Social Distancing & Self-Care

“It’s not selfish to love yourself, take care of yourself, and to make your happiness a priority. It’s necessary.”

– Mandy Hale

As we hear countries around the world take measures to keep their populations safe from spreading COVID-19 even further, it is very important now more than ever that we support each other in a time that seems unpredictable and volatile.

When it comes to our own work community here in Delhi, we are small and take each other’s safety and health seriously, which is why we have taken precautions with most of our team working from home unless necessary. Those who do need to be present at times like our production and operations team, are provided with sanitisers by our office for themselves, our pieces and our packaging materials that we send out. If there’s anything we have learned from our journey in these 2 years, it’s that we can always offer a helping hand and make sure to do right by each other.

And so, with the state of our world how it is, it has also been wonderfully encouraging to see our digital spaces become full of advice and information on how we can take responsibility. And what is best is to arm yourself with as much knowledge as you can about how to take care of yourself, your loved ones and your fellow neighbours.

First off, the key term most of us have read or heard about is social distancing. In recent articles and social posts, the phrase has been floating around to encourage people to be mindful. It is a practice that tells us to avoid as much unnecessary social contact as possible, from work and school to venturing out to crowded shops and gatherings. This then results in reducing the size of outbreaks and delays transmissions.

So, this also means that we are all going to be spending a bit more time on our own and that in itself can come with its own little worries. We are social creatures and being cut off from our friends physically can be demoralising in a time when lifting each other up can make all the difference. Here are a few self-care tips so you can treat yourself with kindness and feel a little less alone:

1. Read. For fun.

I have no doubt we have all been stuck to our screens, swiping through article after article about the latest updates around the world. And we’re not saying stop completely, we all need to keep a little bit alert in tense times, but you can definitely take a break from it. Here are a few recommendations from our own team that can help you get started:

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories by Ken Liu

Women Who Run with the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estés

First, We Make The Beast Beautiful by Sarah Wilson

2. Go back to your favourites.

Whether it’s movies, TV shows or music, we have so much at our fingertips now, and that also includes our all-time favourites to watch and listen to again and again. Take a walk down memory lane and revisit a Disney classic, lose yourself in the magical world of Harry Potter all over again, marvel at the beauty of our own world with Planet Earth, jam out to Destiny’s Child, Elton John, Coldplay, Ella Fitzgerald, and more! Explore new and different worlds from the comfort of your home.

And if you're looking for some new tunes to check out, take a listen of our new Tropical Sunshine playlist!

3. Do something you love.

Indulge in your hobbies whether it’s painting, playing an instrument, writing, or whatever else, it’s time to spark new interest and enthusiasm in something you may have not had much time to do recently. And if that’s not what you really want to busy yourself with, why not try learning something new. Within our team, it’s no surprise that nearly all of us love to do a bit of gardening. Other things you could take up could be origami, which only requires some paper and your two hands, you can learn how to cook or find a new recipe to master, or try out yoga. The internet has never been more full of tutorials and ‘how-tos’ so get going!

4. Remember to keep a routine.

Being at home the majority of your time can lead to us getting lazy in our ways. This is your reminder to eat your 3 meals a day, exercise, get regular sleep, and drink water regularly. Your body and mind will thank you for keeping them well cared for.

5. Take a moment.

Sometimes the best thing we can do is to do nothing at all but breathe. Take 10 minutes in your day to meditate and clear your mind, you could do this at the beginning of your day to feel centered and ready to take on the rest of it, or at the end to relax your mind in preparation to sleep, or really just whenever you need it. Fresh air is always great to feel revitalised as well, so if you have your own tranquil green corner to sit out on like a garden or balcony, take your moment outside if possible.

6. Reach out to your loved ones.

Thanks to our digital age, communication is easy and needed so don’t forget to reach out to someone every other day or even daily to check up on them and they can check up on you. As alone as we may feel at this time, we are anything but.

 

We hope you all take care of yourselves and remember to keep your heads up. Support each other, reach out to your loved ones, talk to others about how they are doing, every little bit helps. We are here in the digital world if you need us!