No one wants to feel dull, depressed and tired. Having said that, life can be a real marathon, with many curved balls coming our way. The COVID-19 crisis has also preyed upon the mental health of many, particularly if they were already struggling. Before the pandemic, most people could go out whenever they wanted for leisure, work or exercise. But what can people do during the lockdown?
Wouldn’t it be great if when it’s all over, people re-emerged into a normal life fitter, stronger and more positive? Let’s have a look at some ways to make this happen.
Use health supplements
Our bodies need vitamins A to E, calcium, iron and so on. We’ll discuss our diets shortly, but if we eat plenty of the right things we may not need to use supplements. Having said that, people with wheat, gluten and dairy allergies may not be able to provide their bodies with what they need without some extra help.
The internet is great for providing sites on the subject of health supplements. Anyone who chooses to visit this website will notice that the professionals often include reviews alongside product listings. People may not have heard of green coffee bean supplements, but they can use them to lose weight and lower their blood pressure. Fibre supplements can be helpful in making up for high carb, low fibre diets, and even prevent constipation.
Drink plenty of water
This seems so basic and yet it is essential for our physical health. Our bodies need to stay hydrated. Makeup users will be encouraged to learn that water intakes assist with moisturising our skin.
Soda drinks are consumed on a massive scale every day. Artificial sweeteners and flavours go into our bodies as a result. Anyone wanting to improve their health could consider a water only diet. Coffee contains caffeine which is a stimulant, and if we have milk with it, we are increasing our calorie intake.
Water ionisers are a great purchase because they enable everyone at home to drink cleaner and healthier water.
Choose a healthy diet
It’s important to be strategic and ensure we regularly take in fresh fruit, whole grains, beans, seeds and nuts.
High fibre vegetables have been described by the CDC as ‘powerhouse foods’. Two examples are broccoli and sprouts. People who eat high fibre breakfasts are going to have energy levels that will be sustained until lunchtime.
Keep a disciplined sleep routine
Whilst one-off insomnia is manageable, it can be debilitating when people experience sustained sleep trouble.
Here are some enemies of sleep:
- Working and sleeping in the same room.
- Using a computer, tablet or phone an hour before bedtime (The light emission sends messages to our brains that reduce the production of our sleep hormones).
- Coffee contains the stimulant ‘caffeine’. It’s unwise to drink it from early evening onwards, or we may feel too awake later on.
- Alcohol can knock people out at bedtime but the chemicals interact with our bodies and can result in poorer sleep as the night goes on.
Use quality makeup
As with all things, we get what we pay for. Cheap makeup will contain cheap contents. These can provoke peoples’ skin if they have allergies. As a general rule, more expensive makeup is more likely to be plant based. These more natural ingredients will be kinder to the skin, and less likely to take their toll over time.
More pricey makeup may also include an element of moisturiser, which is great for keeping the skin fresh. Cheap makeup may come in a limited number of shades, but anyone who wants to look good will want to have a product that matches their skin colour perfectly. More expensive products usually provide more choice in this area.
Daily exercise
Even people housebound or kept in a lockdown can find ways to keep fit each day. Why not go up and down the stairs several times, and call these step exercises?
It doesn’t matter what exercise is undertaken, as long as the heart speed increases for thirty minutes a day, five times a week.
Pursue positivity
Whilst physical things such as poor diet or lack of exercise can have an adverse effect on our emotions, there is real truth in the phrase ‘mind over matter’.
Gratitude journals are becoming increasingly popular, and rightly so. They are a great way of enabling people to daily look for the positives in their lives. Ok, so the boss is rude. But are you healthy, do you have lovely kids and do you enjoy your hobbies? Write it down. Some people will ignore the one bad conversation during a party, and store up happy memories; another will go home and write off the whole event as a result. This is never good for our mental health.
Anyone who is ‘really going through it’ may feel like they are sleeping on a bed of nails. They can’t rest and relax because of all that’s happening. A sense of gratitude enables people to sink into contentment and peace, even when not everything is perfect.
Practice mindfulness
This is another great stress buster. People will benefit if they are not at the mercy of every random thought that comes their way. Instead of reacting to these thoughts, people are encouraged to merely observe them like clouds as they pass by.
Mindfulness meditation is not a specifically religious practice but is designed to draw us back to the present moment rather than the regrets of the past or the worries of the future. The philosophy is that ‘all you have is now’. A ten-minute mindfulness meditation during the day and evening can help people feel more at peace.
This is good neuroscience too, as we are not our thoughts. We can choose to accept or reject them. Our minds are ‘plastic’ too, in that they can be rewired to think more positively.
There are many more options a person can consider, but if they get their lifestyle sorted and use the right makeup, they will look and feel better in no time. Each of these things are not an end in themselves; they are an investment into our happiness and health, both now and going forward.
