Self-care and COVID: how to treat yourself while staying at home

Story | Molly Walsh

Slouching over the work-from-home space. Rarely getting out of sweats. Not talking to a physical person in a couple of days. If this sounds like you, take a deep breath and fix your posture. Self-care is important and that’s especially true during a pandemic.

Cameron Lacy, President and Founder of Chicago-based Intuit Healing, practices touch therapy at her healing space/studio. She said self-care is important because at the end of the day, you only have yourself.

Lacy opened Intuit Healing to treat clients with an empathetic approach and understanding of each individual’s physiology. Services provided by Intuit include a variety of massage therapy and energy work. Most recently, Intuit Healing, 2514 W. Armitage Ave., has began offering talk therapy with a licensed psychologist.

“We only have this life and this body that we know of,” she said. “It’s important to feel connected and have a sense of ownership in your body and mind. You have to take care of yourself.”

Intuit Healing closed temporarily just six months after opening due to the pandemic. Now, they have reopened and health precautions are in place including frequent tests by staff members. But Lacy said she understand that not everyone can or wants to visit right now.

Here are some Lacy-approved tips on how to practice self-care from home:

Dancing

“It’s just a minute to ground. Move your hips and have fun. Energy gets tuck in your body and this movement is just an expression of joy,” Lacy said.

Foam Rolling

Buy a foam roller. Lacy said it’s a super easy way to stretch and relieve tension.

Baths

“I can’t stress baths enough,” she said. “They are way too womb-like. It’s a safe, warm moment for you. Stay in the bath for more than 15 minutes.”

Intuit Healing has a shop with different items to really boost your relaxation during a bath. Lacy recommended a bath bomb or the MELT pain relief lotion on their site.

Kundalini Yoga

According to Lacy, this yoga focuses on moving hips and connecting with parts of the body that hold you up.

“If you’re living alone, maybe not having lots of sex or acknowledging that part of the body, we need to move our hips,” she said.

Lacy recommends the Down Dog Yoga App for practicing yoga with your schedule in mind.

Talking to People

Lacy said people should find a way to communicate with people.

“Honor that you are human. You don’t want to become agoraphobic,” she said.

Learn Anatomy

Finally, Lacy said to learn anatomy. Becoming aware of the human body helps take care of it.

Lacy said one of the strangest parts of the pandemic was learning how to not hug people.

“That’s emotional. That’s physical,” she said. “We are built to touch, share and socialize and touch. That’s been gone and taken for granted.”

Before booking an appointment with Intuit Healing, visitors can contact Lacy or other staff members to answer any questions or concerns they may have.

“We can’t do a massage virtually. That doesn’t work. We are changing and shifting everything in hopes of being able to serve more. There is limit to who and how we treat,” she said. “Now more than ever, I need support. Don’t you?”