#TBT to simpler times, when we gathered for a student-run all women’s megillah reading to celebrate Purim. Purim celebrates a heroine who saved the Jewish people. Esther ultimately stepped up and used her power to advocate for those in danger. Our very own local Jewish heroine, @sarkasdan , weighs in on how self-care shifts when life gets #canceled. #
#Selfcare is a big buzzword right now. During the semester, self-care makes sense. We're running from classes to meetings to events to office hours to interviews. We're constantly pushing ourselves to reach our next goal, and we're often stretching ourselves too thin. As a result, it makes sense to take a few minutes out of your day to drink tea, do yoga, paint your nails, do a workout. But what does self-care look like when we're stuck at home, and sitting on the couch, in sweatpants all day? #
There is a framework for self-care that I like to think about, which gives us three categories for self-care: physical 💪, spiritual ✨, and emotional ❤️. #
Physical self-care is often the first thing that comes to mind when we picture self-care. Be careful about what you put in your body, and don't eat all your quarantine cookies in one sitting. Try to get some exercise or take yourself outside for a walk. #
Spiritual self-care is tough during social distancing because we have to reinvent what being a Jew looks like. While we usually pray in groups or have Shabbat meals together with loved ones, now, spiritual self-care might mean creating a new prayer or meditation practice for yourself or talking to rabbis or mentors over zoom or the phone. #
Emotional self-care is the toughest one because it's not only different from person to person, but can even change from minute to minute. One minute we might want to reconnect to old friends and the next want to cuddle in bed with a good book. Evaluate your needs: listen to music or take time each day to be outdoors. #
My prayer for us during this new and crazy time is that we can listen to our bodies and our minds, and learn how to practice our own self-care! @ Cornell University