Never feel guilty for taking time out for yourself.

1. Stay hydrated

We don’t mean to sound like your mom here, but she’s got a point: water is life! Your body is made up of mostly water and keeping your situation adequately hydrated is key. If the taste of plain old H2O is a deterrent for you, try drinking sparkling water or decaf tea, or add some cut-up fruit your water bottle (as a bonus, fruit is a source of “gel water”). Water helps keep your skin, hair, and nails healthy in addition to giving you energy throughout the day. Not to mention that dehydration can cause fever, which can cause you to think you have COVID-19, which we can say from experience isn’t fun for anyone.

2. Get some rest

You don’t need a bedtime because you’re grown AF, right? Mmm, not exactly. Lack of adequate sleep can affect your health and your mood. We know it’s tempting to stay up at least until Netflix asks, “Are you still watching this?” But if you can, try to get between six and nine hours of sleep a night. You’ll feel better for it.

3. Eat something!

It happens to the best of us. We get so busy grinding and then before we realize it, we’ve skipped breakfast and lunch. Sometimes we don’t even realize it until we suddenly feel lightheaded. Be kind to that beautiful body of yours and feed it something yummy.

4. Give your eyes and mind a break

So much is happening in the world right now, it can be hard to step away from the screens that keep us up to date with news. But remember to rest your eyes periodically. Your brain will also thank you for a break from the 24-hour news cycle.

5. Rub one out (seriously!)

Sorry, not sorry: we’re big fans of masturbation around here. One great way to practice self-care is by giving yourself the Big O. Orgasms are great stress and tension relievers.

6. Connect with your body

Times of crisis take a toll on people in different ways. And whatever you’re feeling emotionally can work its way into your body, manifesting as headaches, tight muscles, and/or other disruptions. Try working out your frustrations physically. Take a jog in place at home or outside. Fight the air. Do some energizing stretches.

7. Reach out to some humans

This pandemic is robbing us of human connection in both public and private spaces. We miss our BFFs in the worst way! Even though we need to be cautious about hanging out, especially to protect immunocompromised loved ones, we still need to hear from our people. So be sure to get those FaceTimes, Zoom calls, and phone calls in when loneliness strikes. If you have some extra time on your hands, write a snail mail letter to someone and have them video chat you when they receive it. The smile on their face will put one on yours.

via Bedsider