A self-study handout to be completed following the blog post or podcast episode: Revising your Routines.
Evaluate your Self-Care
A self-study handout to be completed following the blog post or podcast episode: Salvaging Self-Care.
Create a Mind Map
A self-study handout to be completed following the blog post or podcast episode: Overcoming Overwhelm.
Salvaging Self-Care
We discuss self-care as if it had a straight-forward definition. Yet we each have a very different idea of what constitutes self-care and how much of it we are allowed. Without considering the internal rules our self-care strategies conform to, we limit our ability to optimize our response in the face of novel stressors (i.e. COVID-19).
Revising your Routines
Routines, habits, and rituals offer us mental space and security. They also have a significant impact on our mood and energy levels. Current events mean most, if not all, of our routines have been altered or lost entirely. As a result we are spending tremendous amounts of energy simply accomplishing the daily tasks of living and working. To conserve energy and refocus our ability to care for ourselves and others, attention should be given to reconstructing needed routines and reevaluating existing routines.
Overcoming Overwhelm
Overwhelm is a state of discrepancy between our brain’s processing power and the sheer volume of novel information it is being asked to evaluate. When our brain is unable to keep up with novel information, we often feel a sense of vague threat or danger. While our rational mind may understand this threat is not tangible or imminent, our more primitive fight, flight, or freeze responses may still be activated.