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When the situation is tough, all the more that we should keep going. It has been more than a year of struggling with the obstacles brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Since most of the wellness establishments (spa, gym, meditation classes and others) have been closed down in line with the promulgations of the government, most people find it hard to maintain an active and healthy lifestyle. It is even harder when you are just at home and stress finds its way to you.
Pandemic stress is triggered by cabin fever, worries from finances, child and elderly parents care, job security and work from home setting. These factors disrupt our lifestyles and our overall mental health. In addition, pandemic related news on television and posts on social media can also increase our sense of anxiety or hamper our mood.
In the middle of a crisis like this, some people tend to see a silver lining through bad ways and habits which become their band aid fix just to get by. They find comfort in stress eating, smoking and drinking. However, overuse of these habits can bring you more harm than comfort. Alcohol weakens the immune system and therefore boosts the chance of contracting the virus. Smoking reduces lung capacity and increases the risk of respiratory infections and diseases. Stress eating can lead to obesity and obesity is linked to impaired immune function. With these facts, all the more that maintaining a healthy wellbeing should be given emphasis.
Here are a few ways to start up your journey:
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Get up.
Establish a routine that can get you sweating and going. Regular exercise can help you feel and sleep better and reduce stress and anxiety. Maintaining an active lifestyle is helpful in preventing weight gain. It also helps in weight loss when combined with reduction of calories. Exercising lowers your risks of having severe illness from the Coronavirus such as the heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
If you are too busy working from home, you can try the 7-minute workout. It is a full-body exercise routine that targets all the body’s major muscle groups. You can cap off your workout with a relaxing yoga. Yoga has physical and mental health benefits. It improves your strength, balance and flexibility. This activity fosters relaxation and its slow movement and deep breathing help in your blood flow and warm up your muscles.
Enjoy healthy options.
Have you heard of the 80/20 approach? This eating habit involves making healthy choices 80% of the time and you know what to do with the rest. This is perfect for those who want to eat clean but still miss the taste of chocolate, chips and everything in between. Yes, you should not deprive yourself of eating what you want but you have to ensure you pick the healthier options most of the time.
While you are at it, take a good old glass of wine as part of the remaining 20%. Red wine has resveratrol and when it is taken in moderation, it can be heart healthy. Red wine also raises HDL or “the good” cholesterol, reduces the formation of blood clots, helps prevent artery damage caused by the LDL “the bad” cholesterol and aids in improving the function of the layer of cells that line your blood vessels.
Do a little skin care routine.
Much like the other aspects that you need to take care of, skin care is important too. It is self-care. Self-care routines are known to improve how you feel and your quality of life. It also ups your self-confidence and self-esteem. With the right products, application and consistent effort, your skin care routine can do great benefits to you.
Open your shopping app and try on a few products. Once you receive them, find a time that you can commit to do the practice every day. When you do it consistently, the faster you will achieve amazing results and more compliments get to your way.
Track Your Wellness.
With the technology that we have today, it is no surprise that our mobile phones can be fundamental to our wellbeing journey. You may want to check for apps that can help you track your health requirements and objectives — monitor how much water you drink, how many hours you dedicate to sleep and even set a reminder for when it is time to workout or give yourself a mental health break.
You may think you do not need them but you do especially when no one is there to remind you. Wellness apps help you to be on track and check your progress so that you will be able to see how much effort still needs to be in place.
In general, make routines that promote self-care. Routines are essential, especially when the end results cannot be achieved overnight. Establishing them makes it easier to develop others. With this list, we hope that you realized how wellbeing and mental health is of the same importance as your physical health. Tough times may last but you can withstand it by living longer.
