COVID-19 made an appearance in the United States in January, and life hasn’t been the same since. With states across the country closing schools, shutting down non-essential businesses, and issuing stay-at-home orders, it’s easy to start to feel stressed, anxious, and out of control. To help you through this time, we’ve compiled a list of seven tips to help you stay safe and sane in the midst of all the uncertainty.
1. Meditate Daily
If you haven’t had a daily meditation practice, this is a perfect time to start. Meditation helps you learn to recognize racing thoughts and focus your mind, which can be helpful for relieving stress, decreasing anxiety, and promoting feelings of calm and well-being.
2. Take Advantage of Home Workouts
Many states have opted to close gyms to follow the practices of social distancing, but that doesn’t mean you have to take up permanent residence on the couch. Check out websites and programs that offer online fitness classes. Whether you prefer to practice yoga or cardio is your king, you can find it on the internet. A personal favorite of ours is the Three Sages wellness app. Download it today for free from the app store using aponi20 as the code.
3. Focus on Healthy Eating
Excess sugar, salt, and caffeine can create inflammation that makes it harder for your immune system to do its job, and unhealthy eating can make anxiety and depression worse. During this time, focus on real food and plenty of fruits and vegetables for added nutrition.
4. Get Outside
Even if you’re under a stay-at-home order, you’re still allowed to go outside for exercise or recreation. This is the perfect time to tackle your to-do list for the exterior of your home or catch up on yard work, and you can even take a walk around the neighborhood as long as you stay away from others.
5. Leverage Virtual Conference for Personal Meetings
Zoom and other online conferencing platforms are winning the war on working from home right now, but you can also use these programs to connect with friends and family members who you can’t see in person. Many of these have free versions that are more than sufficient for casual use.
6. Focus on What You Can Control
There are many things and decisions that are in the hands of others right now, but that doesn’t mean you have to be a victim. Focusing on what you can control, such as your attitude, outlook, and daily actions can help you maintain a sense of normalcy and safety.
7. Wash Your Hands
The experts have said it again and again: Wash. Your. Hands. Hand sanitizer may be hard to come by unless you managed to stock up, but soap and water and a good scrubbing — make sure to get the backs, thumbs, and fingertips — work just as well.
