 You’re stuck at home, either alone or with family – and the only outing is a trip to the supermarket. Here’s how to get through it.
If you’re like me (and I’m assuming you are), the recent pandemic causing social distancing and stay-at-home orders have thrown a huge wrench into your normal routine… Now what? During times like these, when most things are truly out of our control, our response to the situation is what matters. Unfortunately, we can’t control the limitations that are being placed on the community, our work environment and social life. However, what we can control is our attitude and what we do with our time. The team at All Journeys Fitness considers the four pillars of wellness to be sleep, nutrition, movement, and stress management. There are of course other things that impact our lives, but these four elements encompass nearly everything we do. These are the areas we should be focusing on, especially during a time like this. SLEEP It is very easy to change your sleep schedule when your routine is thrown off. However, it is very important to keep our body feeling a familiar schedule; we are creatures of habit. Attempting to maintain your normal sleep schedule – going to bed around the same time, waking up at a similar time, sleeping in a similar environment, can go a long way toward impacting how we feel. As we know, it’s while we are sleeping that our body recovers and repairs the most. Maybe you can even get a little bit more quality sleep right now – great! This situation isn’t going to last forever – and when things begin to return to normal, you want to be already in your best state to adapt and return to your normal activities. Nutrition You’re stuck in the house, there are cookies in the cabinet, and you’re struggling to avoid repetitive trips into the kitchen… Oh wait, that’s what’s happening at my place. In all seriousness, we all know that what we eat has a direct effect on how our body feels and performs. Now it is more important than ever to control your environment rather than rely on will power to get you through (sound familiar?). If you are working from home, or even not working right now – one of the best things that you can do is maintain your normal eating schedule... Eating similar foods, at similar times, adjusting the serving sizes based on your activity level is the best thing you can do for yourself. I know when we are cooped up in the house watching Netflix, all we want to do is eat ice cream and drink wine – you’re not alone. Try to control what you put into your body by controlling your environment and using the clock to your advantage to maintain your normal schedule of meals and snacks. Movement Unfortunately, all gyms and schools are closed, leaving some of you with kiddos to entertain throughout the day. One of the best ways to handle social distancing is to get moving. Whether you are doing exercise videos in your home, going for a walk, run, or a bike ride, what’s important is that you do something. There are a lot of options for exercise even with minimal to no equipment; we just have to get a little creative. If you need suggestions, let us know! It’s easy to sit around throughout the day if you are stuck at home – but the less you move the more your body will stiffen up, making movement less comfortable. Check out our YouTube channel for exercise and strength routines! Stress Management Do you feel more, or less stressed during this time? The answer for some of you may be different than for me – I know I feel more stressed. I enjoy structure and knowing what is coming next – two things that we don’t have right now. None of us know how long this is going to go on for or what is going to happen next. One thing you can do is educate yourself around the facts of what is happening – avoid those click bait articles with catchy headlines; focus on the real information. Focusing on the three areas above as well as maintaining our communication network will help to positively impact our stress levels. Find healthy hobbies to occupy your time – exercise, reading, doing a puzzle or playing a game with family can be great options. You may also like to try meditation, yoga, or mindfulness training – there are many videos on all these topics. I would recommend trying to resist the urge to cling to your phone all day long. Naturally, many people are stressed and anxious right now and spending all day scrolling through social media is more likely to increase your stress level as opposed to help it. It’s not always easy to handle drastic alterations to our way of doing things – sometimes we can’t avoid it. Focus on how you respond to the scenario rather than the scenario itself or why it is happening. We will all get through this, together. One day at a time. Read "Are you surrounding yourself with the right people?"
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