Self Love In Lockdown

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Valentines Day will be a little different this year, with restaurants closed and lockdowns in place. But hey, that just means more time to celebrate the most important person in your life...yourself! NCS Grad Yasmin is here with her tops on self love in lockdown...

We all have been affected pretty intensely by the three lockdowns put in place in the UK over the course of the last year or so, and it has definitely impacted the state of humanity as a whole, not just individually. But one thing we all have taken from all of this is learning to be with ourselves more. Introverts, like me, were more excited than you could ever imagine at the notion of the streets being empty, staying inside all day and being able to live in a habitat we craved the most in a forcibly social world. However, even we have begun to long for social interaction, which shows that everyone may be at their limit! This is why it is more crucial than ever to continue to practice methods of self-care, self-love and wellbeing throughout this unstable period, and focus on strengthening the core relationship you have with yourself.

The main thing that has helped me immensely to keep up with my self-care and self-love during lockdown is creating a daily checklist of all the essential things that I must do to know that I have met all my most basic needs, even if I can't manage to do much else that day. Having a direct list on my iPad or printed and stuck on the wall where I can tick off what I do is so important to me - to be able to visualise my needs and complete them, feeling satisfied and fulfilled with doing those tasks every day.

This is the template I created for myself which I try my best to follow every day:

AM

• Wake up at 9am (or before 11am on no-class days)
• No more than 10 minutes checking social media
• Dental hygiene; brush, floss, mouthwash
• Wash my face and apply moisturiser or some sort of cleansing product/oil
• Tick off outstanding tasks from this list from the night before
• Change into some comfy clothes which are not pyjamas
• Eat a sufficient breakfast with at least a few fruits, nuts and seeds
• Drink at least 1-1.5L of water a day
• Light a candle and be still for at least five to ten minutes (using the Calm App)
• Create a work to-do list of three to five tasks to complete by 11pm
• Clean my workspace before and after using

PM

• Make and eat a sufficient lunch; I've tried to get into the habit of making myself really delicious salads so I know I am consuming nutrients during the day
• Do something creative for one hour like write a poem, sing, draw,paint something, listen to music, make a short video, do a spiritual practice like tarot cards
• Do at least 10-15 minutes of physical activity such as dancing/HIIT/yoga/workout
• Shower early on in the evening - if I leave it too late then sometimes I feel too tired to do so which isn't good
• Eat dinner, more of a light meal before sleep is better for REM sleep cycles
• Finish final work task for the evening
• Dental hygiene; Brush, mouthwash
• Wash face, apply moisturiser
• Lay out my clothes for the morning
• Get into bed and spend no more than one hour on social media/Netflix
• Listen to music with light turned off to adjust my eyes for sleeping
• Sleep & Repeat :)

This list seems pretty long and daunting, but most of the actions on there won't take me more than 15 minutes to do. This way I can quickly move through my different tasks and actually be able to complete them efficiently, and not feel stuck and paralysed like I normally would giving myself many tasks that I felt would take me a long time. I used to use this chart/list method every day during my early secondary school years, and it really helped me when times were low. I definitely recommend doing this and getting into the habit because then it becomes natural to do all of these little self-care things every day without even being too conscious about it. It helps me to build foundational discipline for days where I feel drained and unable to be as productive as I would like. I hope this list can help you too...and of course you can adapt it to your preferences however you'd like!

As Valentine's Day is also around the corner, some self-love activities you can practice include: dancing to your favourite songs that make you feel beautiful/ hyped and free; baking yourself some simple treats to enjoy in a warm cosy bath, doing a ritual bath for self-love; reading your favourite book; creating a piece of art/music/writing that expresses warm and loving feelings towards yourself; doing a spiritual/intentional practice such as tarot, oracle, affirmations, journaling, meditating, thinking about how far you've come and how proud you are of yourself; making a vision board on Pinterest or on paper of your goals and desires for this next year regarding yourself; doing your favourite workout; cooking your favourite meal; and watching your favourite movies in a clean, cosy, tidy space.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my article! I hope it has given you more insight into how to look after yourself during these times and how to practice self-love more intentionally throughout your days. Stay safe, healthy, and loving!