Stay Physically and Mentally Healthy
In the past couple of weeks, the coronavirus (also referred to as COVID-19) has spread across the planet and has forced many people to remain at home to help quell the escalation of cases.
There’s a lot we have learned about this particular virus, but there is also a lot we do not know. I’ve been getting so many inquiries last week, and the most frequent question I get is, “how do I stay healthy in this pandemic?
With that in mind, I have compiled my top tips on the best way to stay healthy in mind and body in this scary time.
Keep Moving
Being quarantined inside at home, among the biggest concerns I have is that people aren’t moving enough. The human body was designed to move, and being too stagnant may cause some serious health difficulties. Gyms are closed at this time, but there are several home exercises–such as crunches, push-ups, boards, squats, burpees, and mountain climbers–which you can do with only a little space. Also, just getting up every so often to walk around, do household chores, or simple stretches can assist with increasing blood circulation, improving concentration, improving immunity, and lowering anxiety. So, any amount of physical motion you can fit on your day really helps. Simply note, keep moving, but please do stay in your home.
Eat Nutritiously
The best way to fend off illness is to ensure our bodies are powerful enough to do so. We give our bodies the best fuel it can take–lean protein, low-glycemic carbohydrates, and healthy fats.
I know finding nutritious food can be hard nowadays, so rather than suggesting specific items to purchase, I am recommending you try to get a balanced diet as far as possible while avoiding inflammatory foods like the plague (or the coronavirus!). Highly inflammatory foods include those high in sugar, saturated fat, and preservatives. Before you stock up again, take inventory of what you already have, and then plan around these things to make meals composed of a nutritious starch, protein, and create. Additionally, it’s important to drink enough water every day to keep you well hydrated.
Stay Clean
Like most respiratory viruses, including influenza, COVID-19 primarily spreads by tiny droplets discharged from the mouth and nose of an infected individual as they cough. The CDC, the World Health Organization and other health authorities have highlighted that both washing one’s hands and cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces every day are crucial in one study finds that the virus may survive on hard surfaces like plastic and stainless steel for up to 72 hours and on cardboard for up to 24 hours. To be able to prevent catching and spreading the virus, we have to be extra cautious about cleanliness. One way to get your workout in is to wash your house clean daily –even a few times a day if you want!
Keep a Routine
Remaining in the home, with work in a stop, and confronting this virus scare can be very overwhelming and anxiety-inducing. Bearing this in mind, it is very important for your sanity to keep up a regular routine. It’s quite easy to mess up your eating and sleep program in this circumstance, which can have a negative effect on your frame of mind. Have a program and a to-do list, even if it is a loose one just to be certain that you stay motivated and productive. If you end up tired or disoriented, I highly encourage you to take this opportunity to do a new job, complete a job that you did not have time for before. By way of instance, I am finally reading the books I have been meaning to read, and I am finally committing to a rigorous intermittent fasting diet. This pandemic might have turned our lives upside down, but it does not need to prevent it from moving ahead.
Accept and Be Grateful
Our physical health is one thing we will need to look out for, but our mental health is just as important. This is a very stressful situation for everybody. Stress causes our bodies to create a stress hormone called cortisol, and cortisol causes inflammation. Inflammation hurts and reduces the resistance that makes us more prone to illness. Tension and anxiety frequently stem from us attempting to control what we can not, and that’s the reason why I urge that the best thing you can do to help your sanity is to accept that this is happening and also to be thankful for what we have. Rather than living in a state of indecision, panic, or distress, accept this virus is here and it is hurting people. That provides some type of clarity which can make it possible for you to use that focus to do what you can control or have the capability to do so.