Johannesburg – According to research by NordPass, Google searches for “self-care routine” have soared by 250% since the first lockdown in March 2020.
The search term “work from home stress” was virtually non-existent in 2019, but by week 11 of 2020 it saw a huge spike, which coincides with the first lockdowns.
Queries such as “stress management tips”, “stress relief”, and “meditation” all peaked around the same time, proving that many people turned to Google for advice on how to deal with the pandemic stress.
“The high peaks in Google searches around self-care tell us that many people lack information on how to cope with all the stress related to the pandemic. It’s interesting that “work from home stress” increased about 5 times in the same week that global lockdowns were introduced worldwide,” says Chad Hammond, security expert at NordPass.
What is Self-Care?
The term “self-care” is everywhere these days. It has virtually become a trend, a buzzword, mostly because of its impact on the wellness industry and the industry’s power on social media. In the popular imagination, self-care equals a visit to a spa or an all-inclusive vacation package. But that’s far from the truth.
Paula Gill Lopez, a Professor at Fairfield University, offers a handy definition: “The way I define self-care is the intentional, proactive pursuit of integrated wellness that balances mind, body, and spirit personally and professionally.”
Tips for practicing self-care in 2021
While starting a self-care routine can be tricky, there are lots of great apps that can help. NordPass’s security expert Chad Hammond shares his favourite ones:
Headspace is a great all-around app when it comes to self-care. It can help you create the conditions for a more restful night’s sleep and set an exercise routine tailored to your needs.
Moodrise is another great app which aims to use digital content to boost emotional resilience and improve your experience of everyday life. Moodrise offers different forms of content to replace your daily social media use with something that will make you feel more fulfilled.
Giving the brain new things to do and learn is exciting and feels good. Engaging cognitive activity can improve your memory and boost your confidence. With apps offered by today’s developers, you can learn pretty much anything. For example, Udemy will help you learn any skill you can think of – it’s never too late.
A great app that is worth trying out while working from home is Soundsnap.
It offers a wide variety of ambient soundscapes. You can choose whether you want to hear the general sounds of the office environment or a coffee shop.
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