The COVID-19 pandemic has been making it really hard and challenging for everyone to stay positive and calm for the past few weeks. However, it is crucial for both your physical and mental health to stay calm and find ways to keep a positive attitude even when it gets hard. These 15 tips will help you maintain your health and take your mind off the current situation.
Get Dressed
Firstly, avoid giving in to the immediate urge to stay up late and sleep in. Even though it might be very tempting to spend the whole day in pyjamas, it is not a great idea. Set your alarm for your usual time and try to stick with your regular morning routine. Take a shower to wake yourself up, make your bed, and make yourself some breakfast, and so on. It’s also important that you dress up instead of staying in pyjamas. If you stay in your pyjamas, you are more likely going to keep lying in bed not doing anything for the rest of the day, and that’s how you end up stuck in a cycle.
Plan out Your Week
It can also be very helpful to have a schedule for the week ahead. Try to make weekends a bit more different. It can even be something simple such as making a more elaborate breakfast, or you can opt for something more involved such as starting a new project. Try painting a room for example. No matter what you do it’s important for your overall emotional well-being that you keep this balanced combination of structure and variation settled but stimulated.
Stick to a routine
COVID-19 pandemic has affected all of our daily routines, but try to maintain at least some kind of a daily routine. For instance, if you usually go to the gym every morning, try to replace that routine with a simple at-home workout routine when you wake up. Many gyms now provide videos of workout routines that people can try out in the comfort of their homes. There are also many online workouts that you can sign up for, or you could also find many useful videos on YouTube.
Also, since your children are home from school, make a daily routine for them too. Along with the regular virtual learning schedule they have with their schools, include some other routines as well so they will know what to expect of the upcoming day. Limit their screen time as much as possible and involve them in some fun activities throughout the day.
Sleep well
Sleeping is also a part of your routine and you shouldn’t neglect it. Try sticking to your normal schedule, but make sure you are getting enough sleep. It’s not only important for your physical but your mental health as well.
Wash your hands and your body
Make sure you are properly washing your hands often throughout the day. Also, staying at home can get you stuck in a routine of always staying in your pyjamas but it’s very important that you change clothes regularly and take showers every day. Keeping your body and hands clean is a key factor in staying healthy, especially now that it is the number one thing that can prevent you from getting the virus. Just by washing your hands daily, you can reduce respiratory infections by 16%.
It is important that you wash your hands often, but it is also crucial that you wash them properly. For instance, try setting a timer for every 3-4 hours as a reminder for washing your hands. Experts urge us all to wash our hands for 20 seconds. You can even turn this routine into a fun game. Try singing a chorus of some of the well-known songs such as “No Scrubs” or “Ms. Jackson” while you wash your hands to make sure you washed them for about 20 seconds at least.
Take your vitamin C
Vitamin C, among everything else, is great for boosting our immune system and it also prevents other health scares that will be quite helpful once this outbreak is over. It can help prevent the risk of chronic diseases, helps regulate the blood pressure levels, prevents gout, lowers your risk of heart disease, helps those with iron deficiency, and even helps with memory. So, just remember that when you’re taking vitamin C daily, you’re helping your body in many amazing ways.
You can always get into the habit of taking Vitamin C supplements like airborne, nature made, and even Gummi’s. There are also many foods that contain Vitamin C, so you can try implementing some of those into your diet. Here is a list of foods high in Vitamin C:
- Guava
- Strawberries
- Cantaloupe
- Papaya
- Bell Pepper
- Orange Juice
- Kale
- Broccoli
- Mango
- Tomato Juice
Unplug a bit and don’t obsess
Mental health is important as much as physical health, and during these chaotic times, it’s very easy for us to become overwhelmed by watching the news and checking for updates about COVID-19. Though it is important to stay informed, try not to get too obsessed. Don’t watch the news all day. Instead, check in periodically – maybe once in the morning and once at night.
Beware of Too Much Social Media
Also, try to use social media wisely. Even though it can be tempting to spend all day on the phone scrolling through Instagram and Facebook, it can affect your mental health in many negative ways. Try using social media moderately and for meaningful connection with your friends, family, neighbours, and colleagues. However, remember that it is also important to connect with ourselves, especially at these times. And sometimes in order to connect, we first need to disconnect.
Create a positive affirmation board
Staying positive during this outbreak is a real challenge, but it is a crucial step in keeping your spirits up. So, whenever you’re feeling sad or depressed, try jotting down positive affirmations. You can even create a board you can put them on. This can also be a fun activity where you’ll get to express yourself and be creative. You can combine different magazines or print out some positive quotes and make a mosaic out of them on the board. Or you can even teach yourself some calligraphy and write the quotes by yourself.
Devote some time to your family
Try to devote some time to your family as well. Make it a habit for you to eat dinner together every night, for example. Sit down with your family, have some great time together and try to take your mind off this situation at least for an hour. Or you can even organise some game night where you can try playing some video games or board games together. Take time to connect with each other and find comfort even in this time of utter chaos.
Yoga/Exercise
Doing yoga can be very helpful both for your state of mind and your body. All you need to do is take at least 10 minutes every morning to do some stretching and a little bit of yoga. Don’t reach for your phone as soon as you wake up. Instead, do some guided yoga exercises. There are many videos with calming music on YouTube as well that you can listen to while doing some basic yoga moves. This way you’re starting your day by calming yourself down and connecting with yourself.
Treat yourself
Don’t be too hard on yourself. It’s okay to have a day off when you’re doing absolutely nothing and enjoying a good TV show or a movie. Think of it as a self-care day. Have your own at-home spa day. Do some skincare, binge watch your favourite TV show, etc. Also, if there’s something you’ve wanted to get for a long time, now’s the time to treat yourself. For instance, have you been browsing through some coffee pod machines for months but never got around to buying any? If you enjoy a good cup of coffee every morning then investing in something like this will have you excited to wake up every day and start your day by making yourself your favourite coffee. It will be something you can look forward to every day.
Reading
Now that you have enough time, devote some of it to reading. This activity is not only fun, but it also develops our thoughts, teaches us lessons, and keeps our mind active. Take at least 30 minutes or one hour when you go to bed at night to read a little bit. Or you can choose to read in the morning while drinking coffee. Make it a habit to read 2-3 books a week. It will take your mind off the current situation. Plus, one hour spent on reading a book is one hour spent away from social media, which is great.
Meditate, read the bible, pray and other aspects that help with your spiritual needs
There are many benefits of meditation that will help you during these times. Try playing some soothing music in the background. It will help soothe your mind and keep it at ease. If you’re new to this, you can try taking guided meditations. Or try reading the bible. For instance, Psalms 91:9-11 and Matthew 11:22-27 will help give you spiritual assurance during these times. You can also try praying if it helps you keep the faith and positive attitude about the future.
Drink Water
Lastly, drinking water is very important for your body. It will not only help you clear skin, regulate your body temperature, balance your weight loss, prevent kidney damage, it can also make you feel a lot better and focused. It is recommended that you drink a glass of water as soon as you wake up in the morning. It will get your organs working and it will help boost your digestive system. Try to drink about 8 glasses of water per day and you’ll see huge differences in a matter of a few days.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is very important that we take care of both our bodies and our minds during these times. It is easy for us to get overwhelmed with all the new information that keeps coming about the COVID-19 pandemic. That is why it’s important to find ways of staying positive no matter what. Hopefully, these tips will help you do so.
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