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Taking care of your health is critical while staying at home during the Covid-19 pandemic. It is easy for family responsibilities, work commitments and more to get in the way of self-care. Self-care can include many different practices that promote your spiritual, physical, emotional and mental health in some way. They can include good nutrition, leisure activities, exercise and seeking professional healthcare services when necessary.
Prioritize sleep
When it comes to taking care of your health, good quality sleep is part of the answer. Sleep keeps your immune system operating at its best to fight off infections. The brain needs quality sleep to function optimally and without it, you will be moody, irritable and make poor decisions.
If you find that you simply can’t get a good night of sleep, it is important to get medical attention. If you’re looking for a Palo Alto home doctor and you don’t want to leave your home, you can contact Concierge MD, Sutter Health or Stanford Healthcare. These services offer on-demand house calls that can help determine the cause of your sleep troubles.
Stay active
While working remotely, you may move less than usual because you go straight from your bedroom and into your working area, where you may sit at your computer all day. Staying active is important if you want your body to be physically healthy and reduce your risk of developing chronic health conditions.
Exercise releases endorphins, the “feel-good” hormones that improve your mood. It also improves your focus and energy levels and helps you to sleep better. It may be the perfect time to try out a new online fitness class. There are so many different types of exercise you can do in your own home, thanks to videos on YouTube and fitness apps. There are many workouts that last from 10 minutes to an hour to suit people of all activity levels.
Take care of your mental health
You may be so concerned about your physical health that you forget to take care of your mental health. The uncertainty and changes to routine caused by the pandemic may have given your mental health a knock. This is why it is so important to take measures to stay calm and focused. Clinical studies have found that people who journal about what they’re grateful for every day report better mental health.
Learning to relax and be mindful may incorporate doing some yoga, learning deep breathing exercises or listening to meditative music, like sounds of the ocean. If meditation isn’t for you, even doing small everyday activities in a mindful way can help – for example, decluttering mindfully for 10 minutes a day can improve your state of mind.
Don’t snack mindlessly
It is easy to get into the habit of mindless snacking when the refrigerator is so close. Before you know it, you may find you have picked up weight.
Rather than creating a whole list of snacks that are off-limits, try to eat more intuitively and give your body what it needs when it needs it. Keeping high protein snacks on hand like nuts, eggs, and Greek yogurt can help you to feel full for longer and avoid the crash that occurs after the initial high of a high carb snack.
Eat a well-balanced diet
If you eat a well-balanced diet, you tend to have a stronger immune system and lower the risk of chronic diseases. Eat a variety of fresh foods like fruit, veggies, nuts and whole grains every day to give your body the protein, minerals, vitamins, fiber, and antioxidants it needs. Consuming enough fiber contributes to a healthy digestive system.
Minimize sugar, salt and fat to lower your risks of obesity, heart disease, and other health issues. Unsaturated fats such as those found in avocados, fish, nuts and olive oil can be healthy for you. Try to limit saturated fats found in processed foods.
Drink enough liquids every day
Water is essential to transport nutrients in your blood, regulate your body temperature, get rid of waste, and lubricate your joints. If you don’t drink enough water, you may become dehydrated, and this can cause unclear thinking, mood changes, kidney stones, constipation, and other issues.
If the taste of plain water isn’t for you, adding some lemon or drinking herbal teas can also help you to get enough water every day. Try not to drink too much coffee due to the caffeine content, and avoid drinks that contain a lot of artificially-added sugar.
Conclusion
Taking care of all aspects of your health is extremely important, especially during unusual and disruptive times like the pandemic. Eat well, drink enough sleep well, keep moving and handle your stress if you want to make sure your immune system stays strong.
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