September marks the month where our health and well-being come first. According to psychcentral.com, “Self-care is any activity that we do deliberately in order to take care of our mental, emotional, and physical health.” We do this in order to live effectively and overall better our living experience.

Self-care is so simple that we tend to push it aside in favor of going through our daily tasks. And, as simple as it is, it may come off as tedious work, adding more reasons to neglect self-care. Taking this month as a reminder to put in a little bit of time for ourselves, however, will greatly outweigh the inconveniences we might think of when we put in the easy work it takes to do it. As clinical psychologist Agnes Wainman explained, self-care is “something that refuels us, rather than takes from us.” It is important to keep in mind that self-care shouldn’t be something that taxes you but instead replenishes oneself. If you force yourself to do something you don’t enjoy, it won’t count as self-care.

During the times of a pandemic, it is ever more important to practice self-care and to be mindful of our well-being. Self-care differs from person to person, but here are a few tips and examples that we can all apply at the convenience of our homes during COVID-19:

• Find your rhythm. Having a routine is essential for self-care. Finding and implementing activities to your schedule will help taking care of yourself feel more natural and deliberate.
• Exercising is just as beneficial for your emotional health as well as your physical health. Luckily, we don’t need a gym to get ourselves a good workout. Just stretching for a few minutes every day counts as good exercise.
• Stay in touch. Socializing doesn’t necessarily have to be in person. Social interactions benefit our health by giving you opportunities to connect, grow, and laugh with people.
• Healthy distractions. When going through stress, distracting yourself can help calm your mind and emotions. These distractions could either be listening to music, doing chores, or simply calling a friend.
• Resting and negligence are not the same thing. We should get enough sleep for our bodies to function to its very best while also keeping in mind a schedule that keeps us active.

Self-care by definition is all about yourself as an individual, but it is not a selfish act. Taking care of yourself is just as important as taking care of a loved. Putting yourself first gives you the opportunity to help others around you.