Solitude & Sereni.tea

Confession: I am one of those people who want to go back to 2020 and the early days of the pandemic. I am an introvert, and I love having an excuse to not see people for days or weeks at a time. I am always planning weekend readathons (a solo activity if ever there was one), or a movie marathon involving movies that no one I know would ever want to watch – activities that I did frequently during that time when we were forbidden to see other people. One of the reasons I was able to look upon that time with fondness, is because I did not get sick. In fact I hadn’t been sick at all during the last 4 years. The reason for that is because I keep my distance.

However, all of that came to an end on Sunday. And Covid took me down and took me down hard. And I can honestly tell you, that if I had experienced this virus 4 years ago, I wouldnt look upon that time with such fondness. I don’t think I have ever been so sick. I have greeted each new day with a brand new symptom, and each morning I descend a little deeper into a depression.

My self care has changed this week, I don’t need to follow a calendar, as I barely do much more than work and sleep. But I have made a bit of a regime, so I can get back on my feet. Here are some of the things I have found helpful.

• Ordering groceries online and having them delivered. Maybe add a message to your order stating that you are sick – so the delivery driver wont ask you to lug the groceries up from the street into your house or apartment.
• Keep a jug of water in the fridge, so having cold water to drink is easy and accessible
• Keep pain relievers, vitamins, and all meds in a pill case with the days marked so you can keep track of what you have taken. This doesnt work so well with things like Tylenol or Advil – but leave those on the counter with loosened tops (unless there are children around) to make it easier to take when you are hurting.
• Tea with honey is easier to drink than water, and the steam and holding a warm mug in your hands helps with easing tension and pain.
• Try to do a little bit of cleaning every day. Don’t go nuts. But moving around will help with the stiffness, and you dont exactly want to live in a swamp full of germs. Do what you can. Maybe do a little less than what you can. But do something. It’s good for you.
• Ask your favourite person to check in on you. Their concern will make you feel a little better. Online games of scrabble are also a good idea, if you have enough brain power to be competitive.
• Learn to say no. Because you need to put yourself first during this time.
• Buy some pajamas. I always buy pajamas when I get sick, so I have a nice little collection of them now. And they are in various sizes – so some of them are comfier than others. Pajamas are what’s going to get you through this.
• Don’t feel guilty about any projects you have semi-abandoned. They will be waiting for you when you feel better. My self care calendar will be waiting for me to pick up where I left off. And so I am not going to worry about the fact that I havent been outside in 8 days, or done any yoga, or writing, or taken myself on an artist date. There will be plenty of time for that, once I am able to get out of bed.
• Hot showers are a godsend. Enjoy the relief wherever you can find it,

This is what my self care plan has looked like this week. Against my better judgement, I have been working throughout this illness. But I have also being honing my delegating skills, as well as sneaking off for naps now and again. I wish I could tell you that I am feeling better. But I am not. Hopefully it will turn around soon. Like tomorrow. In the meantime, I will be making my self-care a priority.

If you have any hacks that I havent mentioned, that you feel might be useful to me – please leave a comment.

*Tonight’s tea – Cold 911 (eucalyptus and peppermint) by David’s Tea.

**Image source – pinterest via Homary