Governments of many countries have urged its citizens to shelter in place and practice social distancing to mitigate the outbreak of the novel coronavirus. Because of this, millions of people around the world have hunkered down at home, waiting until the situation abates. Unfortunately, self-isolation is easier said than done. While the concept of staying at home for an extended period seems easy, you also have to make sure that you’re taking care of your physical and mental health, too.
To help you maintain your overall well-being amidst COVID-19, here are some tips that you can follow:
Maintain a healthy diet
Raiding your pantry and eating the snacks you bought during a panic buying session might be tempting, but you need to feed your body with nutrients so you boost your immune system and fend off sickness. When planning your meals, be sure to give your body the fuel it needs. That means eating food that has lean protein, low-glycemic carbohydrates, and healthy fats. While there’s nothing wrong with spoiling yourself with a treat every once in a while, try to reduce your intake of inflammatory foods, including those with high sugar content, saturated fat, and preservatives.
Break a sweat
Going to the gym may not be feasible at the moment, but you can walk, run, or even bike outside, so long as you keep a safe distance—at least six feet—from others. If you’re not keen on going outside, you can also try some online workouts to keep your body moving. The good thing is you don’t even have to use exercise equipment. You can do exercises like squats, burpees, sit-ups, push-ups, and mountain climbers in your home with nothing but your bodyweight! If repetitive exercise isn’t your thing, try other activities like gardening and cleaning to get your body moving and blood flowing.
Get eight hours of sleep
Without the need to wake up for an awful commute, you may find yourself staying up every night, which leads to you not getting the rest you need. It’s important to remember that just because you’re quarantining at home and have less structure to your day doesn’t mean you have to forego getting the doctor-recommended eight hours of sleep. If you find yourself tossing and turning at night, try meditation or other calming methods to fall asleep faster.
Establish a routine
It can be challenging to follow a routine while you’re at home, but it’s important to keep a scheduled day. Instead of treating this period as a vacation, wake up each morning at a regular time, eat meals on time, and maintain a regular bedtime routine as well. This will help you introduce some normalcy into an otherwise uncertain and unprecedented period.
Don’t dwell too much on the news
Managing your anxiety and stress is integral to staying sane, and controlling the information you see online and on TV can help you improve your mental health. Constantly refreshing the news and checking official reports can only exacerbate your anxiety, so it’s best to avoid information overload to avoid increasing your stress levels.
Following the tips above can help you stay sane and physically healthy during this trying time. Should you need to consult a family doctor or cardiopulmonary physician in New Jersey, get in touch with us to see how we can help.