17 Health Tips If You Are Still Staying At Home
In recent times, most people have seen their daily routines completely transformed. We are staying home much more than ever before, and it can be easy to slip into monotony and indifference.
However, there are a few things we can do to stay healthy while we practice social distancing:
1. Constantly Check Your Weight.
Keep a weighing scale in your bathroom. It is advisable to check your weight every morning after using the toilet because our weight can change by as much as three kilograms throughout the day. Measuring your weight at the same time each day will give you more accurate data. Unexpected changes in weight can be harmful.
Weighing yourself regularly can prevent any major health problems going unnoticed.
2. Keep a consistent sleep routine.
Go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day to keep your body clock in line with your natural circadian rhythms. This will keep you fresh and energetic.
3. Eat your meals at the same time every day.
Some flexibility is inevitable, eating at regular times will help you maintain other body rhythms.
4. Eat dinner at least 2 hours before sleeping.
You can have a restful and reinvigorating sleep if your body does not have to devote a large amount of the energy to the complex process of digestion while you sleep.
5. Get in touch with friends who workout regularly.
Arrange online workout sessions together with friends and family.
My friend and I dance Zumba together as we both love dancing and even though it’s online, we still have a lot of fun.
6. Take breaks from sitting.
Go for a short walk. If you can, purchasing a standing desk or converting your existing desk would be very beneficial. I have felt great health benefits since I purchased a standing desk. While this may not be practical for everyone, it is good to remember the need to avoid sitting for extra long periods of time.
7. Explore and play with new recipes, ingredients and vegetables.
Now that most of us are eating at home mainly, it’s a good idea to try new vegetables and new recipes in addition to your regular meal.
During the lockdown, we have added ingredients such as radish, asparagus, tempeh, and almond butter among many others to our culinary repertoire.
We have tried new recipes like guacamole, shakshuka, kimchi fried rice, bibimbap, and avocado chocolate mousse. This has helped break up some of the occasional monotony that sets in when cooking at home.
The day we get our groceries is tinged with excitement as we look to try something new every week.
8. Try some new activities.
It could be something which you have been considering for years but never had the time to try. I recently started gardening. I watched some youtube videos and sowed some seeds and dumped some vegetable cuttings into the soil.
I found it was good to start gardening with low expectations and an attitude of just giving it a try and seeing what happens.
9. Try to keep a water bottle within your reach at all times.
Dehydration can have negative effects on our mood. Remembering to drink when you’re not desperately thirsty can feel like a chore, so it is a good idea to make it as easy as possible for yourself.
10. Stock your pantry with healthy snacks and try to avoid bringing home unhealthy snacks.
If you don’t have too many unhealthy things at home you can’t be tempted as much by them.
11. Give yourself a healthy allowance for treats.
Before grocery shopping, plan ahead which treats you can allow yourself based on your routine.
I try to have no more than 2 small nibbles of my favourite cookies each day so my craving is satisfied and I don’t feel deprived.
12. Read motivating books or listen to the people you admire.
Some have said that we need to work out our motivation muscles just as much as we work out our real muscles at the gym. It is good for our mental health to get a positive boost of encouragement.
13. Get some new gym clothes or pieces of equipment to help motivate you to exercise.
Make sure to plan out your purchase to ensure that it will have a good effect.
14. Make gradual changes.
Take on only as many new habits as you think you can sustain. Do not try to take on too much at once.
15. If you miss a few days, catch up when you can.
Life is not a game to become perfect. It is a continuous process.
If you can stay mindful of making small improvements and nudges in the right direction, the benefits, in the long run, will be great.
16. Have cheat days and indulgences free of guilt.
Guilt is a negative feeling which subconsciously stresses you out. You deserve timely and measured indulgences. You must enjoy them unapologetically.
17. If you lose focus just gently bring your focus back.
Every day is just another chance to progress and improve.
