Talkin'up COVID-19 self-care

A few weeks ago, although admittedly it now seems like a lifetime ago… The Tranby team held an Aboriginal women’s wellbeing and healing workshop to talk’ up our women’s strength, leadership and important roles in community.

Through a yarning circle and healing workshop, we had time to reflect on our own wellbeing and talk about the importance of taking out time in our busy lives for self-care. Now, only a month later, our busy lives have been put on hold or paused from their usual running-around madness and the lessons us women learnt from that day seem more important now than ever.

Hey, it’s normal to feel a little overwhelmed and it’s okay to miss seeing friends and family in the flesh. But right now, as we stay at home to keep our Elders’ and young mob safe, we are also blessed with more time for self-care than ever before… so how do we connect?

Firstly, It doesn’t have to break the bank

Although a ‘treat yo self’ moment can be fun, self-care doesn’t have to involve an online shopping hangover!
So, what can it involve?

Step 1 - Switch off

Turn off your mobile phone for a day. Step away from your TV for a night. Turn off the COVID-19 news updates for a morning.

We are constantly surrounded by technology and let’s be honest, we are incredibly fortunate to have access to so many digital apps and platforms that enable us to connect with our community even as we stay at home. Still, when we are surrounded by notifications, Facebook feeds and Instagram stories of people living their best iso-lives, sometimes we forget to live and breathe in ours.

The biggest benefit of switching off is that it helps your wonderful mind to switch ON. Surprisingly when we don’t have our eyes and ears glued to a screen, we can focus on the birds flying from tree to tree and get lost in our own creativity.

Challenge yourself and switch off your phone this Saturday – I mean, it’s not like we are expecting anyone to pop round!

Step 2 – Moving the body, calming the mind

While you leave your phone at home, get out and get active!

Go for a walk by the glittering Glebe Waterfront or try a free online yoga class like Yoga with Adriene. And if you can’t move your body today why not sit still and listen to a Dadirri meditation like one from Miriam-Rose Foundation?

Step 3 – Having ‘you’ time

Reading, writing, painting, or singing along to your favourite song, whatever it is that makes you feel good. With busy lives, how often do we wish we had a free morning or afternoon at home to relax and unwind?

Thanks to COVID-19 the next few Saturday’s can be filled with unashamed self-care. Let’s enjoy it and use this time to reflect and reset.

Step 4 – Be kind

Breathe, slow-down and most importantly, be kind, to yourself and others.

Yep, things are stressful right now, but we don’t have to tear ourselves down with worry, or others. Remember that we are all in this together, through the scary, the confusing and the downright boring. So be kind, to yourself and others because although COVID-19 can’t be fixed with kindness, our journey through it can be smoothed with it.

Want to add some self-care tips to the list or share your self-care challenge with us? We’d love to hear!
Let us know in the comments below or if you want to have a yarn with us, The Tranby team would love to chat: 1800 601 988 (free call)