How to manage stress during Coronavirus breakout?
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During the early part of the year 2020, the news of a novel coronavirus breakout in China was only getting passive interest from the rest of the world, especially on the heels of the WHO’s assurances that it was under containment. However, not long after, the world found itself battling with a pandemic of unprecedented proportions – at least since the Spanish flu of 1918 took the world by storm.
Nothing has been the same again; airports were shut and flights canceled, schools were abruptly closed and students sent home, offices and workplaces that were not considered as essential were all shuttered, and not even sporting activities were spared as competitions and tournaments were either postponed indefinitely or out-rightly canceled. The totality of all these happening almost at the same time sent the global community into bewilderment and the stress that followed was better imagined.
This article was penned down specifically to give you tips on how to cope with stress during this pandemic.
Aside from making you to feel better, home workout can even add to your life span.
Home workout help you feel better
Need to lift your spirit? For someone who has been indoors or within a limited area, the need to lift your emotion would likely rank tops on your priority and one of the best ways to achieve that is through home workout. Exercises or physical activity helps in stimulating diverse brain chemicals that could make you less anxious, happier, and more relaxed. Similarly, regular home workout would improve your physical appearance which could go a long way in boosting your confidence and self-esteem.
Make sure to follow healthy diet
What we eat on a daily basis will cumulatively affect our health positively or negatively. A new lifestyle of staying indoors for extensive periods of time could alter our eating habits considerably. Without discipline or making conscious efforts, some people may come out of the lockdown with increased or excess body fats due to overeating. However, with good nutrition in addition to home workout, you will not only maintain a healthy weight but equally reduce your chances of being afflicted with chronic health problems such as diabetes and heart disease among others.
The interesting thing about it all is that maintaining a healthy eating habit is not as difficult as it may seem at the onset. You can start by altering your daily habits piecemeal through the addition of at least one of the following in your diet every week as recommended by the indexofscience:
- Ensure that half of the food in your plate is made up of fruits and vegetables
- Ensure that at least half of the grains you eat are whole grains
- Drink only fat-free or at most, low-fat(1%) milk
- Drink more water and avoid sugary drinks
- Eat more of diverse lean protein foods
Take proper rest and sleep
The importance of enjoying proper rest and adequate sleep can’t be overemphasized if you are desirous of managing stress and living a healthy life. However, stress can have a huge impact on your rest and sleep patterns. When you’re stressed, there is a tendency that you will sleep less. This is because stress raises the cortisol level (hormone that regulates alertness and vigilance and also affects blood pressure and heart rate). Inadequate sleep will reduce your energy levels and also diminish your mental clarity.
Studies have shown that not having enough sleep can make one to be more sensitive and emotionally reactive to negative issues. On the other hand, having adequate sleep can make you to feel more relaxed.
You can enjoy improved sleep by meditating, being organized, being grateful, as well as exercising your mind by playing games like mind puzzle.
Avoid smoking, alcohol or other drugs to deal with your emotions
To really enjoy a stress-free life then you must avoid dangerous habits such as smoking, alcohol as well as other drugs. Indulging in these habits may give you temporary respite but at that moment but you will ultimately face the same issues once its effect wears out. In addition, they can cause some serious health challenges. Therefore, if you find yourself facing some issues you find threatening, it is best to confide in trusted ones or better still, seek professional help.
Connect with your friends and family
Some of the best moments that are always remembered are those spent with family and friends. When people spend quality time with those they love, they tend to loosen up and feel free while enjoying such moments; in return, their stress levels will drastically reduce. However, caution should be exercised as well when connecting with some friends or family members because some of them can have the opposite effect by bringing up certain issues you may not yet be ready to deal with, thus unwittingly adding to your stress.
Start playing indoor games
There is no better time to indulge in indoor games than now. Due to a busy work life, many people have little or no time at all for leisure activities. However, as many people are now at home with lots of time in their hands, now is the time to start playing some indoor games as a way of exercising, keeping busy, and socializing.
You can try your hands at games like basketball, table tennis, etc.