COVID Vaccination Self Care, Before and After

Sometimes, three’s company is one (or two) too much.

As an introvert myself, with all the makings of my Cancer sign, I realize that may be easy for me to declare, but I don’t think it’s any less true for extroverts. When you stop relying on other people, activities, and distractions to entertain you, you can find longer lasting contentment in yourself. As a young girl, I favored time spent alone in my room reading books, and in my backyard playing with my sister. I never really enjoyed large birthday parties where the entire class was invited. I usually opted for smaller friend group activities in lieu of packed events and it took me my college years of clubbing and off campus apartment parties to realize that wasn’t something to feel bad about. Now as an adult, some of my favorite weekends, involve a healthy amount of solo time. (Never mind that that may be stating the obvious when you’re a mom of four.) Reading or writing at a bookstore or coffee shop, or strolling through Homegoods for a yummy new candle. All pre-COVID, of course.

In some ways, it’s felt good to have a reason to commit to staying home for much of the past year. A chance to relearn about ourselves, and the things that fuel you and you alone. Time to sit with your thoughts and plant your feet where they are. Of course, that’s not to say that our current pandemic situation hasn’t pushed us to the limits at times of how much we actually can take of ourselves without feeling a bit mental. So, as we’re nearing a sense of normalcy on the horizon, with vaccination rollouts slowly but steadily underway, let me offer a gentle reminder that there’s no need to let the horses right out of the gate to over commit to the flux of social invites and activities that are sure to flood your texts. In chatting with some of my mom friends who have resumed with in-person school and activities, I’m not surprised that I’ve heard comments like being “exhausted from the daily social grind” and wishing for a “middle ground somewhere between life pre-COVID and life during lockdown”.

If you find yourself starting to feel overwhelmed and overcommitted “stepping back into society” in the weeks, months to come, I hope this post reminds you that there’s nothing wrong with politely declining all those invitations or burning obligations, and instead settling in to hang with yourself once in a while. Because this, my friends, is truly the best form of self care.

And speaking of vaccines, I’ve put together a little vaccination self care checklist here to keep in mind as you’re gearing up for yours.

Vaccination Self Care Checklist

1 // If you have a partner, stagger your appointments by at least a few days. This will ensure that one of you will be well and able-bodied to take care of each other and kids.

2 // Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Make sure to drink a ton of water 24 hours before your appointment, as well as after. The pharmacist that administered my vaccine recommended eight 8-ounce cups, spread evenly throughout the day before your shot, but also after.

3 // Eat a light, well-balanced meal before your appointment. This will help regulate your blood sugar to keep you from feeling faint during the process.

4 // Move your arm around a lot to keep the circulation moving. It helps to gently massage the injection site – and don’t be afraid to do things with your arm. It actually helps to keep the soreness at bay!

5 // And lastly, plan to take it easy when you get home for the next 24-48 hours. Get lots of rest and order a healthy dinner in if you’re too tired to cook. Some people have reported developing nausea or other symptoms after getting the vaccine, so it might be helpful to have planned and stocked up on some bland and easy to digest foods.

Photos shot on location at Prospect Garden in Princeton, New Jersey. I spent a lovely afternoon exploring with my kids when they had an early dismissal day from school — but boy, any outing with four kids is an adventure that requires lots of solo time afterwards. :)

Have you had your COVID vaccine shot yet, and will you be slowly easing back into society?