The Mind Lives in the Body
In part one of our series on keeping your mental health steady during the COVID-19 quarantine, we discussed how to stay connected socially. Today, we want to talk about maintaining physical health. The brain is just another part of the body, and the condition of your body below the neck greatly affects your mental health.
This isn’t just a list of ways to be healthier. We want to help you customize your efforts to better your health to the situation at hand.
Physical Exercise
Depending on your neighborhood, it may be safe to go out to a park or trail if there is plenty of room and few people. But if you’re stuck at home without a treadmill, stationary bike, or infinity pool, you have to work with limited space. Fortunately, fitness experts are prepared to help with hundreds of videos and infographics online on how to work out safely and effectively in small spaces. Unlike a class, you can pause a video whenever you want and sample as many exercise styles as you please. In the same hour you can wiggle to a Bollywood-style dance workout and have a Marine teach you proper pull-up form.
Kitchen Adventures
Cooking your own meals is fun and gives you control over everything that goes into it. Eating out carries a risk of germs on a good day, but during a pandemic it is especially unwise. If you’re not much of a chef or don’t often have time to cook, take this opportunity to try some new recipes. You don’t have to get fancy. Practice the perfect poached egg, make a jar of refrigerator pickles, simmer a pot of pasta sauce made from fresh vegetables. Make sure to wash all produce and store perishables safely.
Drink Up!
Make sure you’re drinking enough water. You may think that you are, but we challenge you to try measuring your water for a day. Drink as much water (not soda, not juice, not energy drinks) as you normally do and measure your intake. You may find that you’ve been living consistently dehydrated. Experiment with sparkling, mineral, and distilled waters, sliced fruit, and mint leaves. Teas like green, white, and rooibos taste great on their own and contain valuable antioxidants. Adequate water intake is essential for mental clarity, proper gut function, healthy skin, and more.
Catching Z’s
You’ve heard many times to get enough sleep, but are you keeping your sleep schedule regular? Do you sleep in a quiet, dark room to make sure you get those deep sleep cycles? Most of us don’t like getting up early, but if you hate to get out of bed every day, can’t get to sleep, or can’t seem to stay asleep, that’s an issue to discuss with a doctor. Try a telemedicine call with your physician, and with us. just click here.
