Self-Care During Isolation: Four Simple Health Changes to Feel Your Best

With so much of the nation still under some restrictions due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic there’s no denying how difficult it can be to find your new normal in the midst of all the chaos. Regardless of whether you or someone you know has been physically affected by the disease, people everywhere are taking preventative measures in response to this stressful situation. It’s important to continue to make your health a priority no matter what stage of re-opening your state is in.

The best way to do this? In the comfort of your own home.

Feel overwhelmed, alone, or restless at times? There are a couple of simple practices you can do to adjust and tend to your physical and emotional needs at-home. Just keep reading on to find out!

One – Spring Clean into Action

Despite all the unusual worldly events taking place, there is one thing most people can and will still continue to do during this time. That is, spring cleaning!

What better way to refresh and renew with a good seasonal clean? Not only is decluttering and reorganizing your personal space a proactive way to utilize your time at home. It’s also a sure-fire way to keep you and your loved ones health as a priority as you transition into the new season.

To take your spring cleaning one step further, consider developing a house-cleaning schedule to follow for the time being. Besides completing your seasonal chores, you can also determine which tasks you’d like to accomplish on a weekly, monthly, and annual basis. Remember, happy homes are healthy homes. So by creating a house-cleaning schedule, you’re more likely to maintain a sanitary space all while preserving you and your family’s well-being.

Two – Self-Care with Sustainable Skin-Care

Contrary to popular belief, stress affects more than just your mental health; it can also affect your physical health. The state of your skin, for example, is one of the many physical components that’s subject to change in response to high-stress levels. Oily skin, unwanted breakouts, eczema flare-ups—are just a few common ways your skin may react as you start to experience more stress. For this reason, it’s critical to establish a sustainable skin-care routine that better serves to meet the needs of your skin during this pandemic.

To do this, begin by evaluating your skin’s health. How has its appearance altered since news of the COVID outbreak? Are your concerns the same as they’ve always been? Using this information, you’ll then want to reassess your current skin-care products and update your daily regimen accordingly.

If you’re not quite sure which steps to take in order to achieve sustainable skin-care, don’t worry! Although access to in-person healthcare services and in-store products may be limited at this time, you can still seek guidance online by speaking to a tele-health provider, on sites like forhers.com. These convenient services will allow you to address your concerns with a certified dermatologist and find a treatment specialized for your unique complexion. For example, if you’re primarily focused on anti-aging skin-care, they can work with you to obtain knowledge on a suitable aging cream to treat your fine lines and wrinkles and deliver the product right to your door.

Three – Sweat Out the Stress for Your Mental and Physical Health

We’ve all heard it time and time again, but keeping active plays an essential role in both our health and happiness. Beyond supporting our immune system and promoting good cardiovascular health, regular exercise also releases “feel-good” chemicals known as endorphins that work to alleviate feelings of anxiety. That’s why now is the perfect time to focus on sweating out your stress with some form of exercise or physical activity.

Even though working out at home isn’t the same as hitting the gym or attending a class, it’s equally, if not more, important to stay active during this time. In general, you probably won’t be moving half as much as you used to. So make sure you get at least 15-30 minutes of physical activity every day. Whether that means practicing yoga in your backyard, going on a hike for some fresh air, or trying an at-home workout video, how you choose to sweat out your stress is entirely up to you!

Whatever activities you decide to do, just make sure that it’s something that you actually enjoy doing. But challenging enough to get your blood pumping. For more ideas on how to stay active at home, try out an at-home workout program!

Four – Stay in Touch

When you’re away from the world for a long while, it can feel pretty lonely at times, especially if you live at home by yourself. Luckily, because we live in the era of digitization, our technologies have made it easy for us to keep in touch with our friends, family, and co-workers throughout this period of self-isolation.

Between the creation of smartphones and social media apps alone, our ability to stay connected with other people and the outside world is seemingly effortless. So, next time you’re feeling lonesome and need a person to talk to, don’t hesitate to do just that! Your mental health is important, too.

Now is the perfect time to utilize your resources as areas slowly begin reopening. Try to reach out and catch up with someone you don’t get to communicate with regularly. In doing so, you’ll be able to find comfort in real-time and ultimately, strengthen your interpersonal relationships.

The Key Takeaway

Let’s face it: these past few months have been hard. But, at the end of the day, there are a few simple lifestyle changes you can make to embrace your new normal and improve your health. Don’t forget, life is what YOU make it, but it’s up to you to put in the work in order to look, feel, and live, your very best life!