Staying Healthy and Maintaining a Positive Attitude
Are you prioritizing staying healthy during the pandemic and even after?
According to author Charles Swindoll, “Life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.”
For most people, the COVID-19 pandemic has definitely caused a lot of stress and uncertainty. It has affected us all in different ways. Because of this, it is easy to become anxious and skeptical about everything happening around us these days. However, there are many things we still have control over. One of those is our attitude and our mindset towards the things we cannot control.
Sometimes, it can feel difficult to stay healthy with so much uncertainty happening around us. We often put it last on our list and prioritize trying to survive. Of course, we should all contribute and do our own part to stop the spread of the virus. But it’s even more important now than ever to look after our bodies and minds. Staying healthy – physically, mentally, and emotionally by maintaining good habits during the pandemic is one thing we can control.
Importance of Healthy Habits: Staying Healthy During the Pandemic
The pandemic has caused millions of people stress, sadness, and fear in more ways than we can imagine. This is why it is important to recognize and acknowledge the warning signs of stress, overwhelm, and burnout in order to take action and get the help that you need.
The pandemic has definitely affected us all in different ways. It's clearly different for each person as each one is dealing with the pandemic in their own way. You may have a loved one who is sick, you may have difficulty adjusting to the new work-from-home setup, or you may be living alone and the lack of human interaction is taking a toll on you.
Small actions and changes of habit can make significant improvements in your mental, emotional, and physical health. But first, let's dive into some of the most common reasons why having healthy habits is essential most especially during the pandemic.
Stress Caused By the Pandemic
The pandemic has made us fear catching the virus, worrying about a loved one who may have caught the virus, or anguishing about how you’re going to pay the bills. These are just some of the most common stresses that the pandemic has caused us.
Cabin Fever Because of Staying Indoors During the Pandemic
- Staying indoors for extended periods of time is not good for one's mental health. Aside from causing cabin fever and feeling a bit restless, it can also cause anxiety, stress, and loneliness. When left unaddressed or untreated, these can lead to a decline in one's mental health and more serious mental health problems down the line.
Lack of Social Contact During the Pandemic
- The COVID-19 pandemic has forced us all to stay indoors, meaning, less social interaction. All our social interactions pre-COVID are now video calls and Zoom meetings instead. Some are separated from family members, loved ones, and co-workers, while others live totally on their own. Each person may have their own unique living situation, which makes their challenges unique for each person. But generally, the change of environment and ways of working has definitely affected us all.
How to Stay Healthy During the Pandemic
The good news is there are plenty of options to keep you on your feet despite all these challenges. There are ways to combat stress that can help you. Additionally, in the long term, these healthy changes in habit can also help to reduce your risk of stress, catching the virus, and contracting other illnesses.
Here are some of the many ways you can stay healthy and still feel your best during the pandemic:
1. Stick to a Routine to Maintain Your Mental Health Even When Staying at Home
Although it can be tempting to just rest and digest, sitting around all day watching TV and surfing the internet may not be a good way to spend your time at home. Instead, create a routine that works for you and get up and get moving.
Although taking some time off, taking it easy, and giving your body what it needs is definitely a must, creating a schedule that helps keep you productive will be good for your mental and emotional health. Additionally, it’s important to stick to a schedule to keep your mind and body healthy.
As mentioned, sticking to a routine is good but leaving space to rest and breathe is important as well. Most of us now all work from our homefront and the line between work and rest can get blurry. This is why it's essential to create those boundaries and stick to them. When you’re done for the day, pack up your laptop and put them away. This will help your brain transition from work mode to relaxing and recreational time.
2. Continue to Connect with Loved Ones
Video calls, Zoom calls, online games, and movie nights are all available with today's advanced technology. Being in lockdown and physically distancing does not mean we need to be less connected to our loved ones. Use technology to its advantage and keep your relationships strong.
Below are a few ways to still stay connected despite the lockdown:
- Take advantage of technology and call your relatives, friends, and loved ones through video call.
- Aside from catching up through video calls, try playing some funs games to mix things up.
- Set regular schedules of video calls to catch up with one another. This would be good to do especially if you and your loved ones live in different time zones or have hectic schedules.
- Have a virtual movie night where you all watch it together.
With so much advancement in technology, there's definitely something available for everyone to keep you connected to your loved ones.
3. Practice Self-Care to Stay Healthy During the Pandemic
It’s important to take care of yourself all the time, but even more so during stressful and challenging times. Make sure to do activities that are filling your cup. But remember, it's not enough to just keep your cup full. What we need to focus on is making sure our cup is full of self-love and care that it overflows so you can give from the overflow. Giving from the overflow means still sustaining care for yourself.
