This unprecedented time has been a challenge for all of us. We are facing isolation, anxiety, health risks, grief, loss of income, and so many complex emotions. But that doesn’t mean we have to experience this alone! Our goal for the coming weeks is to offer support and community. Check out our 5 tips learned from quarantine this month:
1. Spring Cleaning
Use this time at home to refresh your space. Start small, don’t expect too much of yourself each day, and enlist help! And hey — while you reevaluate the items taking up space in your home, consider reflecting on the “items” taking space in your life. What is using up your spoons? What priorities are most important to you? Who and what do you most want to keep in your life?
Read more in our Spring Cleaning special here!
2. Movement and Nature
Finding time for movement and nature, however that means for you, can positively impact your mental health! While it may not feel easy to break the patterns we build when feeling stuck at home, our blogs offered tips for how to structure your time, and getting outside.
3. Caring for Yourself
We recognize that dealing with a pandemic does not mean that the pain of your day-to-day illness has gone away. We encourage you to practice many forms of self-care, including caring for medical devices and speaking out against shame. We also interviewed Emily Levy, CEO and co-founder about her thoughts during this time.
4. Reaching out to Others
Isolation does not necessarily mean loneliness! There are so many ways to reach out and feel connected: video chats, phone calls, emails, texts, snail mail, virtual game nights, social media… Those of us who have been homebound before COVID-19 are pros at distance socializing! As a throwback to last year, here are Kiera’s and Cameron’s tips on keeping up friendships from the depths of your fight, whether that fight is illness, quarantine, whatever! And remember, if you’re not sure how to reach out, or what to say, we’ve got you covered with questions we want to hear.
5. Fostering Community
At Mighty Well, we are all about community! This is how we get through tough times — we rally to support one another when the going gets tough, and celebrate each other’s triumphs! As always, we have our Friends in the Fight facebook group for anyone wanting to connect about chronic illness. As an extra support this month, we’ve started weekly community events — our virtual Mighty Meetups! So far we’ve had a baking show from our Ambassador Maddie Beale, a Q&A with a nurse and doctor on the front lines of COVID, and a Mindful Movement yoga class with Mend. Stay tuned for concerts, art activities, and chats — all LIVE, to bring our community even closer! Join the group for updates and to access recordings of past events.
We don’t know what next month will bring in the world of COVID-19, but at Mighty Well, we know that May will bring more tips, spoonie stories, and community. Be safe, stay home, and save your spoons!