Staying Healthy During Stressful Times
In a time when it feels like so many things are out of our control, one thing we CAN try to control to the best of our ability, is our health behaviors. Here are some mental, physical, and immune-boosting tips that can help you feel your best during this challenging time.
1. Prioritize sleep. For some people, working from home means no longer having to rise early to race off to work. The morning rush of having to get kids out of the door for school has eased up with many of our kids still in remote learning. Rather than binge-watching Netflix until the wee hours (or watching the vote counts these past few days), take this as an opportunity to get some much-needed rest. Avoid watching the news or checking your phone for at least an hour before heading to bed, or use blue-light blocking screens or glasses before bed. Create a soothing bed-time routine for yourself and stick to the same routine every night. Go to bed at the same time every night and wake up at the same time every morning and aim for 7-9 hours of sleep each night. If, despite creating a soothing bedtime routine, making sure your room is cool, dark, and quiet, you still have trouble falling asleep, consider using an app like Headspace, Calm, or CBT-I Coach to help you fall asleep.
2. Get outside for some activity. This will do SO MUCH for your mental and physical health. Going for a walk or riding a bike not only increases your activity levels, which is important for your metabolic and joint health, but also is a great way to relieve stress and boost your emotional state, especially if you can get out into nature. The additional vitamin D you get from the sun will further boost your immune system and your mood. If you have joint pain or other barriers which prohibits you from going on longer walks, break it up into several shorter walks throughout the day. If the weather is not cooperating for outdoor activities, consider streaming workouts from one of the numerous exercise programs available on-line. Several of these programs are being offered for free right now, so take advantage to spice up your exercise routine! Or, just have a dance session in the middle of your kitchen (better draw those shades!).
3. Optimize your nutrition. While this may seem like the LAST thing many people want to do when they are facing emotional unrest, you’ll be surprised how much your nutrition can affect your immune system, your emotional state, and your overall health. Vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients, all of which you can get from eating the right foods, play a big role in your immune health and your emotional state. Aim for eating mostly whole foods that come straight from the land (or sea) such as vegetables, nuts and seeds meats, fish, eggs, low sugar fruits, healthy oils like avocado oil and olive oil, and minimally processed dairy. Stay hydrated with plenty of water or unsweet tea. Try to avoid foods that are processed, like chips, cookies, crackers, baked goods, pizza, candy, soda, and other sugar containing beverages such as juice, sweetened coffee creamers, and sweet tea. If you are trying to lose weight or improve your metabolic health, you may want to avoid foods that cause a rise in your fat-storage hormone, insulin, such as breads, cereal, pasta, rice, and the processed foods listed above. Take this as an opportunity to learn some new recipes and how to prepare these healthy, whole foods in a delicious way!
4. Focus on your emotional health.
Because this is an especially stressful time for many people, we need to pay extra attention to our mental health. While we may not be able to control many things that are happening in our world right now, what we CAN control is how we choose to respond to it. While it may be tempting to reach for a pint of ice cream or a bag of chips to deal with our emotions, let’s consider for a moment what we accomplish when we do this. Eating processed foods high in sugar, carbs, and fat temporarily boosts dopamine and serotonin levels in our brain, which makes us feel better when we eat these foods. However, this effect wears off quickly, and it does, we are left feeling worse than we did before. This can lead us down a slippery slope of continually eating unhealthy foods and feeling worse and worse.
Rather than turning to food, we can find other things we can do that cause a dopamine release in our brain, but ones that will actually leave us feeling BETTER afterwards. Figuring out what these activities are is a personal journey that is different for everyone, so take some time to figure out what this means for you. What makes you feel good? What are your hobbies? Do you have a creative outlet? For some people, it may be listening to music, reading a book, or calling a friend. For others it may be taking a walk, snuggling with their dog, or lighting a pleasant-smelling candle. Some may turn to prayer or meditation or taking a relaxing bath. Create a list of things you can do for self-care, instead of turning to food for comfort. Consider starting a daily meditation routine with an app like Headspace or Calm, or just do it on your own!
If you do end up indulging in less-than healthy foods, don’t beat yourself up about it. Just opt for a healthy option the next time you eat and give yourself some grace during these challenging times. Find some social support, practice gratitude, and together, we will get through this!
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