One of the most interesting things that I have realized in talking with people is the amount of time we now have for introspection. Normal everyday activities can have us so distracted that we don’t have the opportunity to just “sit” with ourselves. Now, this has brought up some challenges! Some of us have noticed, and focused, on things we have come to realize we really don’t like about ourselves. Some may have noticed the lack of self-care skills we have, or the lack of healthy hobbies. Some have realized that relationships aren’t quite what they seemed when the ability to stay away from each other for 8-10 hours a day was there. And some have started to have memories of past events pop up.

 

This time period gives us a great opportunity to deal with things that we normally can easily dismiss. Have you realized there are things about yourself that you don’t particularly care for? Maybe you wish you were better at money? Or communication? Or just kinder with yourself?

Or maybe you wondered if there was a hobby you may like? Many places online are currently offering free classes for self-improvement, money management, art, hobbies, and many other things! This is also a great time to start habit stacking. Habit stacking is doing one habit for a week or so, then adding another habit to that habit for another week. By attaching one habit to another, this helps the second habit to “stick.” This can be really useful for self-care habits you wish to incorporate into your life.

 

But there are some things that are deeper and more difficult to deal with on your own, such as relationships and past traumas. These are things that, when not dealt with properly, make it too easy to beat ourselves or others up over. They may show up in physical symptoms, difficulty in relationships, poor self-image, mental issues, or in other ways. There is not a better time than now to take care of these issues, before regular day-to-day activities resume. Take care of yourself – you’re important!

 

Steffani Wooley, MA, LPC-I

Jon