetiver Water on your face and enjoy the soothing fragrance. This toner balances the pH levels of the skin and adds essential moisture to it while tightening and clarifying the pores.
3. Moisturize - Hydrating Ayurvedic Face Cream For Men is a nourishing day cream that helps in moisturizing, softens and protects the skin.
A night time skin ritual is also essential for men. This video illustrates how you can take care of your skin at night. Replace your day cream with Skin Brightening Night Cream For Men.
What to do if you’re feeling sick (and avoid getting sick)
Coronavirus has shaken the entire world and kept everyone under constant fear and suspicion. Over the spike in the past six days, India has crossed over 200 COVID-19 positive cases. In view of this rising treat, the government is requesting everybody to follow the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) prevention measures very strictly. So, let us discuss those measures and make sure we impose them on ourselves.
1. Wash Your Hands Frequently
Regularly wash your hands with soap and water or with an alcohol based hand rub. In that way you can kill the viruses that may be on your hands.
2. Maintain Social Distancing
Keep distant from anyone who is coughing and sneezing (at least 1 meter). Because maintaining distance can help you in preventing the liquid droplets that come from infected persons nose and mouth.
3. Avoiding Touching Eyes, Nose And Mouth
Your hands touch many things and many surfaces. So, when you touch your nose, eyes or mouth with the same hands, there are high chances they can transfer the virus into your body. Therefore, make sure you avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
4. Practise Respiratory Hygiene
Cover your mouth and nose with bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. Then immediately dispose of the used tissue. Make sure the people around you too practise respiratory hygiene.
5. If You Have Fever Cough And Difficulty Breathing, Immediately Seek Medical Care
Stay home most of the time to avoid the virus from spreading you. If you feel like having respiratory problems, then immediately seek medical care and follow their directions.
Remember that even though the times seem hard, we can get through it together. Kama Ayurveda is available for your service 24X7.