Over the past few weeks, COVID-19 has completely taken over the lives of people all over the world. The coronavirus has millions stuck inside, which means working, playing, and relaxing all has to be done at home. It also means that cabin fever is most likely to start to set in.
To combat cabin fever, self-care is a great way to start to find peace during this hectic time. Self-care is essential when trying to create a balanced, healthy, and stress-free lifestyle.
When thinking of the term “self-care” one of the first ideas that may come to mind is applying a face mask. Face masks are a great way to relax not only your body, but your skin as well. There are a plethora of do-it-yourself face masks to take advantage of, using all household items.
One great recipe to leave your face soft, and moisturized is a hydrating avocado mask. This mask calls for one half of a ripe avocado, one teaspoon of plain yogurt, and one teaspoon of honey. Mix these ingredients together, apply all over your face, and let it sit for 15 minutes. This mask will leave the skin glowing and hydrated.
Lynelle Scanlon, a junior criminal justice student at Monmouth University, has her own recipe for an at home egg-white face mask that she regularly uses. For this mask Scanlon beats one egg white until it is fluffy, and mixes in one teaspoon of lemon juice, and one teaspoon of honey.
“I use egg whites as a face mask because it peels off leaving my skin feeling fresh and clean. It is so easy to make, and safe for your skin because there are no harmful chemicals in it,” said Scanlon.
Another way to relax, and feel less anxious while stuck inside is to create a mood board. A mood board is a visual tool that communicates concepts, and visual ideas. It can take the form of an arrangement of images, materials, and pieces of text that is intended to express a particular style or concept.
A mood board is a great starting point to get things done. It can help to collate and focus ideas, and define upcoming projects. To begin a mood board start collecting images that represent your personal taste in clothes, music, interior design, goals, and dreams. Next, print
these images out and paste them to a poster board or sheet of paper. These images will work together to tell a story of your life.
Another way to help ease any heightened emotions or tensions you may be feeling at this time is through essential oils. Essential oils are extracted from plants, and are oils that capture the scent or the essence of the specific plant.
William Schreiber, Ph.D., Lecturer and Chair of the Chemistry & Physics department, said, “I think essential oils are relaxing because they generally have pleasant scents, which provides the user with a relaxing aesthetic experience much as other senses can do.”
Certain scents can serve as an aid in self-care. If you find that you are up all night dealing with insomnia, lavender and cedar wood oil can relieve restlessness, and improve sleep.
If you find yourself in a bad mood sweet orange, lemon, tangerine, peppermint, and lemongrass are shown to significantly improve your mood, and lift spirits. Essential oils are simple to find, and usually come in starter packs with various scents. Amazon is a great place to order essential oil sets without having to leave your home.
One last self-care activity that you can add to your quarantine routine is at home exercising. The physical part of self-care is just as important as the mental, and emotional aspects. All you need for this self-care activity is a workout video or plan, which can be found on YouTube or Pinterest. Working out releases endorphins, which in turn helps motivate the body and spirit.
Sam Ciociola, a junior communication student at Monmouth University, has done an at home workout routine everyday of quarantine thus far. “I’ve been making the best out of it, and finding different workouts on YouTube that use the equipment I have access too,” said Ciociola.
In any sense, self-care is an important factor to incorporate into your daily routine, especially during the stay at home order for the coronavirus. Even though you may not be able to control how long the quarantine will last, you can control how you deal with it. By following any of the above methods of self-care, you will leave quarantine feeling like a brand new person.