Stress, anxiety and loneliness are just some of the emotions most of us are facing right now. Since we are left to our own devices to carry on with normal life coupled with a huge list of responsibilities – be it childcare, job stress or financial pressure – it seems like we can’t find a moment of calm.

There is so much pressure to be productive and actually achieve something during lockdown. With our social media feeds filling up with the constant stream of workouts, adverts for online courses and culinary achievements – for those wanting to take this time to reflect and totally chill out, it can be exhausting.

Living through a pandemic and worrying about our own physical health on top of how our loved ones are doing is taxing enough. The WHO has recognised the mental and psychological effects of all members of society – regardless of their age. Is there really anything we can do to combat all of these feelings bubbling up inside?

Check in with yourself

Our world is ‘always on’ and it is hard to take a step back from everything with social media and the constant news updates. This is why it’s so important to take a break from our devices and tune into our deepest thoughts and feelings.

Schedule in at least one check-in at the start of the day and consider whether your thoughts are positive, negative and neutral. Remember they are powerful, and you can direct them into something meaningful.

Is work getting to be too much? Is your balance out of whack? The whole point of this exercise to see where you need to fix any issues that you may have or if anything is bubbling under the surface. Not every day is going to be amazing, but it is best to know how to make yourself feel better.

Keep up with family & friends virtually

Just because social distancing is a thing doesn’t mean that we have to shut ourselves off completely. While we may not be able to hangout with our nearest and dearest IRL, there are so many ways to catch-up. Looking for a fun activity? You can workout, take part in a quiz and even watch a show.

There are so many ways to check in on those around us and technology has helped pave the way for this to happen. It’s fun to be able to bond over an activity and it does require some forethought, but it really helps us feel less alone.

I really look forward to having virtual catch-ups with my friends and family throughout the week. But like anything Zoom burnout is a real thing and there are times when we crave some alone time.

Tune into your spirituality

While this is mainstream and trendy now – with celebrities talking about the latest alternative therapies – it is such a powerful tool. In my personal opinion, this is the most important aspect of my self-care journey.

I trained in reiki and crystal healing since the age of ten and have reaped its benefits for a long time. I can’t imagine a day or week without self-healing and energetically recharging, whether it is a full-on cleanse or balancing out energy centres (aka chakras). The main thing I learnt is: we will always focus on different parts of life, so it is only natural that some chakras are more drained than others.

If a distant healing session is out of the option, investing in crystals for your personal use is the next best step. To balance your mind and body, the perfect kit includes clear quartz, rose quartz and smoky quartz that you can cleanse in solar or lunar energy before meditating with it. Being mindful improves our ability to be truly reflective – it gives us access to thoughts and feelings that are hidden under the surface.

Sweat it out

Sometimes there’s nothing better than taking your mind off of everything by tuning into your body but being at home it can be quite isolating.

Whether we want to see progress or simply release endorphins, finding an online community with group workouts can be the perfect solution. I recently joined one filled with like-minded women from around the world. We get to know each other virtually by keeping in touch throughout the week and working out on Zoom or Instagram Live. It honestly makes all the difference to help me stay motivated and social too.

Learn new skills

Now is the perfect time for us to upskill and keep your mind busy with something else other than our constant to-do lists. We could unleash a new talent or catch-up with something we have been meaning to for ages.

It could be learning to cook or a new language that we lost touch with or even kicking back with a complex puzzle – all of these are totally valid when wanting to escape our current realities. For some of us developing a new list of hobbies creates something to look forward to. We can even share these with our families and friends once lockdown is over.

Revamp your beauty routine

Now is the time that we can really focus on our skincare and get the dewy complexion we have always wanted. The best thing about a self-care routine based off of beauty is it’s a reminder to pamper ourselves.

Whether you want to chill out and do nothing or if you want to wear a face mask on-the-go, this is our chance to try out new ingredients. As we stay at bay from pollutants because of the increased time that we spend indoors, we will see massive improvements. Say goodbye to climate-induced skin issues.

We also can get more experimental with our make-up and try out the most daring looks with neon eye shadows and bright lipsticks. The perfect addition for the new, post-quarantine you.

And it's also cool to do nothing, if that's what feels right for you

A reminder that you don't need to use this time to achieve things if that isn't going to contribute to making you feel better. The best thing we can do during this time is to also do exactly what makes us feel the most comfortable, personally.

Disha Daswaney, lifestyle journalist, futurist & energy healer @disha_daswaney