Self-care should be a top priority for everyone, year-round. But preparing to take care of yourself is as important as ever, as we head into winter during a pandemic. People are spending more time inside and by themselves, which can lead to more self-neglect. As Caiana Luse, YW Boston’s F.Y.R.E. Initiative Coordinator, explains, “It is very easy to forget about ourselves. Especially as the days get short and the cold always makes you want to stay shrouded in blankets in that warm position in your bed.” So, we encourage you to start planning now for your self-care over the next few months. 

Self-care is a crucial part of YW Boston’s F.Y.R.E. Initiative, which empowers girls through a curriculum incorporating social justice education, positive identity development, and civic engagement. In F.Y.R.E., self-care is not a one-off lesson; it is integrated throughout every week of the program. Learn more about what self-care in our recent blog post, “Lessons from F.Y.R.E.: How to prioritize a self-care routine by understanding your needs and emotions.” To guide people on their self-care journey, the F.Y.R.E. team recently launched a bi-weekly #selfcarewednesday video series on their Instagram account @yw_fyre. Their first video, featuring Caiana, provides tips for how to stay healthy “as we approach the darkest and coldest of days.” 
 

Here are the F.Y.R.E. Initiative’s five top tips for winter self-care: 

• Drink a lot of fluids. Caiana recommends drinking water to keep you hydrated. But if you want something a little special, try freshly squeezed juice for Vitamin C, tea to open your sinuses, and soup for warmth and sustenance. 
• Always dress in layers and weather-appropriate attire. As Caiana recommends, “it is always better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.” 
• The moment you are feeling the slightest bit sick, load up on Vitamin C. Great sources of Vitamin C are oranges, lemons, lemons, or grapefruit, to name a few. 
• Find time to relax your mind and your body. This includes making sure you get a good night’s sleep! Fatigue can make you more susceptible to sickness. 
• Incorporate exercise into your daily routine. Prioritizing exercise will help your body stay energized and healthy. 

Learn more by watching Caiana’s video, below:  

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Be sure to follow @yw_fyre to catch their bi-weekly #selfcarewednesday videos! 

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About YW Boston’s F.Y.R.E. Initiative

With the F.Y.R.E. Initiative, launched in the Fall of 2019, YW Boston facilitators conduct a 12-15-week leadership development series for girls grades 6th through 9th. The series brings together social justice education, positive identity development, and civic engagement, culminating in small group civics projects. This model takes place in schools or Out of School Time programs, and it is developed to operate in a “girls group” structure rather than a traditional classroom structure. Core to the program is an effort to provide experiential learning opportunities and dialogue to build understanding and increase social-emotional learning.