Here is some example of how to engage in self-care even when you are at home:
- Have some quiet time to yourself each morning before starting your day.
- Try practicing meditation and mindfulness.
- Snuggle up with your favorite book or audiobook.
- Get 8 hours of sleep each night.
- Get some fresh air even if it's just in your backyard.
4. Practice Healthy Eating at Home
Before the pandemic, eating out in restaurants was a thing. But there are pros and cons to that as well. Depending on where you choose to eat, you can either end up having a healthy slow-cooked meal or end up eating at a fast-food chain. But now that everyone is eating at home, we have more opportunities to control what we put into our bodies.
Here are our tips for a healthy balanced diet from home.
Make smart food swaps
Lots of us are eating out less often nowadays and cooking meals at home more. So it’s a good time to think about choosing healthy options instead of our usual unhealthy ones. When shopping for your food, try swapping processed foods for high-protein, natural, and low-card food instead.
Choose healthier snacks
Staying at home means being able to access the kitchen a lot more. Additionally, we take a lot more snack breaks when the kitchen is just a few steps away from our work area. Choose healthier snacks.
- Fresh fruit juices instead of sugary drinks
- Low-fat yogurt instead of those high in sugar
- Fruits instead of chips
Additionally, cooking your own snacks is another great option to stay healthier.
5. Exercise and Stay Fit at Home
At times like these, exercise can feel more difficult. During stressful times, we tend to move into a rest and digest mode, Staying at home can make it more tempting to just lay on the couch all day in your PJs. But being active is a great way to keep a healthy weight, combat stress, and maintain both your physical and mental well-being.
Here are a few ways to stay active while at home:
Get active and make time for regular exercise indoors
Since we don't need to commute to work, we are all living a more sedentary life than we used to. This is why it's important to schedule exercise time within your day.
There are lots of online workout videos to choose from. But if that’s not your thing, you can still get active around the house. Walking up and downstairs, adding dance breaks into your day, cleaning, scrubbing, mopping, gardening, or playing with the kids or your pets all count. As long as you’re getting more movement within your day.
Get active from your chair
As we spend more and more time at home, we live a more sedentary lifestyle than we used to. This is why it's great to incorporate a few exercises or stretches even while on your chair. Seated exercises are a great way to make the most of the time you spend watching TV or working at a desk. Stretches for your neck and back while on your chair are good to squeeze into your workday.
Try some neck rolls, arm stretches, shoulder rolls, and spinal twists. These can all easily be done from your couch or chair. Check out the NHS website for more ideas.
Take phone calls or meetings on the move
If you’re sitting all day, get up on your feet and take a brisk walk during a call with your friend or loved one. Additionally, if you have a meeting that you know you won't need to be glued to your laptop, take it while walking or even just standing instead of the usual sitting in from of your desk.
There is a lot of home workout equipment that you can use. From jump ropes, equipment to strengthen your arms to abdominal toning equipment.
6. Broaden Your Support System
Staying connected with your friends, loved ones, and family is so important and even more so during the COVID pandemic. Although most of us are physically distanced from our family, it's good to make time to call our loved ones on a regular basis. Strengthening and broadening your support system is vital especially as we continue to practice physical distancing measures.
7. Remember COVID Safety Precautions to Stay Safe and Healthy
It's now the new normal to be wearing a mask and in other places, a face shield as well, when going out of your homes. But we need to also remember to practices proper hygiene and physical distancing to help stop the spread of the virus. Here are a few COVID safety precautions to be reminded of:
- Wear a mask anytime you are around people you don’t live with.
- Wear a mask when you go outside. It’s one of the simplest ways to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
- Wash your hands regularly.
- Instead of going to grocery stores or the mall, try online services if available.
- Avoid going to crowded places.
6. Boost and Maintain Your Immune System to Stay Healthy During the Pandemic
It's not enough to follow COVID safety precautions. In order to stay healthy, we must boost and maintain a healthy immune system. This is an important way to stay healthy and gives your body a better fighting chance in case you contract the disease. Here are a few ways to get started:
- Get adequate sleep. Eight hours of sleep each night is essential for the repair of your cells and tissues.
- Eat fruits and vegetables regularly.
- Stay hydrated by drinking adequate amounts of water each day.
- Take your vitamins as prescribed by your doctors.
Maintaining an Overall Healthy Mind and Body During the Pandemic
It’s important to try to stay healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic and even after. Taking these steps will help you feel your best and lower your risk of getting sick during the coronavirus pandemic and long after.
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