By Anastasia Godfrey

In 2020, a lot of us found new ways to occupy ourselves at home because of the pandemic and the extreme boredom that followed. For me, escaping this boredom was a bit of a task, so I decided to try some new things; 1000 piece puzzles, digital art, staring into the void, and self-care, just to name a few! One of my favorite practices that I adopted over quarantine was having one self care day per week to check in with myself during the stressful times that were (and still are) occurring.

Many people don’t consider it important to reach out to ourselves and offer a helping hand with things like fatigue, chronic stress, and difficult feelings we may be ignoring. I know that for many 4-Hers with strong ambitions and busy schedules like myself, caring for our needs can take a backseat to daily to-dos. While those to-do lists are important and rewarding in their own right, I am here today with this list to help reconnect the three most important elements of self; body, mind, and soul. Our bodies carry us through our daily lives, our minds gather information and tell us how to deal with situations, and our souls* help us process the day by giving us emotions which in turn help us cope. This system is incredibly important for defining who we are, and how we handle our day to day lives. So without further ado, here is a list to help you nurture who you are using self-care.

Body

Self care for your body:

• Cook a meal and savoring it
• Practice yoga
• Getting 8 hours of sleep
• Invest in blue light glasses to reduce screen related eye-strain
• Wash your face
• Find an outfit that speaks to your mood and wear it
• Try meatless Mondays
• Go for a walk
• Go for a jog
• Go for a run
• Sprint down your street with reckless abandon (warning for this one, your neighbors may get concerned)
• Stay hydrated

Mind

Self care for your mind:

• It’s definitely cliché but journal!
• Practice a skill or hobby you enjoy
• Organize and declutter your room
• Try cutting down on social media
• Get excited for the future (plan it, draw it, make a vision board)
• Make lists to organize your thoughts
• Take a nap
• Make a productivity playlist
• Pick up a new book
• Tackle a small homework assignment or task you’ve been putting off
• Watch an informational Ted-Talk

Soul

Self care for your soul:

• Meditate
• Go for a nature walk
• Drink herbal tea
• Write down a gratitude list
• Call friends and chat
• Call your grandma and chat (she might be lonely)
• Watch the sunrise or sunset (maybe try and draw it in the meantime)
• Create something, a piece of art, a poem, a meme, or anything that expresses what’s been on your mind

A friend and I at a yoga class in the days before quarantine:

Me modeling my mask which I made after brushing up on my sewing skills:

Hi! I’m Anastasia Godfrey, I’m from Pinellas County. I’ve been in 4-H for 8 years and to say that it has been a very important part of the development of my leadership skills would be an understatement. I am currently a member of Executive Board, serving on the Legislature and CCS Committees respectively. I am so excited to author a post on this youth blog, and hope to contribute to it again in the future.

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