Self Care During This Surreal Time

My mental state has been deteriorating lately and from what I can tell, I am not alone as many of my friends are also experiencing ‘cabin fever’ and restlessness after two weeks of self-isolation/quarantine restrictions. There has been a relentless barrage of news related to this deadly virus that has been spreading throughout the world like wild fire and there’s been what seems like never ending text messages of gloom and doom, death statistics, fake news and how-to tips.

I have to consciously refocus on self-care and occupy more of my time to generate positive thoughts instead of sliding further more frequently into dark thoughts and sadness. So far, these are the things that have helped me:

• Connecting with family and friends. I am grateful for technology that allows me to speak to and see them. Having a close network of friends have kept me relatively sane as we exchange messages on a daily basis.
• Reconnecting with old friends and acquaintances. I have reached out to some and some have reached out to me. It has been good to catch up and knowing that they are doing well.
• Learning to say no (more) and avoiding drama. I only have enough energy to spend time chatting with people to matter to me. Old flames who are lonely and want attention are generally ignored. Receiving the same videos or jokes from multiple sources has been somewhat annoying but it’s easy to simply delete them. Tip: one must regularly perform housekeeping on one’s mobile, otherwise the junk just adds up, taking up precious storage space.
• Cooking and eating comfort food has been therapeutic. I’ve discovered that I’m now more partial to tom yum soup (discovered an excellent instant noodle rice vermicelli with tom yum paste, PAMA Tom Yum Siam) and anything cooked with teriyaki sauce (especially grilled salmon). I crave for deep fried chicken and so far have been preparing relatively healthy meals. I miss eating fresh mangoes and crabs.
• Food & competition. The obsession with food never ends and my Yaya sisters (and honorary brother) decided to take this to another level to amuse ourselves during the month-long quarantine period. We post photos of our meals; each entry should be well presented and each day, one is voted a “winner” within our group chat. The competition to deliver the most aesthetically pleasing has been fierce, with food styling on a plate. However, the rules have become more relaxed as meals are also being judged based on nutrition level and perceived taste. It was hilarious in the beginning as some tried to score points through self-praise in their captions, e.g.“lip smacking delicious” (disqualified) and using their children or mother as adorable background props (also disqualified). It’s been good trying to be creative.
• Scrolling through Instagram to drool over spectacular food (mainly steak, seafood, sushi, pasta/noodles and desserts) and adorable dogs, crazy cats and baby animals. Viewing these photos is simply joyful.
• A few minutes of quiet meditation, prayer and reciting my gratitude list for the day has helped to ease my mind – for the most part. Sometimes after not being able to sleep well, I end up watching either movies or tv series until I am exhausted. Exercise makes me cringe so I will continue my routine in the gym once it is safe to do so. And no, I’m not motivated to do other forms of exercise in my apartment after collapsing in a heap from attempting tabata. I do what I want, when I can.
• Pampering myself. I use Korean face masks, body scrubs, soothing scented shower gels, hydrating lotions, plenty of facial moisturizer and perfume. My nails are getting a break from nail polish and look healthier. I’m still coming to terms with my grey hair growing out and will definitely need to visit the hair salon when it is possible to do so. Nope, I am not ready to look like an ‘old lady’ yet.
• Listening to music. This has always been my favorite past time. As I am writing this, I’m listening to acid jazz on the internet radio (Radio Caprice). The current song, “Never Stop” by The Brand New Heavies, is making me smile.

Stay strong, safe and sane, everyone. Things will get better… eventually. We must do our part to be responsible and considerate. Even in times of fear and tragedy, there will always be love and compassion.