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Photo: Vadym Petrochenko/iStock

You’re at Home. The News Is Intense. Make Time for Self-Care.

As the coronavirus continues taking over the collective consciousness, personal and public health are of top concern and priority. If you’ve been following the news, chances are, you’re doing all you can to contribute to that greater good: You’re washing your hands (perhaps more than you ever thought possible), disinfecting shared surfaces, and practicing social distancing.

In the midst of it all, self-care may fall to the wayside. Here are tips for prioritizing your mind and body while spending a whole lot of time at home (perhaps more than you ever thought possible).

Unplug occasionally

Keeping up with breaking developments and by-the-minute updates not only feels like a full-time job but also challenges your ability to manage a potential stressor. Taking a break from the news allows you to recharge and relax, as much as you’re able. Dip into a book you had semi-committed to, page through a magazine, doodle in a sketchbook, or read to your kids. If possible, keep it all offline.

Find support

Acknowledging coronavirus-related unease—and allowing yourself to feel all the feelings that piggyback it—can go a long way in helping you cope over the short (and long) term. If turning inward for a bit sounds appealing, consider a meditation app: Wirecutter recommends Headspace and Calm. (The Breathing App is a free option.) As for professional help, online therapy services can be great resources for finding a licensed therapist to meet with via video appointments. Our favorite platform is Amwell.

Keep reaching out

Maintaining connections with family and friends and staying social is as important as ever. Assist your community by offering to help at-risk neighbors or donating to organizations such as food banks.

It’s easy to feel isolated, but keep in touch. FaceTime your friends, call your parents, start a group text. In general, check in with your people and those who might need you most. And make room for some fun with low-key virtual gatherings such as game nights, happy hours, or book clubs.

Make time to move

Exercise is a vital stress reliever for many people. But in the face of COVID-19, working out in group settings has become its own brand of stressor. Despite any changes you might be making to a workout routine (such as reducing, or even eliminating, regular gym visits), making time to move is still essential. If you find yourself working from home and struggling to make time for exercise, schedule it into your day. (Setting an alarm can help.) Consider pulling together a home-gym corner, with items such as a yoga mat and a foam roller that you might already have.

Streaming workouts at home can keep you moving and motivated. YouTube channels like Yoga with Adriene, Fitness Blender, and Popsugar Fitness offer hundreds of free on-demand workouts. Expert-endorsed paid apps like Sworkit ($10-plus per month, with a free trial), Peloton ($13 per month), and the audio-only ClassPass Go ($8 per month) feature strength training, cardio, stretching, and more. If time is a constraint, these six-minute workouts from The New York Times (Wirecutter’s parent company) are quick and efficient. Apps can also help keep social runners and cyclists connected in light of cancelled races and group workouts. Strava allows you to share your runs and rides with a network of friends and followers and even participate in virtual challenges. MapMyRun, a more streamlined app, is another option.

If you can, get outdoors. Venturing outside for a run, hike, or bike ride—either solo or with cohabitants who aren’t sick—is still on the table for most people. The fresh air can help boost your mood and reinforce a degree of normalcy in your day-to-day.

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