SELF ISOLATION TIPS FOR YOUR MIND & BODY

There’s no denying that the world is facing some trying times right now. We have all been affected by the pandemic and it has changed every person’s way of life. With just a little time spent looking at the news and observing social media, it can be really easy to take on the extra worry and stress of the current events and rightfully so. Although we are facing a time of uncertainty, I’ve found myself doing what I can to stay centered and stay sane in the midst of the all craziness. The biggest thing that has helped me along the way is releasing the worry of things that are beyond my control.

Taking care of myself physically and mentally during this time has been so important to me and has become a top priority. There are a few things that I’ve implemented over the past few months that I thought may be helpful. Read on to learn tips on how to keep your physical and mental being in check as we get through this time.

DESIGNATE TIME FOR WORK & HOME LIFE

Set a time each day for when to begin and end your work day. It can be really easy for work and home life to blend into the other. Especially if you have a spouse and family that is home with you. It’s easy to throw in a load of laundry during a conference call, but try not to vacuum or multitask with housework too much. Your work and home lives can get hopelessly tangled, so try to keep them separate and stay on task. Errands can be a distraction, too, but for the most part those won’t be happening for a while.

I normally have a time where I log in and out for the day and I’m always sure to designate time for lunch and small breaks. Since there’s the added convenience of being home, I simply choose how I’d like to spend the break—either taking a rest or quickly folding laundry. Organize your time for THIS or THAT and stick with it. Communicate with your spouse or family members that you are unavailable for a certain amount of time and hold everyone to it.

CREATE A ROUTINE

From the start of me working from home, I knew that I didn’t want my weekends to run into my weekdays. The constant feeling of me sitting in my pjs all day everyday was already giving me cabin fever. Creating a schedule and routine for the work week and weekends have definitely helped me keep my motivation up. Most days I’m up at 9am to open the blinds and let in natural bright light. Natural light sets the tone for me! It’s uplifting and gets me going. Try it. Research shows that natural light is great for you. Also, setting breakfast, lunch, and dinner time is helpful as well. I also have kept my routine of getting dressed when I know that I’ll have staff meetings via zoom or periodically have go into the office.

When you create a routine, it gives you something to look forward to. It creates a small change and breaks up the time in which you may feel ‘stuck’ in the house.

REST WELL

It’s tempting to change your sleep routine when you no longer have to commute every morning. You can wake up later, roll out of bed, and still be “at the office” on time. (And if your job is on furlough, it can be even more challenging to keep your schedule consistent.) But sticking to a routine is integral to sleeping well. This is why creating a routine, as I mentioned above, is a great idea. To maximize sleep quality, it’s best to go to bed and wake up around the same time every day and night.

STAY ACTIVE

It’s said that exercising can relieve stress. Staying active is so important to me during these times. Even if I get one good workout in during the week it’s still better than nothing at all. I found stretching to be helpful as well. Normally, if I can remember, I’ll try to spend at least 30 mins in the mornings to do this. Stretching is said to help calm your mind. Whenever you start to feel overwhelmed by the media, turn off your tv and just…stretch. Don’t feel bad if you aren’t working out as much as you’d like. If I can’t get a workout in, I normally go for a 40 min to an hour walk around my neighborhood.

HYDRATE + EAT WELL

I’m trying my best to come out of this quarantine without the added pounds! I’m doing everything I can to eat clean, but I do have my moments of over snacking. What helps is remembering my fitness goals and planning out my meals each week. It’s much easier to overindulge on snacking when I haven’t pre-cooked anything. Although we aren’t regularly going anywhere, meal prepping is still important and so helpful. Drinking water also keeps over snacking at bay as well. I normally drink water first thing in the morning, with breakfast, and lunch and right before bed. This doesn’t happen all the time though. I’ve had moments of stress eating, consuming more wine than usual, and getting lazy with food shopping. With all that I just chalk it up to the game of the current events and not try to be so hard on myself. I always find a way of getting my motivation back on track.

LIMIT WATCHING THE NEWS

This has helped combat unnecessary anxiety for me. Honestly, the only time I watch the news is when the governor has a press conference. That’s it and that’s all.

TAP INTO OLD & NEW HOBBIES

Although deep diving into a new Netflix series can be the norm right now, I’ve also enjoyed completing puzzles, reading, and potting new plants. Now is the perfect time to try new things and tap into hobbies you may not have had time for before now. One of my favorite things to do now is to spend about 30-40 minutes with my hands in potting mix tending to my house plants. Since this thing began, you won’t even believe how many times I’ve gone to my local nursery to purchase some of the most gorgeous plants 😍 Spending time engaging in hobbies can be the break you need to rest your mind.

PRAYER

Prayer for me is very private and intimate. It’s one of the ways I decompress when I’m stressed and don’t understand the unexplainable. I’ve had to really lean into my faith in so many ways over the past few months. One day at a time it has made small and quiet differences.

What are you doing for your mind and body these days?