Three Elements of Self-Care During a Pandemic

​Prioritizing our wellbeing, as the world reels from the effects of COVID-19, has become a vital tool to aid recovery from the fallout of 2020.​

As we all learn to adapt to the ‘new normal’ way of life, we are more conscious of our health and wellbeing than ever before. After all, a global pandemic is all-consuming, to say the very least.​

Lockdowns have forced us to batten down the hatches and ensconce ourselves in the safety of our homes for long stretches of time, thus self-care has never been a hotter topic.​

According to the American Psychological Association (APA), Americans have been severely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, from education and work to the economy and health care. as well as the hardest hitting factors - deaths and long recoveries.​

Nearly 8 in 10 adults (78 percent) have admitted the pandemic is a significant source of stress in their life, with 67 percent saying they have experienced increased stress over the course of the pandemic.​

I have noticed when talking to family and friends, that they have become very focussed on three main areas of self-care: vitamins and herbs to support health; home spa treatments; and home cleaners and room sprays for a fresh, calm ambience.

Vitamins and herbs

One of the first steps to boost wellbeing is to take a daily vitamin to combat nutrient deficiencies. With the strain of this year taking its toll, eating healthily and sleeping well can sometimes fall by the wayside.​

Vitamins and herbs should be free from pesticides and created using organic farming methods to benefit from their full potential.​

Pure Synergy is a firm thatmanufactures all of its products in an award-winning, wind-powered, certified organic facility in Utah. Vitamins are made with organic ingredients, while quality and testing are supported by a certificate of compliance.​

Gaia Herbs, nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina,is another organic product company, committed to:​

• Practicing Regenerative Farming
• Supporting Employee Wellbeing
• Positively Impacting Communities
• Encouraging Biodiversity
• Fostering Ecological Conservation
• Encouraging Recycling & Waste Reduction
• Promoting Watershed Health​

Home spa treatments​

While the thought of sharing a hot tub or a sauna with a bunch of strangers is extremely off-putting after the year we’ve endured, we still crave a bit of pampering to get us through the tougher, darker days - to calm both the body and mind.

May I present a new spa of choice – your home. While you won’t indulge in a professional treatment, there are many organic wellbeing products designed to destress and relax you. Slather it on, close your eyes, focus on your breathing and you could almost be at The Pearl Laguna, Laguna Beach, California.​

An interest in organic formulations began as early as 1948 with Dr. Bronner’s peppermint castile soap. These days the 100 percent biodegradable soap is made with certified fair trade ingredients and organic hemp oil for a soft, smooth lather.Other companies started to follow suit with organic offerings.​

JAMU’s tropical body care products blend organic, exotic ingredients and celebrate traditions to create a cross-cultural experience through Asian-inspired spa products and treatment rituals.The company creates organic oils and scrubs which are animal and cruelty-free (green beauty) and biodegradable (blue beauty).​

EO is another company that has a collection of organic shower gels, natural bath, body, skin and hair care products, made with active botanicals and scented with pure essential oil.

Home cleaners and home sprays

If the home is clean and tidy, it has a more positive effect on mental health, which is vital to wellbeing now that we are all spending optimum time in our humble abodes.​

With the pandemic placing an emphasis on home-cleaning to enhance the working from home experience, there is a wide range of environmentally friendly products to use. These can range from natural, non-toxic and eco-friendly to the most highly regulated organic.​

A spray and a spritz can lighten the mental load - working and relaxing at home isn’t the easiest combination as it can be difficult to switch off, but with the right ambience, anything is achievable. Neil’s Yard Remedies offers organic aromatherapy room sprays that will lighten even the worst mood, for example.​

Mrs Meyer’s Clean Day products are cruelty-free, made with essential oils and packaging is mostly recyclable (unfortunately the pumps and caps are not, at present). Created by a mother-of-nine in Iowa, the products are designed to smell of the garden and still be as efficient as its less sweet-smelling counterparts.​

The method is another range with scents to make cleaning more pleasant while lowering the environmental impact. The firm isone of the fastest-growing private companies in America and covers all cleaning products from spray cleaners to dish soap – all non-toxic and mindful of the planet.​

Seventh Generation aims to clean up the planet as well as the home with its eco-friendly, renewable plant-based products.All packaging is made with post-consumer recycled materials and the entire lifecycle of every single product is considered.​

With 2021 waiting in the wings, a little wellbeing could help prepare us, whatever the future brings.​

Sarah Walde is a research consultant for the New York team at Acre. To speak further about professional opportunities that may be on the horizon, please contact Sarah at sarah.walde@acre.com | Tel:+1 917 546 7096

Previously published on 3BL Media news.

Image credit:​ Anshu A/Unsplash