Staying Happy, Positive and Healthy!
Things might not be going quite to plan at the moment, but hey, let’s ride the waves and come out on top! We spend a lot of time running around, longing for a moment to breath, to chill out and to do something for ourselves!
I’ve put together some of my top tips for not just ‘surviving’ isolation… but thriving and growing!
Movement is still absolute key!
Yes, we are on lock down, but there are soooo many ways of staying active and well! Exercise is not only important for you physically at the moment (yes, we’re staying put and our bodies still need some stimulation) but our brains need it too! Exercise increases blood flow, releases endorphins and creates a wonderful sense of achievement and confidence. We’re all guilty of ‘starting on Monday’ but right now is the perfect time to start!
There are LOADS of free workouts being shared across social media so have a look and maybe try something you wouldn’t usually…let’s face it… now is the time!
But if you don’t feel like following a video, then that is totally fine! Too much time on social media at the moment can feel VERY INTENSE! So, why not set yourself some personal goals.. how many push-ups can you do in a minute…test it now! Then improve on it tomorrow! Or maybe set yourself the goal of being able to do a headstand… this video is fab if you want to give it a go… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1HbXt5ZRlg
Good mood food!
After all the crazy shopping hauls, some of you might be feeling a little overwhelmed! And now we’ve lost our usual routine, our eating routine has probably changed and energy levels are feeling a little out of whack! Try and inject some structure into your day and if you use your meal times to do that, then in our eyes that’s a great place to start! Trying to eat at similar times to what you would have done previously will help your body stay feeling more normal and try to feed your body with the best of what you have available! We need to be incredibly careful about leaving the house for food and do it as infrequently as possible, so try and be creative with what you’ve got and still include vegetables where you can! Eating a beige diet can become quite easy when you’re living off longer life food, but don’t forget you’ve probably got some carrots stashed in the bottom of the fridge, a bag of peas hiding out in the freezer or some tinned sweetcorn taking refuge in the cupboard. Including veg where you can will help you feel good and also help look after your body when you really need it!
Trying to stay away from too much sugary, processed food will certainly help with your energy levels too. When we eat a lot of sugar it gives you an instant spike of energy but that is short lived and afterwards you’ll be left feeling pretty rubbish, and we don’t need that right now!
Tempting Tea Breaks
Whilst we’re all working from home, flicking the kettle on every half an hour might be becoming more common! And yes, us Brits love a proper brew but just be mindful of how much caffeine you might be clocking up. The British Nutrition Foundation recommends no more than 400milligrams per day for a grown adult (this can vary person to person but this is the general guidelines they provide) which is roughly 4 cups of coffee/ 5 cups of tea. Try switching to a herbal tea or hot water with a little piece of lemon or ginger in (if you’ve got that in) so that you are still able to enjoy a break to get up and make a drink and this will also be helping your body stay well hydrated!
Schedule some socialising!
Just like you’d put meetings in your diary, make plans with friends and colleagues to call them or video call. We are so lucky with the technology we have and should certainly embrace that! Pop a slot in your diary and enjoy a good catch up and some time seeing a friends face! We are only human and seeing members of our ‘tribe’ is so important. We love a Zoom call or even ‘House Party’!
Keep a diary and a schedule
Creating a new schedule for your day is a great way of making sure you feel like you’ve achieved something with your day. And when we say achieved, that doesn’t mean you have to be at ‘optimal working levels’ but doing things that look after your body, your home and how you feel. Whilst you have a morning cuppa, why not try breaking down your day into different sections and designating time to certain activities, include work breaks, exercise, calling friends or family, cooking or reading. We are creatures of habit and creating some structure certainly helps with this!
Keeping a diary is also something you could factor into your day. Jotting down what your day has been like can be a great way of off loading when we aren’t seeing people to share our thoughts with. Try jotting down some of these:
3 things that have been good in your day
5 Things you are looking forward to when we get back to normal
5 Things you are grateful for
2 People you want to call tomorrow
We hope this has been helpful and please let us know if you think we can add some other bits in!
Lots of love, stay safe,
Jodie Xx