COVID-19: Lifestyle Tips to Follow During the Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed life for everyone around the globe. Right from our lifestyle, to conducting our daily chores to going to work to socializing, the way we live has taken a whole new meaning. This new reality comes with its own set of challenges, that we probably didn’t see coming, till they actually hit us.

Today, practicing self-care is of utmost importance, right from building your immunity and strengthening your physical health to taking care of your emotional well-being – everything else must take a back seat. The pandemic has consumed everyone with anxiety and stress so focusing on feelings that give us nourishment and stability is necessary and not selfish. Times are such that looking out for one’s self has taken precedence over everything.

Self care will encompass everything – enjoyable activities, activities that encourage physical, spiritual and emotional health. Right from the right nutrition, to leisure activities to exercise, to downtime to meditation to seeking professional help – everything will enable self-care.

Due to self-isolation and minimizing exposure, our days are no longer about physical activities and increasing step counts via daily chores such as walking from the car to the office, strolling in the supermarket, gallivanting at a shopping mall or hiking with friends. Our days are more sedentary and spent on the bed or in front of a screen Our physical movements have significantly dropped as a result of this lifestyle shift. Our life has become more inactive with online work, online classes for kids, watching Netflix, and just bumming around.

Lack of physical activity can also play havoc with our mental well-being. Apart from focusing just on mental health, we need to consciously include physical activity in our lives to be able to take on the pandemic. 

Despite minimizing exposure with the world, here are a few lifestyle tips to be followed during the pandemic:

Staying Physically Active

Though your gyms and playgrounds may not be open, there are plenty of safe alternatives to be physically active without going against the best preventive practices declared by your health ministry – primarily involving social distancing and staying clear of crowded areas.  A lot of gyms and group classes have started conducting online classes, which makes it even more interesting to work out from home. Apart from that Yoga and aerobics can easily be done at home.

You can go for a jog, run or brisk walk outdoors and limit yourself to areas that are not crowded and considered safe. Exercise like burpees, jumping jacks, Surya namaskars can all be done from home.

Also staying active does not mean heavy work out, you just need to avoid sitting and lying down all day – take a short walk around your house, clean the house, cook your favourite meals – all these activities keep you active. 

Keeping yourself mentally active

You must keep entertaining yourself and remain busy during COVID-19. This is super important and also one of the easiest things to do. Plan a date night for your loved one, listen to music, have a movie night with your kids, watch your favourite series on Netflix, play video games – online matches with friends and family, pick up new skills or learn a new language. There are numerous things that can be done online and with your family at home.

To stay mentally active, try getting into a routine – do yoga, meditate, keep the mind active by doing crosswords, do a capitals quiz with your kids and refresh your memory, take an online course.

Stay up to date with the correct information about CoVid-19 & do not over consume news

During ambiguous times such as these, it is very easy to consume too much information as well as incorrect information. This overload could result in anxiety, depression and stress. Do not fall for WhatsApp forwards, do not check social media every few hours, watch the news twice a day to stay abreast.  Stay informed and get the correct information from dependable sources – do not fall for everything you read or see.

Make sure you get adequate sleep

Getting a good amount of sleep and staying well rested is important for our overall health. As per the NIH (The National Institutes of Health) which is a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – “Immune system activation alters sleep, and sleep in turn affects the innate and adaptive arm of our body’s defence system.”  Though how much one sleeps and the adequate amount required for optimum performance and good health varies from person to person, it is recommended to get over seven hours of sleep if you are between 18 to 60 years of age.

Have a balanced and nutritious diet

It is imperative that you practice self-discipline & abstain from “emotional eating” no matter how tempting it may seem. This eating happens due to stress arising from the drastic changes that surround us. We often get tempted to eat junk food and snack on unhealthy foods as they provide instant gratification and honestly gratifying our taste buds is probably the only thing in our hands these days – most aspects of our life are now dictated by the virus.

We must force ourselves to follow a balanced and nutritious diet consisting of whole foods, tomatoes, fresh herbs, dark and leafy greens, oranges etc. Focus on eating the food that is loaded with fiber, minerals and vitamins. No matter how tempted you are to eat chips, sausages, ham and other processed food, keep those for your cheat meal and stick to nutritious foods.

Take care of yourself – Self-care comes first

Take out time to focus on yourself. Be supportive of other people and give the same suggestion to the ones close to you. Meditate, relax, spend worthy time with your family and indulge in activities that endorse overall wellness.

Take care of existing health conditions

In case you have chronic conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, etc., and consume medications for the same, carry on as directed by your doctor. You need to keep these conditions in check by sticking to the lifestyle guidelines and medications prescribed by your doctor. If you feel something is out of the ordinary or any symptom is flaring up, reach out to your doctor or the team. Though some doctors have not restarted physical appointments, they can guide you over a video or a phone call.  Do not ignore any symptoms.

For all your medical needs such as Platelet Booster Medicines, best cough and cold medicine for adults, fever flu medicine, sugar testing machine, BP machine or anything else, Healthskool Pharmacy should be your go-to place. They are an online and offline store with a range of medical devices and products. The best thing about Healthskool Pharmacy is that if they do not have something, they will arrange it for you.

Try to cope with anxiety and stress

Though this is easier said than done – one must consciously indulge in positive reaffirmations. Read, exercise, meditate, develop hobbies and indulge in other such coping mechanisms. If these are not helping and you find yourself going into a downward spiral, speak to a mental health professional. There are many that are focusing on pandemic induced conditions and anxiety. It is absolutely normal to not feel ‘normal’ during this pandemic.

Stay connected with your loved ones

Talking to friends and family while in isolation can bring down the anxiousness and loneliness one starts to feel during the pandemic.  There is so much that technology has done to ensure that you stay connected with your loved ones despite the distance. Before the spread of COVID-19, we may have been too preoccupied in our daily lives to take out significant time for people we care about the most, now one can fully take advantage of the modern capabilities to foster camaraderie, fellowship and companionship.

Our daily routines are polar opposites of what they used to be till 2019 and the worst thing about it was that no one saw it coming so no one was prepared to deal with it. We have taken each day as it comes – from new findings about the virus to evolving quarantining rules to changing CoVid guidelines –eg. the Plasma Therapy in Covid that was once recommended which is no longer advisable – our life has been in a state of flux.

In addition to above lifestyle changes, one must follow the CoVid guidelines of social distancing and prevention tips such as wearing a mask, sanitizing and washing your hands and maintaining distance.  Steering our way through this new normal is not easy but with a little dedication, will power and following a healthy routine we will be better equipped to deal with the pandemic.