Every day we open eyes in a world that has become stranger to us. From our busy, chaotic routine, we are now surviving in a new normal. As much as we were despising our chaos, it kept us mentally sane as we were able to socialize. Our life turned upside down since the outbreak of this pandemic.
The stress of staying in one place, maintaining a distance, meeting no one, has taken a toll on everyone’s emotions and mental state. Accepting change is usually hard, but when that change has fear, it freaks us even more.
Being in stress is healthy; it is human nature. Knowing that we will not be living our lives as per usual routine might get on nerves. Some people love to socialize and mingle with people, some are happy in their own secluded personal space, and some will wait for the weekend to execute their plans. Since the outbreak of a pandemic, we all are confined in our homes, working from home, attending online meetings and classes, and above all, we do not have the liberty to enjoy those yummy foods we used to eat outside.
As much as we are bound to stay at home and are refraining from visits to hospitals, that does not mean that we cannot fall sick or need a doctor. It is wise to take all the precautionary measures to keep ourselves safe from contracting the virus. We all know some essential medicines that can be useful in treating fever. Physical pain can have multiple reasons, and many of us do not prefer to have regular painkillers for it. If we want to treat pain by a drug-free method, we can use a pain relief patch on the area of pain.
We are more likely to incline towards adopting unhealthy ways of eating as we are going through a stressful period, either feel it or not. Here a few strategies that can help you sustain a healthy lifestyle during the quarantine.
1. Set a routine
The human brain responds to set targets and deadlines. Our mind is like a machine that works on specific protocols and commands. While we were living our old standard, we had a set routine for everything. Our office timings had set, we had a fixed time for lunch and dinner, and our hangout time slot was also on the track. Now while practicing social distancing and working from home, our routines are mostly awry. Setting a method will help you stay active and keep your brain busy.
If you are working from home, try to fix a breather gap to move around for a few minutes. That will save your body from getting strain, and will not make you feel tiresome. Involve your kids in the kitchen activities, play board games, or set a story time where the whole family can sit and socialize. Having a routine also implies a proper sleep routine of at least seven to eight hours.
Staying Healthy in Quarantine
2. Keep a check on what you eat
Our standard practice is that when we are under stress, we consume self-soothing food, which is usually not healthy. We tend to crave for pizzas, sodas, chips, and many other cheesy baked items. Self-soothing food will curb our craving but will not have any effect on our immune system.
While we are bound to stay home to be safe from getting sick, it is better to include vegetable and fresh food in our diet. Having citrus fruits can boost our immunity. It is essential to take supplements that can provide vitamins and minerals such as vitamin C, zinc, and many others to keep our body healthy and active.
3. Move a little
Staying at home does not confine you to stay in one place, or spend the whole day sitting on your favorite couch. Many of us used to go to the gym for our fitness routines. You can still keep your muscles moving while being at home. All you need to do is to set a method for your home workout. That will keep your muscles toned and active, but it will also provide the much-needed oxygen to your body to keep it running along with enhancing your immune system.
4. Consume more liquids
No, we are not referring to cold drinks or sodas but the water here. Drinking more than enough water keeps our body’s hydration up to the mark. Water also helps in detoxification of the body by eliminating harmful toxins out. Our primary focus shall be building our immunity or at least keeping it healthy. Consuming green tea, broths, ginger tea, and a lot of water will help your body in natural ways to prepare to fight any harmful microorganism.
5. Cut down salt
It is very likely possible that we will stop getting fresh vegetables after a while. The second option will be frozen foods or canned foods. Keep in mind that frozen or canned food has more sodium quantity that you might need to reduce. Or, if you are using this food, then try not to add more salt. According to WHO, our daily intake of sodium shall not exceed 5 grams? Salty foods or salt retains the fluid or water in our body that can put a burden on our heart. The excessive water may lead to an increase in our blood pressure, the strain on the stomach or kidneys. The last thing we will want in this quarantine is to be in a hospital bed while dealing with COVID 19 infected patients.
Conclusion
Our body has its natural defense mechanism that we call as our immune system. Just like we need to eat healthy food for better health, similarly, specific vitamins or minerals favors our immunity. Quarantine or isolation lifestyle is the new normal where we all are physically maintaining a distance between us, fearing to be the carrier of virus or may get from someone. This quarantine world demands our immune system to be in function, but it also requires our mental health to be in check. It is normal to feel anxious or experience stress because the whole world is going through a change. We can try spending time with our family, indulge in healthy activities like board games, indoor sports, talk to each other, and share healthy food to stay healthy both physically and mentally.
