COVID-19 outbreak still gives us a lot to absorb every day. Pandemic life is a concern these days. People are stuck inside their homes due to the lockdown. The limit in movement, physical interaction and loneliness have contributed to stress, insomnia and anxiety. Surviving in the pandemic requires a lot of effort, patience and determination. More than ever, it is imperative for all to know about various ways to lower and maintain stress. The stress during the Covid-19 outbreak can cause havoc to our physical, mental wellbeing.
Let’s check out few ways in which you can manage your stress.
Limit and filter your media consumption
An individual tends to stay a lot active on social media with a lot of free time in hand. Scrolling through posts, videos and reels can be a relaxing activity. However, exposure to few worrisome posts can impact toil the mental health.
Limit your exposure to news, breaking news around Coronavirus. These tend to create a sense of panic or discomfort that sooner or later turns into one of the major stressors. These can disturb your sleep, appetite, cause irritability or impact your concentration and focus.
Exercise and meditate regularly
Exercise is one of the best ways to cope up with any stress. During pandemic, you can indulge in various indoor workout or exercise. As per some studies, it’s concluded that exercise conduces to release endorphins, a chemical in the brain which improves an individual’s ability to sleep well. Other than that, regular exercise helps to boost immunity. Note: Strong immunity is the need of the hour to fight against the deadly COVID-19 virus. Try watching online exercise videos or prefer yoga, meditation as these activities will surely help you distract from your stress.
Connect with loved and dear ones virtually
Meeting in person is restricted due to social distancing and lockdown. However, there are various ways one can connect with others. Connect on video calls, text, chat etc. are new and free medium to interact. Staying in touch with family members not only improves relationships but also provides a positive impact on the mind. Make sure you spend time with family, interact with colleagues, friends as they will help you stay informed. You can share your worry with them instead of just bottling up your emotions of fear, anxiety, or sadness.
Take your me-time
The tough Covid-19 recalls for prioritising self-care. Take your ‘me time’ every day apart from tending your family and kids. Keeping aside some time for yourself and doing things you like can assist to overcome your stress and anxiety. Binge your favourite snack, doodle, yoga or watch your favourite series. These activities will keep you away from constant worrying and help reduce stress. It is the right time to get into creative writing or creative activities to spend time.
Fix your diet
Under stressful situations, overeating or unhealthy cravings arise. Emotional eating is a common phenomenon under stress. Unhealthy eating gets triggered by stress and, during this time, especially, coronavirus outbreak, stress is inevitable. Make sure you keep an adequate store of healthy snacks around you. Surround yourself with healthy snacks like fruits, nuts or protein bars. Additionally, keep your blood sugar levels stable as this will support you to stay in the right emotional state throughout the day. Furthermore, strengthen your immune system by adding some multivitamin or zinc supplements as per your doctor’s advice.
Take proper sleep
Sleep is the most crucial recommendation to cope up with stress during Covid-19. As you are constantly surrounded by news, social media updates, stressing or overthinking tends to occur. Stress or anxiety gets adverse with inadequate sleep. Hence, you must ensure you are taking the recommended amount of sleep. To improve sleep quality, you must avoid caffeine, alcohol, or nicotine before bed. These stimulants hinder sleep leaving you more worked up the next day.
Fine-tune your habits during this pandemic and stress less. Reduce your chances to contract coronavirus by following safety precautions and social distancing.
Less worry equals strong immunity! Stay healthy & happy!
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