It's 2020 and self-care has gotten real. Health and wellness is no longer about fruits, vegetables, and exercising regularly; it's eating as fresh as possible when grocery stores are running out of food, and working out at home because our go-to gyms, studios, and hiking trails have closed. The good news is that a lack of resources and the stay-at-home order has forced us to tap into our intuition and has given us more time to spend on ourselves. However, even though we're all baking sourdough bread, tie-dying sweatsuits, and trying every TikTok dance that Hannah B posts, we shouldn't all be caring for ourselves the same way.

Ayurveda is an ancient medical practice and philosophy that's based around the principle of Prakruti, or the idea that everyone is born with a unique combination of doshas (or energies), responsible for physical, emotional, and spiritual differences. Ideal health is achieved when all three doshas are balanced, while dosha imbalance can show up as anything physical (from disease to acne to infertility), mental (depression, irritability, and anxiety), or even spiritual (unhappiness, dissatisfaction with life, or lack of purpose). Here's how the three different doshas are handling quarantine, and how you can better care for yourself (PS if you don't know your dosha balance, what are you waiting for!? Take the quiz here):

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by KAYLA SEAH (@kayla_seah)

Vatas During Quarantine:

You are having difficulty staying focused on any one task and the headlines are causing severe anxiety (though you've noticed you've been even more anxious, just in general). You've started Tiger King and Outerbanks, but haven't finished either yet. Somedays you feel motivated to get ahead on work, and other days you're so drained that it's hard to get anything done (which is extra frustrating since you're also having a hard time sleeping). You're a social butterfly and the quarantine is not stopping you from catching up with all your friends; you're the one to send out the Zoom invites and schedule Houseparty game nights.

Tips to balance Vata Energy

Eat warming soups and stews instead of raw salads or smoothies
Load up on grounding, healthy fats like ghee, coconut milk, or almond butter
Keep up with a consistent daily schedule, including when to eat, workout, work, shower, etc.
Try earthing or start an indoor garden
Replace your body lotion with sesame oil
Do something creative like knitting or scrapbooking (but make sure you finish the project)
Exercise with regular and gentle movements like walks, yoga flows, or Pilates
Make your home feel comforting and safe (and de-cluttered!)
Act of daily self-care: a warm bath in the evenings or a cup of caffeine-free tea before bed

Pittas During Quarantine:

You have tie-dyed all of your sweatshirts, perfected whipped coffee, and reorganized your closet (a couple of times). You might have even taken the extra time to start a side business or get ahead on work. You're feeling extra impatient for all of this to be over and are the most likely dosha to #screwtherules and leave the house without a mask on. You're also really into the coronavirus conspiracy theories, and have probably gotten in at least a few fights with your quarantine squad (they're getting on your nerves!!).

Tips to balance Pitta Energy

Eat cool foods like leafy greens, raw salads, lots of fresh fruit, and herbs
Try a peppermint tea or add mint to your water, and limit meats (especially red meats)
Limit caffeine and try replacing your coffee with a tea
Tackle house projects you've been meaning to get to
Take consistent breaks by meditating, journaling, or reading a book
Replace your body lotion with coconut oil
Get outside regularly (especially on cooler days)
Practice patience and empathy with your friends and family
Act of daily self-care: take a cold shower in the mornings or put on an aloe vera and cucumber face mask

Kaphas During Quarantine:

You might have gained a few quarantine love pounds and might be feeling guilty for it, but you're also kind of loving this new way of life (because you don't have to feel guilty for staying at home!). Most of your anxiety comes from a place of concern for loved ones, particularly those that live alone or are in the riskiest groups for the virus, rather than having to stay at home for months on end (it actually sounds kind of... nice). You've probably watched all the latest Netflix shows and finally caught up on the book stack you've had on your bedside table to read forever.

Tips to balance Kapha Energy

Eat bitter vegetables like asparagus and Brussels sprouts, add spice to every meal (like cumin, ginger, cayenne pepper, or Sriracha) and limit dairy
Exercise or do some form of enjoyable movement every single day (try dancing or going on a hike)
Set an alarm to wake up early and resist the urge to sleep in
Replace body lotion with almond or olive oil
Practice lymphatic drainage massage
If you're feeling bored, try a puzzle (you'll have the patience for 1,000 pieces)
Say no to Facetimes or Zoom sessions with the friends that don't make you feel happy or energized (everyone's got that frenemy or old Bumble date who's trying to talk once a week. Just say no!)
Act of daily self-care: try something new every single day, whether it's a new takeout place, a new lipstick, a TV show you wouldn't normally watch, or a new route on your walks.