As the saying goes, "Self-help is the best help," this stay at home lockdown situation has made us understand its importance more than ever. Yes, my friend, I am talking about taking self-care of yourself so that you can stay on top of your shape. But, in a tough situation when people are trying to avoid visiting doctors as much as possible and when almost all fitness and entertainment clubs are closed for an indefinite time, staying on top of the shape becomes much harder than ever.

The job of self-care becomes even harder, especially when you don't know what to do precisely.

But, worry not, my friend, by the time you complete reading the post, you will understand what exactly you should do at home for your mental and physical well-being.

In this article, I will try to discuss some of the easiest and effective self-care techniques you can follow at home along with your family and of course in a nice and fun to read way.

Are you excited to learn more? Keep reading.

Why Should You Take Self Care of Yourself?

Yes, we all know self-care is good for us in numerous ways. But when someone asks how specifically self-care can improve our lives, then many of us tend to dwindle.

If you are one of them, well, from today, you will not. Before jumping straight to the steps that you can to follow for proper self-care, I suggest you go through the benefits of self-care as they will motivate you to take action in the future.

Below are some of the proven benefits of taking self-care:

· It will make you more productive.

From my personal experience, I can say work from home requires a lot of own discipline and distraction avoidance. If you can develop a habit of taking care of yourself, then it will help you to manage things better and boost your productivity.

· Proper care makes you less prone to disease.

I believe I don't have to illustrate the importance of a better immune system at this moment because the current hazardous situation explains everything itself.

If you follow the steps that I have discussed in the below parts, I believe you can develop a better immune system, and in the long run, you and your family will have to pay less visit to a physician.

· Self-care can boost your mental health.

We all know both the phrases that, 'Health is wealth,' and 'An idle mind is the devil's workshop.' Right?

Self-care activities will ensure you spend quality time for yourself and your family. These activities will create a sense of happiness in mind while alleviating depression and stress.

· It will help to increase Self-knowledge

When you give attention to yourself, you will have more time to think about yourself. Thinking of yourself will help you better understand your love and passion. While you do more research on things you love, you will find you gain knowledge that you didn't know in the past.

Self-care is one of the best ways to give yourself a quality treat. So, why late, my friend? Let's unveil some of the most effective and most natural steps of self-care at home for you and your family.

Some Actionable Ways to Take Self Care at Home

A Quality at Home Massage

One of the best self-care you can take of yourself is giving you a quality massage. In a world where almost all spa and massage centers are closed due to COVID-19 risk, you can take a chance to improve your massage giving quality and teach the same to your partner, too, so that you can get a perfect massage.

Below are some of the benefits of an at-home massage that you really can't ignore.

· It is beneficial in making your nervous system calm and keeps you relaxed during stress.

· It helps to alleviate depression.

· By improving blood circulation, it ensures more supply of oxygen to your blood cells.

As you know, a low level of oxygen in the blood is one of the leading causes of death from coronavirus. Regular home massage can reduce the risk of this.

· It can prevent muscle spasm and cramps.

· For couples, it can be a perfect option to share love, care, and passion. Massage is considered one of the most effective ways to improve intimacy between the partners.

So, you must be wondering what the best ways to enjoy all the unearthly benefits of at-home massage are.

Here are some tips on at-home massage for the ultimate experience.

· Set a perfect environment for giving the massage.

· Choose an excellent massage oil.

If you ask me for a recommendation, I will recommend this one.

· The massage giver should not hurt himself/herself while giving the massage.

· Every person has different preferences. Don't hesitate to ask for it.

· There is nothing wrong with not being a pro. It's all about love and care.

If you want to learn more about these tips, I highly recommend reading this article.

Of course, this step is not for those who live alone. But most of us are living with some sort of company in this situation. So, I thought this vital activity shouldn't be overlooked. For those who live alone, don't worry. I got you covered in the next four steps.

A Mindful Meditation

Meditation is the practice of improving focus and redirection of thoughts. In a world of distraction and instant gratification, the capacity to focus is vital for a happy and healthy life.

According to the research of Microsoft, the average focus time of humans is only 8 seconds, whereas the average attention span of Goldfish is 9 seconds. This phenomenon has made our mind unstable and incapable of handling severe stress.

The ability to focus and think critically is very important to handle stressful and complicated situations. And, for this reason, our ancestors have embraced the method of meditation for thousands of years.

In this situation, meditation is the approach that we should adopt in ensuring a healthy, happy, and mindful life. Here's why:

· Meditation is very effective in reducing stress. Stress triggered by various medical conditions (like bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia, etc.) also found to be reduced significantly through meditation.1

· Meditation can control your anxiety. Studies found that stresses related to phobias, like social phobia and panic attack, are lower among those who practice meditation regularly.2,3

· It can improve your emotional health. Mindful meditation is effective in reducing depression.1

· Reduce the risk of memory loss. Our memory cells get weaker as our age increases. Practicing meditation improves our capacity to focus and mental clearance. These help to fight memory loss due to aging.4

· Meditation improves the quality of sleep. In a situation where all of us are locked down at home and have very little chance to perform any physical activities that might make us tired. These lead to a sleep disorder for many of us. Practicing meditation can fight insomnia by relaxing your nerves and refraining you from 'run away' thought.5

So, these are some of the excellent benefits of practicing meditation regularly. There are many other benefits of this that you may want to learn from this very informative article from renowned online health site Healthline.

Meditation is such a powerful practice yet so simple that you can perform it anywhere without spending a penny—all you have to ensure that you have a calm environment for practicing it.

Here are some tips on how you can improve your quality of meditation.

· Sit in a tranquil and quiet place.

