7 tips to stay well & sane at home!
With a whole lot of extra time spent being at home, this is a great opportunity to focus on things we can do to support our immune function and overall wellness. For tasty meal inspo, ideas to get you movin’ & groovin’, how to find a little zen in the crazy and some perspective on how to maintain some sort of normality during these uncertain times – read on!
Peruse our 7 tips to boost your immune system and avoid cabin fever while staying home…
1. Food glorious food
At the very heart of health and wellness is what we’re putting into our bodies, namely food! The first thing to ensure we are doing is eating nutrient-dense whole foods. Ben Warren of BePure points out the key is obtaining and absorbing as many essential nutrients as possible to support our bodies. What does this mean? Put simply – focus on fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables where possible (frozen is a good option too!), good quality fish, eggs, nuts and seeds, meat and whole grains. Eat your fruit and veges in abundance to promote vitality and health, while avoiding processed foods that come out of a packet. Giving your body what it needs to be fuelled and supported is especially important at the moment.
Need some foodie inspiration? We’ve collated a few of our favourite sources to get the taste buds tantalizing!
– Deliciously Ella (also has an app!)
– The Unbakery App
– Alex’s Kitchen Story
– Half Baked Harvest
– Reddit Recipes
– Thug Kitchen
– Ottolenghi
– Nadia Lim
– Be Pure Blog
It’s also okay to treat yourself too (it’s called soul food in our books). For some delicious baking inspiration to delight your self-isolation bubble, check out our 7 Easter treats to enjoy at home article.
2. Get your sweat on
One word – endorphins! Try and make space to move your body daily. Whether this be a stroll with your bubble (pooch included), a run around the block, squatting and lunging your way through an online workout class, flowing to an online yoga practice and hanging out in downward dog + happy baby, or simply just stretching it out. The benefits of getting your heart rate up and blood pumping should not be underestimated. Mental health and clarity (cya brain fog and heightened anxiety), supporting better sleep (crucial for your immune system and general sanity!) as well as the more obvious physical aspect (especially helpful with the level of accidents occurring at home), are all supported by simply moving our bodies. That’s a win-win in our books.
We’ve found some great resources online to help keep you movin’ and groovin’:
– Les Mills On Demand (something for everyone, you name it they’ll have it with 800+ workouts!)
– Yoga with Adriene (choose from a huge range of flows!)
– Nike Training Club (bit of everything, huge variety of varying workouts and durations).
– SALA – (bit of everything, also offering daily free classes at the moment on Instagram Live)
– Wild Pilates (as the name suggests – pilates)
– FITON (cardio, HIIT, strength, barre)
– Sweat with Kayla Itsines (HIIT based training and plenty of strength + core)
– Freeletics (bit of everything including some great challenges)
– 28 by Sam Wood (dynamic 28 minute workouts)
3. Routine
Humans are creatures of habit. With the change in our routines and level of uncertainty in the world right now, it’s natural to feel anxious and a little stir crazy at the very least. Keeping up some sort of routine helps the current climate feel a little more normal. Try coming up with what your new routine will look like and aim to stick to it during the week. Keep your routine flexible but consistent. We find writing lists to be helpful and if you’re working from home – scheduling breaks and ensuring you get some fresh air away from the screen is crucial.
4. Connection
One positive of spending more time at home is the opportunity to reconnect with your family or whomever is in your ‘bubble’. Be present with those you live with and spend time together that would often be stolen away running errands or sitting in traffic on your commute. Really focus on paying attention in your conversations, what’s right in front of you and hearing the other person. Likewise – now is also an excellent time to reach out to everyone special in your life outside your bubble. Schedule in some video calls to fill up your social cup and flex those laughing muscles!
Let’s not forget about the collective care of our local communities as well and all the wonderful connections to be found here. It’s never been more important to support the wellness of our communities. We’re all already doing our part by staying home. Reaching out to anyone you know of (perhaps a neighbour) who is elderly or immunocompromised and offering your help with collecting groceries, or even just offering up some time to chat and check in on them is an awesome start to further connect. We’re sure they’ll thank you for it even if they’ve got their bases covered. We also happen to think you’ll feel great for reaching out too! Staying connected to each other allows us to problem solve and navigate change to the best of our abilities – we’re in this together!
There’s a myriad of apps you can download to set up group calls with your friends, family or colleagues – perhaps even enjoying a wine or two ‘together’! Here’s a list of some of our favorites:
– Zoom
– Google Hangouts
– FaceTime
– House Party
5. Sleep
Not many of us function well when we’re not getting enough sleep, and neither do our immune systems apparently. According to the Sleep Foundation a recent study found a direct correlation between lack of quality sleep and compromised immunity. Prioritising a good night’s sleep is super important to lower your risk of getting sick (as well as remaining sane and human!).
Ben Warren of BePure, further explains that it’s while we’re sleeping that our body gets a chance to focus on restorative and regenerative practices – both metnally and immunologically. Getting those 8+ hours of sleep allows the body to do just that, effectively supporting our immune cells to function better!
6. De-stress + wind down
We’ve landed in an intense and stressful time which brings about feelings of anxiousness and uncertainty for many of us. Things can feel a little overwhelming with the level of change in both our personal lives and the world at large. It’s a lot! Luckily, there’s many practices we can hone in on. We want to bring the emotional brain and the thinking brain together to work in harmony and avoid the fight or flight response. Here’s some tips and ideas to help you wind down and calm the mind:
1. A calming morning routine. Include this in your day-to-day, such as a yoga flow followed by breakfast and some fresh air. For others it might simply be having some time to gaze out the window with a hot cup of tea in hand. Use this time before you get stuck into your tasks to help you meet the day from a calm space.
2. Meditate – an amazing invitation to turn inwards and reconnect with yourself. Try a guided meditation app such as headspace or Calm to get you started, then aim to include this as a daily non-negotiable practise.
3. Legs up the wall & diaphragmatic breathing – this is a super easy one to start implementing throughout the day or just before bed. Lying down and putting your legs up the wall (get in nice and close to the wall) and then focusing on some super deep breaths, activates your parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest), allowing your body to feel safe and instantly relax.
4. Run a bath. If you have a bath then by all means indulge in some you time! If you have essential oils on hand such as lavender or some epsom salts even better! Many of us have a fair few Christmas presents we’ve collected over the years that consist of bath bombs, lotions and gels – what better time to put them to use.
5. Get creative. Focus on being present and doing something that’s therapeutic for your nervous system and mind; such as painting, drawing or sculpting. We’re not aiming for a Picasso – just do whatever feels good.
7. Gratitude
It’s no secret that this is a challenging time, but there are some beautiful gems to be found amongst the chaos. Many of us have been given the opportunity to slow down, play, create, re-connect and reflect. The outside world is also getting a chance to replenish and restore. Let’s choose optimism as much as we can and remember we’re in this together!
We’d love to hear your tips for staying well! Let us know in the comments below.
Daydreaming about your next getaway? Plan ahead and find your ideal spot for some R&R!
