With fewer opportunities to leave our homes and socialize in these unusual times, our mental health can take a real hit. The urge to skip basic hygiene steps like brushing your hair and teeth may descend upon you, but now is definitely not the time to get lazy with your wellness routine: A healthy dose of self care can be an antidote to the anxiety, burn out, and stress so many of us are feeling right now.

Thankfully, over the years our society has chipped away at the idea that devoting time to your own well being — be it through hygiene, grooming, or overall wellness and fitness — isn’t “manly.” Still, we tend to get stuck in stubborn old ideas about what it means for a man to take charge of his wellness and recharge his batteries.

If you're isolated, your brain is working overtime, and your physical movement has gone down, do yourself a favor and create some time to follow our self care checklist. Your mind, body, and soul will thank you.

Self Care Checklist for Men: Isolation edition

Listen to Music

Listening to your favorite tunes is scientifically proven to lift your spirits, lower your heart and breathing rate, and reduce your stress. Bust out an album you haven’t listened to in years, or reminisce on an album that takes you to a favorite memory for some instant feel-good vibes.

Light a Candle and Practice Breathing

Change the vibe of your space and warm it with a pleasant scent with an all-natural candle (petroleum-free is ideal). Do some simple breathing exercises — breathe for 4 seconds, breathe out for 4 seconds — to get grounded and make you physiologically calmer.

Learn Something New

Many of us are not able to practice the activities and hobbies that usually bring a spark or creative energy to life. Learning a new recipe or skill can instill some of that life zest. Have you always wanted to plant a vegetable garden? How about making your own cold brew (so easy and so good) or learning how to make the best scrambled eggs? The world wide web awaits your intrigue.

 

Exercise

Exercising is another easy way to boost your endorphins and make you feel like you accomplished something (even if you didn’t leave the house again or wear pants again). 30 minutes a day, 4 days a week is what’s typically recommended.
If you’re not a big fitness buff, you may be asking what type of exercise counts. Literally ANY kind of exercise counts. Any sort of basic movement: Lunges, jumping jacks, crunches, a few push-ups, a quick Sun Salutation round of yoga, bicep curls and the random moving of furniture and/or children, a walk around the block... Even running up and down the stairs while you clean the house or take a break from working counts as exercise. Getting your heart rate up is ideal, but even if that doesn’t happen, your muscles and joints will thank you for keeping them moving.

Groom

Grooming takes your basic hygiene care and turns it up a notch to make you feel extra nourished and comfortable. If you’re the type of man who revels in doing the very bare minimum to keep yourself clean, trust us when we say just a few tweaks to your grooming routine can give you a much-needed internal boost. Some simple ways to boost your grooming routine.

• Get your pores scrubbed out and clean and your face feeling smooth and refreshed with this Face Mud all natural exfoliator
• Treat your face to a real slick, real gentle shave with our Shave Set
• Make your beard happy and explore scents with our beard oil set
• Got skin issues? Try our birch tar soap, packed with naturally-occurring salicylic acid which deep-cleans and leaves the skin soft and smelling like firewood (in the best possible way)