Self-Care and Emotional Recovery During A Natural Disaster

When everything feels heavy, and there is so much heartache in the world and in our own country, it can be incredibly easy to feel the weight of it all. Significant events and natural disasters like the NSW/SE QLD floods can have a huge emotional impact.

We truly believe this is the time we give love, positive energy and support to family, friends, and even complete strangers. We all need to feel love at the moment more than ever.

In order to give so much to each other at this time and supporting others through volunteering whether that be clean-up restoration, sorting donations, delivery driving, cooking and meal preparation, and counselling, the practice of self-care is so important and is vital to keep our cups full so that we can continue to support and give to the community.

Here are some self-care tips below that you can incorporate during this time so that you can recharge your battery.

Sending love to everyone during this time.

From the team at Love Your Health xx

• Run a bath - light some candles or incense, add in some bath salts, and create a relaxing environment to unwind

• Connect with a friend, family or loved one

• Find engaging hobbies that you enjoy such as gardening, baking, art, writing, knitting, photography, etc.

• Have a 'social media detox' and or don't use your phone for a few hours. Consciously consume ‘feel good’ content only. It can be understandable to want to stay up with updates and news, but an intake of too much information coming in externally can have an effect on our nervous systems, so 'switching off' for a short period of time may be necessary

• Try to get into a good sleep routine - avoid using devices in bed, and relax with a book or calming music/guided meditation

• Go floating in a sensory deprivation tank

• Put aside 5-10 minutes each day to sit in stillness and breathe deep into your belly

• Meditate

• Remember to eat well balanced healthy and regular meals

• Consider massage or simple and gentle exercises such as yoga to help with muscle tension

• Sit in a sauna and sweat. This is also great for detoxification but can be very relaxing. Close your eyes and relax, or bring a book and read

• Journal, and put your feelings, thoughts and emotions on to paper

• Do relaxation exercises such as deep breathing, EFT (emotional freedom technique) tapping with affirmations, meditation, and listening to relaxing music

• Seek extra support from counselling services if needed -

  If you’re feeling overwhelmed by stress from a natural disaster in your area, there are support services that can help you either through a professional or immeditate phone support. If you’re looking for someone to chat to now, Lifeline (13 11 14) and Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800) are available to talk 24/7. Headspace also has resources and support available.

• Read a book about something you’re interested in. Just 10 minutes of reading can relax and reduce stress, as well as boost happy hormones in the brain

• Incorporate aromatherapy - there are certain essential oils that can assist with anxious feelings. Read our blog Your Ultimate Guide to Essential Oils here to learn more about essential oils.