Self-care is key vs COVID-19: Experts list down the 'COVID' that could beat pandemic
MANILA, Philippines — Self-care might seem like it should be the least of our worries with all that’s going on in the world today, but experts argue that it could be the key to our survival in the middle of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
During the July 30 “Quarantine R&R: A Self-Care Day Webinar for Resilience and Recovery,” professional life coach Vanee Gosiengfiao and public health specialist, doctor Marthony Basco, initiated a conversation on the mental health struggles of Filipinos under quarantine and how self-care can help.
Gosiengfiao said the concept of self-care is holistic, encompassing physical, mental and spiritual well-being.
“A common misconception about health is that we need to take care of ourselves only when we get sick. What self-care really teaches us is that it’s important to prevent sickness in the first place, and this helps ease the burden on everybody later on,” she said.
Here are some simple lifestyle changes starting at home that Gosiengfiao and Basco believe ultimately would go a long way in helping out our medical frontliners.
Going beyond quarantine
With most of the population forced to stay at home to do our part in beating the health crisis, Basco reminded that “physical constraints should not limit our mental capacity.”
He recommended rediscovering our own homes, searching for childhood photos, returning to long-put-off activities like a pending painting or house job, finding an unopened book and more.
Basco also said that gadgets and the Internet offer us connectivity with the outside world even if we’re home-bound.
Mental compartmentalization
Meanwhile, Gosiengfiao provided tips on disconnecting one’s personal and professional life.
“It’s so much harder to juggle both parts of your life here at home because there’s no more physical barrier.”
To mentally compartmentalize and focus on her work, she follows a daily routine where she still dresses up as if going out and even says goodbye to her kids in the morning.
Gosiengfiao also suggests having a support system, or people who can help us think, cope and act through the crisis.
Beating ‘COVID’
Basco shared a simple acronym to guide self-care amid the pandemic which he calls the “COVID test.”
Connect: Stay connected with loved ones.
Observe: Observe our mental and physical states.
Vitamins: Take vitamins to ensure proper nutrition.
Immunization: Get immunized to avoid other illnesses.
Discern: Adopt a discerning attitude toward our challenges.
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