Self-care isn’t a dirty word, it’s always a necessity but especially when we are feeling overwhelmed, uncertain, or out of routine! In a very uncertain time we all need a bit of TLC and to continue supporting one another in whatever way we can. It’s important to remember that we are all human, we have emotions, we have thoughts & we have reactions. There is no wrong or right way to process something so out of our control, but it is good to take a minute to step back, breathe and check in on ourselves.
Our immune system won’t be functioning at its best if we are losing sleep, reducing exercise frequency, or not fuelling our body as best we can. It is very important to still prioritise our overall health, in turn not only helping ourselves, but those around us too! All the hard work we have all put in to create healthy, active habits for ourselves can’t go out the window now. We have options to maintain what we have been working towards, although it may just look a little different now.
1. Keep your routine –
If you are someone that has a coffee and walk every morning before work, keep doing this. It might just be a coffee from home & a walk around the block instead!
If you are working from home, take your regular lunch break and switch off like you normally would. Keep your working hours as close to normal as possible and don’t let work follow you from the desk to the rest of the house!
If the kids are home, keep school routine as normal as possible with regular “recess” and “lunchtime” including a run around the backyard!
2. Maintain good hydration & diet habits –
- Prioritise fresh produce where you can. If you are lucky enough to still be able to buy what you would usually do so, we get the best out of ourselves if we fuel ourselves the best we can. Fresh fruit & veggies also has the added benefit of lots of important vitamins and minerals to support our immune system!
- Keep your water bottle topped up, and sipping away, just like you would if it was on your desk at work or school!
3. Have fun with your exercise program –
- Use different things you may have at home to replace what you can’t access at the gym (toddlers make great weights for squats I hear!)
- Keep it versatile whilst still working towards your overall health goals!
- Adapt activities to at home, or wide open public spaces
- Use the internet to access some great at home workouts if you’re feeling restless
4. Bedtime routine –
- Keep your bed for sleeping – don’t get tricked into working in the comfort of your pjs or watching endless movies while tucked up under the doona!
- If you feel like your mind is racing try some relaxation or mindfulness activities, colouring, reading or using apps like Smiling Mind, can be very beneficial to help us switch off at the end of the day
- Herbal teas, warm baths, and breathing exercises can also help us unwind to get a great night’s sleep!
5. Allied health are still here to help!
- Headaches, neck and back stiffness, muscle aches and pains and posture related strains are not disappearing from the world anytime soon & that is what we are here for!
- Talk to health professionals for advice on your home office set up, or any aches and pains you may be feeling with the shift of routine
- Continuing to manage ongoing conditions, as well as any new ones, is still okay!
- Progressing your home exercise program, or adapting it to get the best ongoing results at home is paramount to keeping us active & healthy in the long term.
If you feel like things are starting to pile up & you don’t know where to turn, please reach out to us at Bodylab Health. We are all here to help in whatever capacity we can, along with our regular services. Helping the community get the most out of life is our prority, and it’s so important, now more than ever!