We are all doing our best to contribute to the ongoing efforts of putting an end to the pandemic by maintaining social distance as well as ensuring the sanitization and cleanliness of ourselves and our surroundings. However, it is equally important to boost your mental and physical well-being at the same time!

Being cooped up in your own home for days at a time can get boring and tiresome but combine that with the added stress of making sure of not breaking any rules and taking precautionary steps where and when required can take a mental toll on anyone. The restrictions imposed by the government though may be for our safety, but it is our duty as responsible individuals to also take care of our mental health during this time. Our focus needs to shift from fear to tackling and helping ourselves and the people around us to stay positive and strong in all aspects.

Boost your immune system

Health lies in the strength of our immune system and hence it is vital to take steps to strengthen it in order to help your body fight off any kinds of illnesses. Various adjustments in your daily lifestyle as well as dietary improvements can help boost your body’s defenses to counter harmful viruses naturally. Replace junk food with whole plant foods such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds and pulses that contain abundant nutrients and antioxidants. Limit your sugar intake and make sure to stay hydrated throughout the day. Another factor to be taken into account is lack of sleep, which is highly associated to an increased risk of mental and physical sicknesses. Infants, children, teens & adults must at least get the minimum hours of sleep recommended by health professionals.

Do more of  what makes you happy

Often we get swept away in the fast-paced world of today, with our lifestyle revolving around jumping from one task to the other and then from one stressful situation to another. With our movements restricted, it is time for us to not only accept the physical break but to also focus on our mental well-being. To counter a stressful mindset, we need to start with focusing on things that matter most in our lives and make us happy, for example; spending time with our family playing games or taking up a family DIY project to keep all hands on deck at the same time making wonderful memories. Chatting or keeping in touch with friends and distant relations to maintain strong bonds while at the same time reassuring a sense of being there for each other. Playing with your pets is a huge stress relieving activity even recommended by experts. Exploring our hidden talents whether it may be creative arts, drawing, singing, dancing, playing musical instruments, cooking, etc. The main aim is to distract and relax our mind from the constant and repetitive cycle of stress caused by work, global issues and life in general.

Mental health while working from home

With the social distancing protocol now in place, our professional work as well as the stress that sometimes comes with it has shifted from the office to our homes. However, this does not mean that we cannot find ways to reduce or altogether eliminate the stressful environment, and what better time than now to put these regimes into play. Planning is a must in every situation as it helps keep your thoughts in order and the work in flow. There is ease in movement from one task to the next and best of all, planning helps in avoiding procrastination. When all the daily tasks are well planned with their own timings then any additional workload is much easily taken into stride. Focus is shifted from “what needs to be done” to “tasks finished, and goals achieved”.

Organizing is a process that goes hand in hand with planning, helping you declutter not only your work space at home, but also your thoughts and plan to action. Pick your favorite spot at home that gives you positive vibes and set up your work space there! Assigning a comfortable area set for all individual work-related documents, files, paperwork and equipment will help avoid the hassle and save time on searching for things when they are needed. Taking breaks in between tasks is not only essential for your mental well-being but will also help in gathering your thoughts and maintaining a cool head for improved decision making. Reading and sharing motivational quotes with your coworkers from time to time will help create rapport and motivate them as well as yourself to work harder.

Fitness and meditation

Fitness should begin from inside out, the focus taking a gradual transition from the mind to the body. A healthy mind directly reflects a healthy body. One of the most common forms of physical and mental well-being is through meditation. Meditation helps people control anxiety, promotes emotional health, enhances self-awareness, lengthens attention span, improves sleep and more. The reason why this is one of the most commonly used method of stress reduction is because of the ease in which it can be performed. No special equipment is needed, nor does it necessarily involve getting a membership at the local fitness studio, as meditative courses and support groups are widely available online. Furthermore, there are a variety of methods and styles that can be used depending on which suits who the most.

On the other hand, physical fitness can be achieved through a number of ways. With the fitness community steadily growing over the past decade, staying active and maintaining a healthy fitness regime has become a norm. The general public has shown a rising interest in wanting to have a healthy lifestyle with the demand in organic food produce and increased gym memberships on a consistent rise it would be no surprise that the market has welcomed this change happily, with fitness studios launching online courses for both at home meditation and a full body workout, to renting out their equipment while the public practices social distancing. So gear up and get ready to work out and stay active!

Keep in mind that there is always light at the end of the tunnel. It all starts with the mindset. Stay positive, safe and healthy. Good luck!