Staying Healthy at Home During COVID-19
Living through a worldwide pandemic was something no one was prepared for. So it’s safe to assume there isn't exactly a guide book on how to cope and live a quality life at a time like this. However when you're cooped up at home in order to maintain a safe distance from people, it can be easy for your mental health to waver. Staying at home the entire time is an invitation to create unhealthy habits that deviate from your usual routine. Working from home is also a great excuse for you to lounge on your couch the entire day with some comfort food by your side. This shuts out any opportunity for physical activity.
Clearly this isn't the best way to live and will do more harm than good if prolonged. So how should you maintain a healthy, balanced lifestyle and a peaceful, stress free state of mind?
Starting Your Day
We suggest beginning your day with a couple minutes of meditating and then follow up with an early morning jog. This will relax you and prepare you for the remainder of the day. Meditation will help calm your mind by reducing feelings of stress or anxiety that may come from the chance of routine. The fresh outdoor air will eliminate the feeling of being isolated indoors and will prevent you from getting a vitamin D deficiency. This physical activity will wake your body up and improve your overall well being.
Mental health
It’s normal to feel stressed, concerned, or even on edge about the possibility of contracting a highly contagious virus such as COVID-19. However, this fear can be damaging to our mental health and especially difficult for those with mental health conditions. Here are a few tips that can be useful to take care of yourself and give you peace of mind.
Have a Daily Routine
Get up and go to bed at similar times, eat healthy meals at regular times. Following a set routine will give your days structure and normalcy.
Stay Informed
Be aware of the number of cases in your area and information announced by trusted local authorities or news channels.
Minimize News Exposure
It’s one thing to keep yourself updated regarding COVID-19, but an over use or addiction for more negative information on the news will make you distressed. Limit yourself to only checking the news once or twice a day.
Social Contact
Just because you're spending most of your time isolating from people, physically, does not mean you should lose contact with them. Schedule video calls to communicate regularly with your friends and family.
Reduce Screen TIme
Take a break from watching too much television to balance out different activities in your daily routine.This also applies to phones, tablets, and laptops. Too much time spent in front of a device not only is bad for your overall activity levels and healthy, but also can lead to social-isolation from those closest to you.
Stay Active!
Cut down some of the time you spend binging your favorite movies or television shows on netflix and spare some time for physical activity. It is important to implement working out at least three times a week for about 40 minutes to an hour at a minimum. This activity will help lower blood pressure and cholesterol and will reduce chances of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. If your concern or excuse is that gyms are closed so you can't work out efficiently, fear not as there are multiple effective home workout videos online for free that you can follow and do yourself or with your family. Just check out YouTube!
Working out regularly is not only beneficial for your body but also your mind. It reduces risk of depression, cognitive decline, feelings of anxiety and improves your overall mental health.
Eating Healthy and Nutrition
Working out regularly is not the only thing necessary for good health, in fact what you put into your body is just as important if not more important. What we eat affects our body’s ability to fight and prevent infection. While no specific types of foods or supplements can cure or prevent someone from catching COVID-19, good nutrition is necessary to maintain a good immune system. The best way to maintain a healthy diet is to cut down on fast food and limit your sugar intake. Eat a variety of foods that include fruits and vegetables and keep yourself hydrated by consuming the recommended amount of eight glasses of water a day.
Home cooked foods will make you more self-aware regarding what exactly you are eating and putting into your body. If you don't have the time to cook meals for yourself multiple times a day, you can try meal plans. You can prepare a variety of meals at one time which will last you the duration of the entire week. You can then pack the food in containers and store them in the fridge or freezer and take individual containers out when needed. This way you cut down on the time of having to prepare food each day as well as being aware of what you are consuming.
Making time for family
Whether you're spending your quarantine at home alone or with your family try to incorporate family time into your routine. Spend time with your family by doing fun indoor activities with them. You can play board games like monopoly or scrabble, work out together, or even spend time in the kitchen by learning and trying out new recipes. If you're stuck to the constraints of living far apart you can schedule zoom sessions and play online games with them. These games can build a sense of teamwork with your family as well as keep you alert while having fun.
There are various ways and methods to keep yourself busy and preoccupied while staying at home. By creating a clear routine for yourself to balance out different activities during your day you will be able to stay physically and mentally fit during these trying times.
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