Staying healthy during a pandemic can be a challenge, as we are spending more time at home and there are fewer opportunities to be active. While fitness facilities are closed and social interactions are limited, every day we are challenged to maintain our physical and mental health.

Here are our top 10 healthy tips for keeping fit and happy

• Plan your day, make your day work for you. Working from home may cause your normal routine to be disrupted, replacing your journey time to work with physical activity is a good idea, that way you will not be moving from bed to the desk only. Physical activity will activate serotonin, energize your body as well as keep you fit. Try a 30-minute yoga, or a 30-minute high intensity routine to get your blood flowing and heart pumping.

• Get dressed and look your best. Getting dressed into your normal day to day clothes will help us feel good about ourselves and get us ready for the day ahead. A daily dose of self-love is always a good idea.

• Take a break from your desk every hour for 10 minutes. Take this time to stand up, move around, shake your arms and legs, or just changing positions will help avoid aches and pains and keep your mind focused and body energized. Taking shorter breaks more frequently is better than longer breaks over longer period.

• Eat well, eating at home 3 meals a day gives us the perfect opportunity to eat healthier. Find yourself a plan that you would like to try and stick to it.  It is also the ideal time to try some new recipes and learn more about nutrition. Set an alarm for meals to limit endless snacking.

• Limit time spent on social media, social media can be a great way to keep in contact with friends and loved ones, however, studies also show that people who spend excessive time on social media are more likely to feel insecure and anxious. “Researchers hypothesize that reading about others online might lead to negative social comparison,” wrote Facebook director of research David Finsberg and research scientist Moira Burke “.

• Eat at least one fresh and unprocessed meal per day. Also try replacing meat for plant-based protein such as mushrooms, beans and nuts. Challenge yourself and make a delicious sauce like salsa from scratch or try out a home pasta kit like “La Stella in a box”, fresh pasta contains less carbohydrates and is much less processed than dry pasta.

• Make a conscious effort to connect with friends and family. Whether it is meeting on zoom or sitting down to have a meal together, having regular connections with our loved ones can lower anxiety and depression, help us regulate our emotions, lead to higher self-esteem and empathy, and actually improve our immune systems. 

• Learn something new. Always wanted to get better knitting, or build that model airplane? Now this is your time. Having activities that we enjoy improves our mood and refreshes us. Hobbies help us manage our leisure and unplanned time more productively while increasing our confidence, destress and build self-esteem.

1. Meditate. Needless to say meditation is scientifically proven to improve the functionality, destress and relax the mind, there are many ways to meditate, whether it is clearing your mind, watching the thoughts go by or listening to some calming music, just 5 mins a day will help sleep, increase concentration and improve moods.

• Journaling. Yes, it sounds ridiculous when you are spending the entire day pretty much in one place. A journal is a good place to keep your thoughts organized, record ideas, self-reflect and congratulate yourself on small wins. There are many benefits to journaling. You will discover more when you start one!

Written By Wen Mo 14th May 2021