6 Easy Self-Care Practices when Living in Uncertain Times

We’re living in extremely unsettling times.

Life as we know it has shifted in perception and reality within a span of few weeks. Not only are current realities nothing we have ever seen in our lifetimes, we don't even know how things will look like in a few months from now. Our new normal is going to be very different from our previous normal.

Under these circumstances, you might find yourself falling into a trap of operating out of fear and uncertainty. Fear leads to unclear thinking, inappropriate behaviors and wrong decisions, frequently dictated by a need to try to protect yourself from others.

But if you decide not to operate out of fear and dread, you will find compassion, trust, hope, courage, and love deep within your heart for others. You will also find love, concern and care for your own self, and that is really what will keep you balanced right now. Once we are milder, delicate, and gentle with ourselves, can we learn to be wiser, loving and stronger with others in our circle of friends and family.

Self-care is a loving nurturing of yourself and a conscious catering to your needs; physically, emotionally, mentally and spirituality. A foundation of self-care is built with small steps, and you will find that when you attend to your own needs, your other relationships will be much more enriching, satisfying and fulfilling.

Here are some easy self-care practices for uncertain times, which you can practice to keep yourself aligned with focus, balance and mindfulness.

• Be in the Moment Living consciously implies being present in each thing that you do or thought that you think, and that is exactly what we need to do more of in current times. Focusing on gratitude and positive thoughts take your mind away from all the negative energy around you and helps you keep a positive outlook.

• Meditate Meditation calms and soothes you. At first, you might find it difficult to just sit there, with everything that’s going on and your thoughts roving all over the place. But over time you will find that even just five minutes of mindfulness can make you more aware, enlivened, and energized on a daily basis.

• Create a Relaxing Nightly Ritual Following a relaxing nightly ritual not only helps you get better sleep and settle in after a long day out, but also nourishes your skin, calms your thoughts, and subconsciously makes you feel loved and pampered. Your nightly ritual doesn’t have to be exhaustive, but it does have to be something special which calms your over worked senses like, a skin care routine, light reading or listening to music.

• Write a Morning Journal Morning journals are at an all-time popular high and for a good reason. Writing a journal also helps to nourish and enrich yourself, as it provides you with a platform and space to write your goals, imagine your dreams, tune into your inspiration, and concretize your plans. Writing a journal helps you release unexpressed emotions, examine the root cause of your emotions and improves your mood, leaving you feeling calm, centered and capable.

• Cook for Yourself Cooking for yourself is way to subconsciously tell yourself that you care—about your body, your well-being and your health. This does not mean cooking a rushed meal, but it implies mindfully taking out time to cook a wholesome, slow meal for yourself. It can simply be your favorite comfort food or a challenging new recipe you always wanted to try.

• Indulge in Aromatherapy This does not mean getting an expensive spa massage. It can be as simple as lighting yourself a calming, scented candle and enjoying it with some music and wine. Creating a calming, aromatherapy atmosphere for yourself can help you relieve stress and offers mental and emotional nurturing.

Nourish yourself with everything beautiful and calming you can think of in these uncertain times. These easy-care practices and tips can help you cultivate a sense of calm mindfulness and self-respect, making you feel whole and enriched.