Recent statistics are showing no signs of COVID-19 slowing down in the United States.
To be completely honest, we are the only ones to blame for the rapid and alarming rates at which this virus is spreading. We haven’t done a good enough job of taking care of ourselves and government officials haven’t done a good enough job enforcing rules and regulations to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
Hey, this isn’t just my opinion. The numbers are speaking for themselves, and they’re only showing that we are progressively getting worse at slowing the virus.
It doesn’t have to be that way, though. There are all things that we can do to stop this pandemic before it gets even worse than it already is. Any life taken is one too many. That’s why I want to share with you 7 ways to properly take care of yourself during this pandemic. I want you to be as safe, as healthy, and as happy as possible, and part of that means taking preventative measures now so that you can live a long and fruitful life.
7 Ways To Properly Take Care Of Yourself During This Pandemic
1. Stay Active
As hard as it may be, be sure to stay active. Staying active will strengthen your immune system, which will help your body to fight off any type of illness.
Not only that, but during a time in which we are often feeling distant from the world around us and incredibly uncertain of what the future might hold, staying active will also help to strengthen your mental health as well.
Do an at-home workout. Go for a 30-minute walk or run outside. Do yoga in your basement. Even lift heavy boxes in your garage. Be creative, but just make sure you are remaining active.
2. Ditch Social Media
I sound like a broken record with this, but I can’t begin to express how much happier I am since I ditched social media and removed Facebook and Twitter from my phone. Now, I did redownload Instagram, but I immediately unfollow anybody who is posting negativity.
Social media right now is flooded with negativity. We don’t need any of that in our lives – especially when we are already going through challenging times.
If you really want to make a difference in the world, put your money where your mouth is. Quit hiding behind a screen and actually be the difference you wish to see in the world.
3. Fuel Your Body Properly
Think of your body as a car and the food you put into your body as fuel. If you don’t put the right type of fuel into your car, your car isn’t going to perform to its’ potential.
The same thing goes for our bodies and the foods we put into it. If you want your body and mind to perform to the highest standard possible, start fueling it properly. This doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy yourself every so often, but just be cognizant of what you are putting into your body. Your body is your temple, so start treating it that way.
4. Make Sleep A Priority
Both your body and mind are experiencing a lot of changes right now. We have never had to be cooped up for this long.
One of the best things you can do for your body and mind is to give them time to rest and adjust to what is the new normal – at least what has been the new normal for the last 3 months and looks to be for the foreseeable future.
Regardless of the time you normally wake up, try to get to be a half-hour earlier or even an hour earlier. Give your body and mind the rest they need so that they can perform to the best of their ability. Strive for no less than 7-8 hours of sleep per night. If you are having a difficult time getting this amount, ask yourself what’s more important: sleep or Netflix?
5. Release Your Emotions
Hey, there’s nothing wrong with crying. If you feel like crying because of the amount of stress and anxiety this pandemic has caused in your life, then let your emotions out. Release them and get them off of your chest.
It does you absolutely ZERO good to keep your emotions bottled up inside of you. Take it from someone who held onto their emotions for years, it’s only going to drive you crazy and will put you at risk of developing mental health related illnesses later on in life.
Let yourself be human. Let yourself express how you are feeling. Let yourself cry and release the emotions you are feeling if that’s what your body and mind are telling you to do.
6. Limit How Much You Go Out
I am not saying to not go out, but limit how much you go out. Everybody needs to get out to feel part of a greater community and to have that sense of social interaction, but you don’t need to go walk up and down the aisles of Target for 4 hours a day and then go sit in a crowded area so you can talk with strangers you will never see again. That’s just not going to do you any good and it’s not going to help eliminate the challenges the world is experiencing today.
7. Wear A Mask
Is it your right to decide whether or not to wear a mask? Sure. Or at least for the time being.
But your decision to wear a mask shouldn’t be about your political views or what you define as your rights. It should be about showing courtesy to both yourself and to those around you.
Every time you go out in public without a mask, you are doing two things.
First, you are telling yourself that you don’t care about your own personal well-being. You are saying “Oh, well I don’t really care whether or not I get sick, so I’m not going to even bother taking preventative measures in the first place.”
Second, pardon my language, but you’re basically saying “Fuck you” to everybody else around you. Walking around without a mask tells others that you really don’t care about them and don’t care whether or not they potentially get a virus that has claimed the lives of more than 120,000 individuals just in the US alone.
What kind of message are you sending? How can you be making the world a better place if you aren’t doing the one and only thing we can all do to prevent the spread of Coronavirus? Get off of your high horse and quit being ignorant. Wear a mask!
Before You Go
Your body and mind are always going to be your most valuable assets. To get through each day, you need to do whatever you can do in order to keep both in good shape. Remember to cut yourself some slack and to go easier on yourself during these challenging and pressing times. Schedule time for yourself and make yourself your own number one priority. Your mind and body will thank you.
Michael Bonnell
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