I’m finding there are two very distinct “camps” during this COVID-19 self-isolation thing. On one side, we have the Camp Be as Productive as Possible and then on the other, there is Camp Don’t Ever Get Out of Your Jammies. At this point, after 46 days (or whatever the heck it is now), I fall somewhere in the middle. My Type A personality hates to waste time, so I spent the first few weeks trying my darnedest to be uber productive, but then I spent the past two not wanting to do much of anything. This week, I’ve found a happy-medium. I’m never going to be an all-day jammie girl, but I also fully believe in the philosophy of everything in moderation and doing what works best for you.

Whether you’re in Camp A or Camp B, you still need to be thinking about wellness. It’s especially critical right now to pay attention to both physical and mental health. These are crazy times and there is so much we still just don’t know – regarding the virus and also how long these lifestyle restrictions are going to continue. I keep saying we need to focus on what we can control and after how ever many days it’s been for each of us, with no definitive end in sight, that’s more important than ever.  We need to keep our bodies functioning as optimally as possible, both so we can stay healthy while we wait for this to be over and also so we’re in a good state to enjoy life again when we don’t have all of these restrictions on us. Equally as important is making sure our minds stay healthy during all of this. As luck would have it, we have pretty much complete control over that! 

4 Simple Things

I’ll let you in on a little secret…this is not rocket science. We need to eat well, sleep well, keep our stress levels low and move our bodies. Even though it’s not complicated, it’s not necessarily easy to be (or stay!) motivated when we’re living in a perpetual snow-day mode. But these things have to be top priorities for all of us, particularly right now. Everyone is different and it’s impossible to guarantee anything 100% when it comes to health and wellness, but what I can guarantee is that focusing on these four simple things every single day will make you feel better. It will also provide your immune system with the support needed to fight things off when they come your way – something every single human on the planet needs right now. So, without further adieu…

1.  Eat Healthy Foods: I’m sure it’s no surprise that this is my top point of this list, but that’s because it is the easiest way to support your body and mind. Eating nutrient dense foods provides the body with essential vitamins and minerals it needs to function at an optimal level. Easy-peasy…you want to be healthy, you have to feed your body healthy stuff. Never underestimate the power that what you eat (or don’t eat) has on your health. Some excellent choices are berries, different colored veggies (especially the ones with the same color all the way through, like carrots and broccoli),  grass-fed, free range meat/poultry and a boat load of water. The more variety and colors you add to your diet, the more benefits you get.
2. Get Enough Sleep! I seriously can’t stress this enough. When you sleep, your body heals. As we sleep, our body performs so many functions that keep things running smoothly and gets ready for the next day. I truly don’t think folks realize how important it is to get 7-8 hours of sleep every single night. If you’re not getting that much sleep almost every night, you’re immune system is taking a huge hit. Make sleep a priority – figure out where your sleep routine is lacking and work on correcting it. A great place to start is going to bed 30 minutes earlier than you usually do. Set a timer on your phone or computer to remind you – don’t laugh, I’ve been doing it for years and it works like a charm. Just do it – it’s not like you’ll be missing out on anything right now!
3. Manage Your Stress: I think this one is the most challenging on this list. We all have stress in our lives and many of us struggled to keep it controlled before the pandemic found us. Now, with all of the restrictions we’re living under, the worry about the potential of getting sick, and added stress of home-schooling, working from home, and/or not working at all has greatly increased the stress load…not good for the mind and wreaks havoc on the immune system. There is a direct connection between the body’s stress response and the immune system, so the more effectively you deal with stress (keeping your parasympathetic nervous system activated and sympathetic nervous system in check!), the better it is for your health. Managing stress is a part of every protocol I do, regardless of a client’s situation and reason for coming to me. Practicing mindfulness and meditation is one of the most effective ways to help manage stress and this is a perfect time to get started! Check out this video from a friend of mine (an energy healer and meditation specialist!) for some tips about mindfulness, meditation and how to get started. It may seem a little daunting if you’ve never done it, but I promise it’s a very simple (yet effective) technique!
4. Move Your Body: The longer we continue to “enjoy” this perpetual snow day, the more important it is to make sure you’re getting some kind of physical exercise. Move it or lose it is a real thing and sitting on our butts for too many hours in a row, for too many days in a row, will lead to disaster. Besides weight gain, it will affect mobility – and then you won’t be able to dance in the street with all your neighbors when the restrictions are lifted! Besides the physical benefits of exercise, the mental benefits are invaluable for getting through this ordeal. If you want to work out hard, great, but it doesn’t have to be anything crazy – get out for a walk, do an online zumba or yoga class (this is my current favourite), or get out to do some gardening…whatever tickles your fancy, just move your body.  Besides getting your heart rate up daily, I also want to challenge everyone to be outside for at least 20 minutes, everyday (weather permitting, of course). The fresh air does wonders for the body and mind and with everything starting to bloom, it’s a perfect time to be out there watching as it all takes shape.