Tips to Stay Healthy in Covid-19 Crisis

The lock down has become an integral part of our well-being now but we have also adapted to a more sedentary lifestyle that not only affects our physical health, but also our mental health. It is important to understand that physical activity helps in reducing the risk for cardiovascular disorders, blood pressure, stroke, prevention of onset of diabetes. It also improves immunity and raises body temperature. And, stress can also be reduced by working out regularly. Which means, physical activity leads to mental well-being as well. Which also means that physical & mental well-being are inter related and not separate entities in our being.

Here are a few tips I would like to share that will ensure you stay healthy during these uncertain times.

EAT HEALTHY:

A healthy diet is the key to reducing the chances of not just cardiovascular ailments, diabetes, obesity but also depression & anxiety. Just remember to keep the processed foods away and bring in the complex carbohydrates found in fruits, vegetables and whole grains. You will tune in to good health by these simple things.

Staying positive and happy is also possible through foods that are rich in vitamins and minerals like iron, zinc & selenium that help in releasing Serotonin that helps regulates mood, body temperature and appetite; as well as Dopamine that regulates mood & muscle movement and plays a crucial role in brain's pleasure & reward systems. So, in a way, Serotonin & Dopamine are crucial role players in depression, digestion, sleep, memory & more...and are lovingly called as "happy chemicals".

Foods such as salmon, eggs, poultry, Spinach, Seeds, Nuts such as almonds and walnuts, Milk, Soy products, Cheese, Yogurt, Fruits specially bananas, kiwi, plums, avocados, dates, grapefruit & pineapples, dark chocolate are necessary to increase the dopamine and serotonin levels. Green leafy vegetables as well as poultry help in providing Vitamin B which helps combat feelings of depression as well. Yogurt is important to have a good gut health.

SLEEP WELL:

The top priority in any crisis would be to establish and maintain a proper sleep cycle. A good night of sleep will help our body to repair, relax, clear toxins, consolidate our memories and process information well. Sleep deprivation will impact negatively our psychological and emotional intelligence on the other hand. A refreshing sleep for people can vary between 6 hours to 9 hours normally. Engaging into full body relaxation techniques and meditation before sleeping helps in collating all the information as well as calming the brain before going to bed. It is also important to cut off engagement into digital and electronic media atleast 2 hours before you hit bed.

MOVE MORE:

While it is practically not possible to workout in gyms and engage in outdoor walks & activities here in India currently, there are a lot of home workouts that help in physical and mental well-being. There are a lot of free and paid sessions being organized by gyms, fitness experts on activities such as zumba, walk at home, yoga, pilates, dance movement therapy and so on. If you have access to treadmill or a cycle at home, continue exercising for atleast 30 minutes per day. Have a mix of cardio and strength training for optimum health benefits. Don't forget to warm up and cool down before & after physical activity. It is also important to take recovery breaks once a week or more often if you have a sore body. Moderation is the key again.

If you are struggling with time commitment for 30 minutes, it is recommended you take short breaks and do some light movement exercises for 10 minutes in the morning, afternoon and evening each instead of completely skipping them.

More motivation can be taken from intermittent activities such as using your building stairs to go up and down to take a break from indoors, jog at one place, jumping jacks, push-ups and sit-ups at home. Or may be just a skipping rope to skip in an open area at home.

Having a role model or inspiration model helps a lot. Consider following someone you like or love who you can follow to seek inspiration.

The physical distancing and working from home scenario is taking many of us through a roller coaster of feelings, one of which is the feeling of depression. Activity of any form helps in lowering the stress hormones cortisol and helps in releasing the feel-good hormone endorphin thus giving you the necessary boost to avoid feeling sluggish, unmotivated, frustrated and stressed. Trust me, its not easy to stay optimum in such crisis, but its not difficult as well.

CONNECT WITH EACH OTHER:

Physical distancing is important, but that doesn't mean we have to go off the radar. We cannot meet our friends and family now physically but social media has made it easier than ever to stay connected. Voice or video calls to friends, family members helps us stay connected more than ever. So stay in touch with not just family or friends but also with the distant relatives you could have probably met in the summer vacations or a wedding ceremony to be attended, school and college alumni, your residential society families, office teams and so on.

Other important activities of importance:

• Pay attention to key relationships : your partner, your child, parents, grandparents, siblings, closest friends. Be aware and ensure you look after them. Just being connected helps in boosting their strength.
• Watch your diet : Boredome = Eating; Loneliness = Eating; Disconnect = Eating; So its all the more important to be aware of your diet and eating habits and patterns.
• Cut off from unwanted news and social media and engage into acts such as reading a book which has nothing to do with the current crisis, cook, paint, do origami, play board games, pursue hobbies.
• Maintain a gratitude journal of things you are grateful for in personal and professional life daily. Gratitude reduces a multitude of toxic emotions, from envy and resentment to frustration and regret. Research confirms that gratitude substantially increases happiness and reduces depression.
• Pen down your thoughts, this helps in releasing worry through the act of expression
• Lastly, do something good for others. Because our innate human nature makes us happy for small things we do to make some one else happy.

Do share what are the things that you would be prioritizing now. How do you plan to engage in "Self Care & Love". Remember, to help others you need to help yourself first. Share your thoughts in the comments.