· Determine to continue for a specific time. (Preferably 5-10 min. for beginners)

· You can sit anywhere (chair, bed, or floor) and in any position but ensure you stay stable while meditate.

· Don't push too hard, especially in the beginning. It's ok to lose focus. Try to improve it.

· In the end, close it gently. Don't rush, unless you need to.

You can follow this video to start meditating correctly.

You can perform meditation with family members too. It will help to improve the overall mood of your family, plus you can ensure a calm environment in any place of your house.

Eating Right Food in Right Amount

If our body is like an engine and foods are like fuel to that engine. If we fail to supply quality fuel in the right amount and at the right time, our body won't work correctly.

For many of us, this lockdown has turned the routine schedule topsy-turvy. At this moment, it is crucial to improve our eating habits, not only to strengthen resistance against COVID-19 but also to stay on top of our shape.

Yes, I know, many of you might say healthy eating habit requires much money and this lockdown has hit you income ruthlessly. But this is a myth.

Here are some healthy eating practices you might want to adopt.

· Try to avoid too much carbohydrate

Carbs are necessary for our day to day activities, but excessive intake of it leads to an increase in weight. By getting digested soon, it entices you to eat more.

Some of the carbs rich foods are noodles, rice, wheat, chips, etc. Yes, I hear you. Most of the familiar and craved foods are carbs loaded. It makes me sad sometimes. But, it is what it is. We have to try to avoid it.

· Avoid liquid calories

Liquid calorie intake is one of the leading causes of overweight in this century. Sodas, cola, fruit juice (sugar added) are some of the primary sources of liquid calories.

Try to avoid these and drink all-natural fruit juice & freshwater instead. It will give a boost to your physical and mental health.

· Eat more fruits and vegetables

Many among us don't have this healthy habit of eating fruit regularly. But, we all know foods are necessary to boost our immunity, detoxify our body and to provide required nutrients to the body.

Now, at least to avoid the risk of casualty of COVID-19, we should start eating seasonal, fresh fruits, and vegetables.

World Health Organization (WHO) recommends an adult should consume at least 400g of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Some of the fruits and vegetables worth eating during this lockdown are: Orange, Grapefruit, Banana, Carrot, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Berries, Mango, Beans, Lentils, Whole grain rice, and Pasta, etc.

Don't forget to enjoy at least an egg daily unless your physician has prohibited you from doing so.

Drinking a glass of milk, an inexpensive source of protein, can fulfill your daily need for protein.

· Try to avoid deep-fried foods

Deep-fried foods contain a considerable amount of oil and are very high in calories. Try to avoid them.

Try eating boiled or raw food instead. They don't contain any extra calories and usually packed with all essential nutrients.

Here's some fact that will surely motivate you to eat healthily and eat at home.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, an average American spends around $3000 per year in eating out. Renowned personal finance site Money Under 30 states that average commercial meal prep costs $13/meal, whereas an average home-cooked meal costs $4/ meal.

You can read their whole article here.

Set a Proper Exercise Routine

This stay at home thing is holding us back from doing lots of regular physical activities that we were used to doing in the past, like walking or cycling to school or job. It is also offering numerous opportunities to lead a more sedentary life.

But, being physically active is much needed at this moment, not only for our physical health but also for our mental health.

According to WebMD, regularly doing exercise increases the release of a chemical called endorphins. This chemical interacts with our brain and triggers a positive feeling.

Here are some valuable tips from the World Health Organization (WHO) on staying active during COVID-19 lockdown.

· Take active breaks during work from home. This quarantine has forced many of us to work from home. While working, take some active breaks, do some household chores, play with children.

· Take exercise classes. You don't need to go out. Take classes at home, my friend. You can find many exercises on YouTube based on your age, requirements, and body condition. I have seen this video for men, and this video for women particularly useful and easy.

Stand, walk, and relax. WHO recommends standing up from sitting position every 30 minutes to cut sedentary time. You can use a standing table if you wish to continue working in a standing position.

You should utilize every chance of walking too. Take an opportunity to walk while talking on the phone or thinking about something. Try to walk around the house at least once a day.

Relaxing is also essential. You can try meditation and massage tips that I've discussed in the preceding sections to relax and enjoy the moment.

The harsh truth is, all of us know how important exercise is, yet most of us are too lazy to do it regularly. This informative video from Tech Insider might give you some motivation and confidence.

Miscellaneous General Wellbeing Tips

In the above parts, I have tried to cover some of the essential at-home self-care tips. Still, there are some easy and useful actions you can take to handle the situation even better and take self-care of yourself even more effectively.

Here are some additional tips that you can follow at home for better self-care.

· Try to ignore irrelevant things.

· Read books and try to acquire new skills.

· Know the facts, not the rumors.

· Maintain a balance between work and personal life.

· Communicate with friends and family regularly.

· If you feel overly stressed, try avoiding news and media.

· Share your fear, anxiety, and problems with loved ones.

· Don't hesitate to contact a consultant if you feel you should.

Remember, there are lots of people out there who are ready to help you in whatever situation you are in. You just need to communicate with them so that they know you need help.

And, lastly, please don't forget we humans are social beings. We built this civilization together, and we will face this pandemic together. You are one of us. Let us help you.

So, dear friend, here you have five accessible, practical, and actionable at home self-care tips.

I have tried to cover all the aspects of our regular life in these five steps and backed every information with authentic references. I also tried to link many other sources of valuable information, so that you can have even more insights on the facts that I have discussed here.

We all are in this together, right? Let's face it together. It's time to take action.

But, just before you leave and start taking actions…

Please share your experience, thought, and recommendations in the comment section. I would love to hear from you, and your suggestions will serve the community to have better information.

If you find this article informative and useful, please don't forget to share it with your friends, family, and loved ones.

Thank you.