As the pandemic marches on, many of us are feeling a little run-down and worn out. However, it is more important than ever to prioritize your physical and mental well-being. Practicing self-care will help you get through this challenging time. From eating healthy to cleaning your home to getting good exercise, there are many things you can do to look and feel great as you ride out the pandemic.
Stick to a Healthy Diet
Eating clean, nutrient-packed food is a great way to boost your whole-body well-being and brighten up your features. For glowing, blemish-free skin, avoid saturated fats and foods that cause insulin levels to spike like candy and white bread. Instead, eat foods packed with antioxidants and skin-friendly nutrients. Leafy greens, berries, fatty fish, bone broth, avocados, seeds, nuts, whole grains, and legumes are excellent options. Take a look through your pantry for these ingredients and try to incorporate them into simple meals. For example, you can throw a few healthy pantry items together to create soups, stews, sandwiches, and other nutritious meals.
Maintain a Regular Exercise Routine
Sitting around most of the day is not conducive to good health. Unfortunately, this is exactly what many of us continue to do, especially when working from home. If you are feeling tired and groggy, a little exercise can be the pick-me-up you need. Burn through a quick bodyweight workout, sign up for a yoga class, or get out of the house for a run. You don't need to join a fitness center to benefit from a good workout. If you are struggling to get motivated, try treating yourself to a tangible reward after your workout, like a delicious smoothie or an episode of your favorite show.
Tidy Up Around the House
If you are still spending the bulk of your time at home, your house might feel a little stuffy. Cleaning, decluttering, and reorganizing will help infuse your home with refreshing new energy. Vacuum, dust, mop the floor, wipe the counters, and wash your bedding. While you are cleaning, open all of the windows and let fresh air flow through your home. Cleansing your home in this way will help you clear out negativity and inject some positive energy into your space.
Redecorate Your Home
All that tidying and reorganizing might leave you with new inspiration to change up your decor and the aesthetic of your space. Bold changes include painting rooms with vibrant colors or adding eye-catching wallpaper. You can also add statement pieces like an original work of art or a captivating crystal formation or geode. Fun throw pillows, accent lamps, window sheers and rugs can then tie everything together.
Change Your Career Trajectory
The pandemic has given all of us a new perspective on life. After switching to remote work or losing a job, many of us have had “aha” moments that have been the impetus to make career changes. With the world of e-commerce booming, many people have become home-based business owners, while others found a calling through their side hustles. If you feel compelled to make a change, there’s no time like the present. Got a business idea? Launch your own venture. Feel stalled in your current role? Prep your resume and start looking for something better. Or maybe it’s time to go back to school to pursue the business degree you’ve always wanted. Online courses make it easier to manage your personal and professional responsibilities without feeling stretched too thin. And in the end, you will be a more marketable and valuable job candidate.
Focus on Sleep Quality
Did you know that beauty sleep is a real thing? When we sleep, our bodies release growth hormones that encourage our hair to grow, our skin cells to regenerate, and our muscles to repair damage. The body also releases anti-inflammatory compounds during sleep, which help to combat the damage of sun exposure and pollutants on our skin. Getting too little sleep on a regular basis is robbing your body of this essential regenerative time, resulting in dark eye circles, skin dullness, wrinkles, and widespread inflammation.
Weathering the pandemic has not been easy on our mental or physical health, and if you are feeling burnt-out from the events of the past few years, adopting a self-care routine will lift your spirits and recharge your energy.
Bob Shannon created SeniorsMeet along with his wife, Mary. Their goal is to create an online meeting place for seniors like themselves who thrive on community. The site offers information and resources that are helpful to seniors as well as ways to keep in touch.