10 Easy healthy habits to keep you going through the Corona crisis
10 Easy healthy habits to keep you going through the Corona crisis
Don’t forget that you’re human. It’s okay to have a melt down. Just don’t unpack and live there. Cry it out and then refocus on where you are headed. -Unknown
We are all affected by the Coronavirus. It’s affecting us emotionally, physically, financially; it’s really changing the world, for all of us, so how can we keep our daily lives intact when everything around is so uncertain and chaotic? Is it actually possible to bring in healthy habits in this crisis? By now, we should all have learned to keep our distance, wash our hands and follow the rules and safety tips from WHO and the countries we are living in. But what more can you do to make your routines and daily habits fit together? And how can we make these habits even better than they were before?
In my life, our day-to-day has completely changed. My son has been carrying out online learning for 8 weeks now, and so at home we’ve all had to adapt to these changes. In the beginning, I felt really exhausted and fatigued, and did not know how to make it all work out. Even though it has been really difficult, I decided to make a plan, and we have started to find a routine that works for us, and I would love to share some of my tips to help you find a routine that works for you too.
1. Plan your day, food, work, cleaning, workouts… plan it all! At the moment, everything is unpredictable, so you won’t always be able to stick to your plans; but don’t let that stop you from planning out your week. Get into a daily routine and commit to it as much as possible. Planning is so helpful, especially if you are in quarantine; it gives you a purpose and keeps you going, so you at least have some certainty in your day when you wake up. Furthermore, routines can make the time go faster, so we can quickly get back to normal. So bring out that calendar and plan your schedule!
2. Make a weekly food planner. A first small step to planning your meals is adding at least one green to every meal.
Like I said before, planning is super important, especially in these uncertain times! By making a food plan, you can save time (and you will most likely save money too). You can also plan to cook larger meals, so you have leftovers to use for tomorrow. Need a little inspiration? Head over to my instagram story, where I daily share tips to inspire you with food and beauty. Here’s my Instagram link: https://www.instagram.com/myhealthcoachlulu/
Right now, with so much going on, your focus probably isn’t on the nutrition you are giving your body; but trust me, by planning out your food, healthy eating becomes much more manageable. Not to mention, if you stick to your food plan and stay organized, along the way you might also notice when there are less people in your supermarket. Even though we are all longing to be social and give and receive hugs and kisses, we have to remember to keep a distance. The more we all put in our individual efforts to keep a distance, the faster we can get back to our ‘normal’ routines again. So if you plan ahead your meals and grocery shopping times, you can stay organized whilst still keeping yourself and others safe.
3. Exercise! You need to move around. There is just no way around this, so you have to try to find a way to fit exercise into your day. I have a friend in Spain who runs around her dining table… for 5 K!! Another friend jogs around in her garden with her dog to make sure she gets her body moving (and her dog too!). You can find loads of free online training guides or videos, and you don’t need a lot of space either. If you feel worn out inside, my suggestion for you is to reach out to your local gym or yoga center and ask if they can set up an online class. Lots of gym centres have already started this, and maybe your gym already has! If you are in a country that allows you to go outside and exercise, take the opportunity (but please keep in mind that you need to keep a distance)! Feel free to comment below so I can hear what exercise you are planning to do, and we can help motivate each other.
4. Feeling lonely? Reach out to a friend and family, and talk to them about it. Meet them for an online lunch date or chit chat over coffee. With all the technology today, there are so many ways we can all connect online. You can also open up a conversation online. I have met some great people online already, and I am so grateful for connecting with them. Who knows, you might even meet your new bestie! Use this hashtag to get inspiration and inspire others. #feelinglonely2020
5. Meditation! I normally start my day with a 5-10 minute meditation. I often find my meditations via Youtube, and I will sometimes send it to a family member and a friend too (remember what I said about feeling lonely?); remember, sharing is caring.
6. Keep up to date with the news regarding the coronavirus… but limit it to 1-2 times a day. Be wary that you don’t overwhelm yourself with too much news from Facebook or other social media. The info-overload can feel very emotionally draining and bring unwanted negativity and uncertainty… and the information might not even be very accurate. Instead, stay tuned to your local radio or daily news on TV so you are updated correctly, and not being filled with unnecessary false news!
7. Support your local shops (from a distance). There are still many businesses that can deliver food, flowers and other products you might need. To stay safe, ask the delivery service to drop the package on your doorstep, so you are not in physical contact with them (you might also need to clean the door knob if they have touched it… better safe than sorry!). In general, cleaning your door knobs, phone, keyboards, TV remote and other objects we use constantly in the day, is really a must these days, to keep bacteria and viruses at bay.
8. Wine o’clock… You probably feel super stressed right now, and think that wine might be an ideal way to relax. Drinking wine everyday might sound good right now; but this situation will take weeks, so your daily wine o’clock might not be a fabulous habit. There’s no harm in meeting friends on a Friday evening for a glass or two of (online) wine, as long as we maintain a balance to keep our intake healthy and healing.
9. Virtual dance-offs! Yes, I am actually doing that. The kids are super embarrassed, but it makes me happy, and my girlfriends too. Send a silly dancing video to your friends to brighten up their day, and challenge them to do the same! #virtualdanceoff
10. Sharing is caring. Supporting the people around you, and the people in your community, in any way you can… Like I wrote before, you can buy chocolates online from your local chocolaterie, or you can bake a yummy treat (like my homemade spelt buns! Here is the recipe:
and place it at the doorstep of your loved ones. Sharing is both comforting and healing to yourself and others; remember that we are all in this together.
Bonus tip: Try to ask yourself: what can I learn from this experience?
How often have you thought, I wish I had the time to… Finish that sentence. I wish I had time to call my friend, tidy up my kitchen, start running, cook more nutritious meals, learn how to speak Korean… and so on. So try to do your best to get the most out of the coming months, instead of getting caught up in the fear of what is to come.
Carpe Diem
If you found this blog helpful, please share it with your friends!
That can be your first step in practicing new habits in these tricky times.
Until next time, stay safe, keep a distance, show some love… and wash your hands!
CIDESCO Beauty Therapist, IIN Health Coach, Holistic Aromatherapist
🍒🍒 Beauty Chef ❤️ Face Yoga Teacher
+852 9154 1570