Lyndsay Fogarty
Courtesy of FirstService Residential
In times of stress, it’s more important than ever to consider the advice below to keep on top of your health.
If you are feeling stress due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to take steps to protect your physical, mental and emotional health. Here are some health and wellness tips that can help reduce stress and preserve your wellbeing:
Physical Health
Sleep is not considered a physical exercise, but it is very important for your physical and mental recovery.
Your brain needs sleep, so you can:
• Remember what you learn
• Pay attention and concentrate
• Solve problems and think of new ideas
Your body needs sleep, so your:
• Muscles, bones and skin can grow
• Muscles, skin and other parts can fix injuries
• The body can stay healthy and fight sickness
When you get enough sleep you can:
• Be creative and think of new ideas
• Fight sickness and stay healthy
• Be in a good mood
• Get along with friends and family
• Solve problems better
Need more ideas to improve your sleep? Read Twelve Simple Tips to Improve Your Sleep from the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School.
Mental Health
Engage in mindful awareness practices. When we experience stress or pressure, we may find our minds “racing,” often with unhelpful thoughts. These thoughts can lead to more behaviors of stress and create a loop of negative thoughts, behaviors and actions. Try the following to practice mindfulness:
1. Sit quietly.
2. Allow the body to breathe deeply.
3. Return your mind to the present moment.
4. Repeat this daily for 10 to 15 minutes.
For guided mindfulness practices, check out Headspace, Calm, or download the free Insight Timer app.
Emotional Health
Consider practicing meditation, which is clinically proven to be helpful for dealing with a variety of stressors, particularly emotional stress. Meditation allows you to take a break from dwelling on the things that stress you out by actively redirecting your thoughts. It can help you practice in choosing your thoughts, rather than letting worry take over, which can help eliminate some emotional stress in the long term. Try a few meditation techniques today.
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