Archives for May 2020

Summer is here, but this summer will probably be unlike any you have ever experienced. Try these tips to maintain your health and physical fitness while you’re cooped up inside.

Watch Workout Videos
Do you love yoga, martial arts, aerobics, or dancing? No matter what your exercise style is, there is a digital workout instructor waiting for you. Look for an online program that catches your interest and inspires you to start an indoor routine.

YouTube is one of the best places to find workout videos for nearly any interest. You should also check the website for your local gym; they may be offering digital classes taught by your favorite instructors. Finally, do a quick google search for your favorite type of exercise; the internet is full of both free and
paid options.

Make Time to Move Around
As many couch potatoes and gamers have learned, going completely sedentary will have a slow but steady impact on your health. You can prevent this downward slide by adopting a lifestyle that includes movement and general passive activity.

Start by getting up for a short break after every 1 to 2 hours that you spend sitting down. Stand up, stretch, and get a drink of water. Pay attention to the way your body starts to feel when you’ve been sitting too long; if you feel heavy or lethargic, it’s time to move around.

You can also incorporate movement into the way you interact with your environment. Dance to music, play with your pets, and pace when you’re on a solo phone call. Even 20 minutes of movement during the day will help you stay fit while quarantine progresses.

Improve Your Housekeeping Skills
When approached with a balanced attitude, keeping a clean house is great for your physical and mental health. The physical activity of cleaning gives you an excuse to get out of your chair and move around. A freshly-cleaned environment is also the perfect space to dance, practice yoga, or increase the number of push-ups that you can do in one session.

Keeping your house clean will also help you maintain a sanitary and virus-free environment to stay quarantined in. Prioritize tasks like doing laundry, vacuuming, and disinfecting surfaces. Open the windows when there is low activity outside; fresh air is needed to keep your atmosphere from feeling stale.

Get Plenty of Rest
Sleep is the cornerstone of a healthy lifestyle. Getting enough rest will bolster your immune system, improve your mental state, and give you the energy you need to exercise throughout the day.

The average adult needs 7-9 hours of sleep a night. However, if you’ve been recently stressed, sick, or sleep-deprived, you may need as much as 10 hours of sleep to feel truly rested. Establish a reasonable bedtime and wake-up time, and try to stick to your schedule throughout the summer. Your body will thank you when it’s finally time to go back to work.

Your health is influenced by the decisions you make throughout the day. Treat exercise, diet, hygiene, and rest as important parts of your life; then, discover how to express these priorities in a way that works for you.

Stress is a natural reaction to situations that require a response. You feel this way because you desperately want to help in any way you can. And although this global situation is not one that can be solved by a single person, there are things you can do to help keep your family healthy and prevent additional spread in your community.

Protect Yourself and Others
Now that the first wave of COVID-19 has passed and the second is on the horizon, the world knows a lot more about fighting the virus. Run through this checklist to make sure you are reducing transmission as much as possible.

• Wear a face cover. COVID-19 is an airborne virus, so cover up before you go outside. Masks, scarves, and bandanas are all viable options; just make sure your nose and mouth are covered with as few gaps as possible. Cotton, silk, and flannel offer some of the best filtration.
• Wash your hands. Soap destroys viral particles. Stop transmission by washing your hands with soap after you touch anything that you think could be contaminated. You should also clean surfaces and items with either soap or another disinfectant.
• Order delivery. Grocery stores and retailers are working hard to move goods with as few points of transmission as possible. If you have the option, get your items delivered to avoid complicating the system further.
• Shower and change clothes. If you must leave the house, assume that you are contaminated when you re-enter your environment. Take a shower, do a load of laundry, and leave any items that cannot be washed in a “contamination zone” for 2 to 5 days.
• Avoid closed areas. COVID-19 is an airborne particle. Just as steam gathers in the bathroom, an enclosed environment can quickly become saturated by the virus. Do business outside whenever possible, and disinfect after entering a brick-and-mortar establishment.

Maintain Your Health
Despite your best efforts, there is a good chance that you will come into contact with COVID-19 at some point over the next few months. You can take proactive steps now to bolster your immune system and shorten your recovery time as much as possible. Watching your health will also lower your stress level; you might be surprised at how much of your anxiety is sourced in physical discomfort.

Start by improving your diet and your sleep schedule. Eat wholesome food that contains protein, fiber, and healthy fats. Get a full 8 hours of sleep a night, and drink plenty of water throughout the day. Stay away from anything that might directly compromise your immune system. Avoid alcohol in particular; you should also be wary of any natural remedies that are not backed by modern science.

Should you notice actual symptoms of COVID, make sure to stay calm and rest. Hot baths and showers will help relieve the symptoms of pneumonia. Wash your water cup with soap between uses to keep your viral load down and prevent spreading particles around the house. Seek medical attention if you have difficulty breathing or experience heart problems.

Find Community Online
One of the biggest causes of COVID-related stress is the complete disconnection from your previous social environment. Visits and gatherings are not safe, but that doesn’t mean you need to be starved for human interaction.

The internet has become a social haven for anyone who can go online. Stay in touch with your own social circle through social media, group chat, video games, and email threads. You should also look for digital public spaces dedicated to your hobbies, interests, and profession.

As you reach out digitally, take this opportunity to notice the impact that other people have on your mental state. Avoid online interactions and spaces that make you feel anxious, angry, or unsafe. Prioritize contact with friends and family members who offer you healthy and loving interactions. By building a strong social network, you will help reduce the stress of everyone in your support circle.

Stress management is a combination of taking action and maintaining a balanced mental state. This advice is meant to help you feel empowered and capable of protecting yourself when the second wave hits your community. Depending on your level of anxiety, you may also want to supplement these tips with common stress-reducing tactics like mediation and exercise. Remember that although we all cope in different ways, everyone is in this together. Stay strong; we will get through this.