WASHINGTON — Raise your hand if you’ve felt burned out at some point during the pandemic -- I imagine just about everyone has their hands in the air right now. During the pandemic, many people have felt frustrated and at the end of their rope.
Trey Anthony, author of Black Girl in Love (with herself), shared four self-care tips for how you can reverse burnout.
- MOVE YOUR BODY
You don’t have to be a gym rat. Anthony recommended incorporating exercise on the sly by putting your baby into a stroller and talking a walk while listening to your favorite podcast. She also finds sweating early in the morning and consistently is the key to making sure you follow through with your goal.
“I knew that if I said I was going to exercise in the evening, it wasn’t going to happen," she said. "So what I actually did, I put it into my daycare run. I would drop off my son at the daycare, and keep my car parked at the daycare, and do my run/walk right after.”
If you don’t get exercise out of the way early, Anthony said you will get caught up in daily life and exercise will go out the window.
- WRITE YOUR OWN AFFIRMATIONS
Repeating an affirmation like, “Trey, you are doing the best that you can” or “Trey, your son is healthy and happy,” can make a big difference when you are feeling stressed and anxious.
“It’s really important to write your affirmations down,” Anthony said, “Writing it down gives it a sense of power, a sense of purpose, it also makes you believe that it’s possible.”
Saying an affirmation can calm you down and remind you not to be so hard on yourself. Bonus points if you repeat the affirmation to yourself in the mirror. Anthony said that will make the result even more powerful.
- DO YOUR HAIR
Do your hair every day, Anthony recommended. There is a transformation within a person when they are taking care of their outer appearance. In fact, Anthony said to set aside time at least once a week for at-home DIY treatment.
“Due to the pandemic, I think a lot of us are like, ‘Okay, I’m walking around in track pants and mis-matched socks, so why am I even going to bother with my hair?’” Anthony said. “We need to remind ourselves of who we are. We’re not just mommies, we’re not just wives, or girlfriends or partners.”
- GET SOME PHYSICAL TOUCH
Touch is something that many people have been lacking during the pandemic, especially if you are a solo parent. A great massage can help to get that physical touch. But if a massage isn’t in the budget, soak your feet or take a relaxing bath.
“Sometimes we have to take control of what physical touch means for us,” Anthony said, “especially right now in the pandemic when we’ve been encouraged not to touch people and not to go outside.”
Be intentional for what touch looks like for you, Anthony said.
Two other bonus tips to help reverse burnout? Meditate (even just a little bit a day!) and make time for your friends by calling or texting a friend every single day.