Look after yourself!

Those of you who follow me on social media will know that I have been posting every day for the last 5 days on the subject of ‘How to look after yourself’, in these very uncertain days of COVID 19. I have been using the acrostic SPECS, covering the Social, Physical, Emotional, Cognitive and Spiritual areas of our lives. Here they all are together in one place, for easy reference.

Social

We all need community – and we are all going to have to work out what that looks like in the weeks and months ahead. Whatever it looks like, stay in touch with people. Don’t withdraw. Many of us can no longer meet up with our friends physically, but we can make use of FaceTime, Skype or WhatsApp video – or even just the telephone. We are privileged to have so many ways to communicate with one another. Keep in touch. Be creative about it. There are lots of ways we can reach out to one another, even at this time of crisis. People are sharing all kinds of resources, whether that is grocery shopping or childcare or picking up prescriptions for those who cannot get out. People are sending each other cards or care packages in the post, or putting notes through their neighbours’ doors with offers of help. These acts of kindness communicate so much, especially at times like this. Let’s do them for one another.

Physical

Look after yourself – eat healthily, drink plenty (of water!), exercise moderately. Now more than ever, we need to get fresh air when we can and we need to look after ourselves. We may be housebound but if we are lucky enough to have even a small patch of a garden, we can breathe in the fresh air and watch the spring unfold – and perhaps plant some bulbs and flowers. There’s something about working with the soil that is so therapeutic for us. And watching things grow reminds us that spring is coming.

Emotional

Each news bulletin increases our fear, every chat with a friend or neighbour gives us something else to worry about. This is where social media is not our friend. Limit your access to it. Decide on your own limits because if you don’t, you will be tempted to keep scrolling. So perhaps check the news morning and evening and be wise about which sources you choose – there is so much fake news out there. As for social media, perhaps scroll through once or twice a day. And when you have decided on your limits, make your phone off limits the rest of the time! It helps to physically remove it from your pocket or from your side, if you can.

It’s important to remember to have fun! I saw a video clip recently on Facebook of games which parents have invented to keep their kids occupied when they are stuck at home. We all need to find things which bring us pleasure, whether that’s watching a boxed set on TV or bringing back some of the old board games or learning to cook some new recipes. Do some things which bring you pleasure.

And if you are really worried and can’t seem to overcome it, get some help. Don’t keep your fears to yourself – because when we do, they grow exponentially. Some people who suffer from anxiety find it helps to have a time in the day when they think about their worries – then when things crop up throughout the day, they don’t allow themselves to worry about them. When the time comes to think about their worries, some of them may have been resolved – and time might give some perspective on the others. If you feel that worry is taking a grip of you, then do reach out to a trusted friend or a minister or a doctor or a counsellor. Please don’t suffer alone.

Cognitive

Try to maintain a structure to your day. It’s easy, if we are in self-isolation, for every day to feel the same – and for time to just slip away without us doing anything very constructive, which adds to our sense of frustration. There is a lot we cannot control but there are some things we can control – and it’s important for our mental well-being that we take control of, for example, our own schedule and plan it well.

Even in self-isolation, there is plenty we can do to keep our minds active: my sister has stocked up on books from her local library; I have several podcasts lined up to listen to; a friend is going to learn calligraphy. I know some parents of young kids are planning on making up their own lessons for them when they are off school. And I know of a teacher who is going to offer to tutor her neighbour’s kids. We can all keep on learning.

Spiritual

If you are a person of faith, hang on to God, even when you can’t get to church. God is in the middle of this with us. He is not a God who tells us off for being afraid – He is the God who says ‘Do not be afraid, for I am with you’. It’s a great idea to start each day with a Psalm, instead of starting it with the latest news bulletin. Talk to God, tell Him your worries and concerns, turn your worries into prayers. (If I turned half of my worries into prayers, I would pray a lot more and worry a lot less.) Listen to worship music – the Gospel Coalition has produced a free playlist on Spotify of songs which address our anxieties. There are great reports coming in from across Albania (and Europe) of many more people accessing church online than would normally be physically in church. In Italy, the traffic on a Bible-reading app has spiked by 30%. So let’s use the resources we have at our disposal. There are so many church services to tune into – if your church isn’t offering that service, you will easily find one online. On top of that, there are lots of other resources – for example, our local parish church is offering daily encouragement from the Psalms each day at 1pm, starting on Monday 23 March, as well as a Spotify list of children’s resources. God has not forsaken us and He never will. The message of Christmas – Immanuel – God is with us – is still true today, in the middle of these very uncertain times. So let’s focus and refocus on what God says to us and find comfort in the truths of His Word.