Whether you were infected with Covid-19 or not, the pandemic has undoubtedly taken its toll on many of us. In fact, rates of depression and anxiety have increased throughout North America since the start of the pandemic.
No matter what the case is for your circumstances, it's hard to know how to get back to normal after a year and a half + of isolation. Luckily, there is a way forward. Let's talk about how to get back to life after coronavirus.
Get Better Sleep
Sleep is one of the most important factors to your health, so you should prioritize getting the right amount every night. Contrary to popular belief, there is no such thing as "making up for sleep" on the weekends or any other time. Once you lose it, it's gone.
If you've had poor sleeping habits throughout the pandemic, you could have even caused damage to your central nervous system, immune system, or other parts of your body.
Dangers of Poor Sleep
People who lack the proper amount of sleep over a long period of time face several health risks. They will be at a higher risk of obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, and other health complications. Those who regularly get under 6 hours of sleep every night are at an even higher risk.
Not to mention, this also affects your mood dramatically, even in the short term. Focusing on getting at least 8 hours of sleep every night will have several benefits to your overall health and mood. Mental health and mood disorders are common for people who regularly undersleep.
Benefits of Proper Sleep
Having good sleep reduces stress, reduces inflammation, and reduces your risk of getting sick. If you eat a healthy diet, exercise, and get the proper amount of sleep, that's your best defense against stress.
Stress has serious long-term and short-term effects, including headaches, lack of energy, increased rate of serious health complications, and more. Proper sleep for an average adult is between 7 hours and 9 hours every night. While that varies from person to person, you should be feeling well-rested and energized with the amount you receive.
Get Moving
Please don't skip over this section. Exercise is the most important tool for you to get healthy, feel better, and get back to normal. Adding it into your routine does not have to be rocket science, either.
Working out has never been easier, and even a little goes a long way. When you hear that you need 5 hours of exercise every week, it can be discouraging if you feel like you don't have a lot of time to spare. Don't think of it that way.
Exercise doesn't have to be broken into time frames or sets and reps. You don't have to stress about hitting a certain amount to reach your goals. If you miss one day at the gym, it's not the end of the world. Remember, a person who does one set of 15 push-ups every day is likely going to look and feel better than the person who does none.
Incorporating any amount of exercise into your routine is better than none, and you can always take it at your own pace. Start small, find what you enjoy doing, and work your way up.
One Size Does Not Fit All
To find what you enjoy, you could get a gym membership that has a lot to offer. Or, you could just try what you can at home and see if something works! Don't spend $2,000 on a rowing machine if you have no idea if you'll enjoy it.
Start out by running around your neighborhood. Not for you? You may like swimming, so get a gym membership with an indoor pool so you can enjoy it throughout the year. You may like lifting weights, so get a barbell or a gym membership and start lifting. If none of that sounds appealing, grab some friends and play a sport!
The options are endless. Go hiking, biking, skiing, rowing, kayaking, or whatever feels right to you. The only part that's important is consistency, so finding what you enjoy is crucial to your success. Try your best to make exercise fun.
Eat A Little Less, But More Often
You read that right, snackers! If you're the type who likes to eat big meals until you are full a couple of times a day, it may be time to switch that up. Try to start eating smaller amounts more frequently throughout the day to maximize your health benefits.
Diet is so important for your overall health and well-being, and it plays a huge role in establishing a routine to stick to. Try to make consistent times to eat throughout the day, around 5 times a day, and keep it light while really focusing on nutrition! If you've had the "Covid blues" for the past year and a half, it's time to bring some other colors to the table. Literally.
The easiest way to ensure that you're getting at least decent nutrition in your diet is by looking at the color of what's on your plate. Yes, candy comes in many colors, but we're talking about healthy foods.
Eat Healthy Foods
Eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables is essential for boosting your immune health, the proper functioning of all of your organs, and your brain health. Brain health plays a huge role in your mood as well as preventing or fighting off mental illnesses like depression. Focus on getting a wide variety of vegetables (especially greens) and berries. Blueberries are especially good for brain health because of their richness in antioxidants.
A lot of vegetables will also help you feel full throughout the day, as most are dense in nutrition but not in calories, allowing you to eat larger quantities. Other than produce, focus on getting a wide variety of nuts, seeds, whole grains, and other whole foods. Meat is fine but in moderation.
Try to incorporate eggs, almonds, leafy greens, berries, dark chocolate, whole grains, and other healthy foods into your regular diet. Keep your timing and your meal sizes consistent, but switch up your ingredients to maximize your nutritional intake.
Make Foods You'll Enjoy
This doesn't have to be too complicated. There are plenty of delicious and healthy foods out there. You just need to figure out how to add them to your diet in a way that you'll enjoy. The best news is that if you're having 5 meals a day, it's easy to experiment with new things and figure out what you like!
Remember that consistency is key and making healthy foods taste good is the only way you'll stick to it, so make it a priority! Look online for recipes for things you like. Love pizza? Look for healthier pizza recipe alternatives. Be sure to check out a healthy and delicious homemade yogurt recipe!
Try your best to make meals that you'll actually look forward to throughout the day. Stay on the outside of the grocery store as much as possible, and look for healthy recipes before you shop so you can get the right ingredients! Meal prepping is also a great way to help you stick to a diet, as you won't have to cook every meal.
Invest in Your Loved Ones
The best part about the pandemic slowing down is the ability to spend time with your loved ones again in person. If you're tired of seeing your parents hold their cameras too close to their faces over Zoom or FaceTime, then go visit them!
Make time every week to see the ones you love the most. You may have a partner or a loved one you've spent a lot of time with during the pandemic and you're still seeing them every day. Well, it's time to branch out, even if you're perfectly happy with just them.
Every week, make time to visit a friend or a relative and spend a little time with them. Investing in these relationships is more important now than it ever was before. Many of us are working on rebuilding our social bonds or even skills after a year or more of isolation. Take that first step and build them back up for yourself!
Be Thankful
In a time where we're recovering from so much isolation, many people will find it difficult to be thankful. However, there's a lot more that needs to be taken into perspective. If you made it through a pandemic that killed millions with good health, some level of financial security, and loved ones, there's already a lot to be thankful for.
Besides that, take a look at your opportunities. These will be different from person to person, but seriously consider what you have ahead of you now that the pandemic is slowing down. If you're young, if you're in good health, if you're nearing retirement, looking to have children, wanting to buy a house, or whatever step you're at in life, be grateful for the opportunities you still have.
If you feel like you're lacking in opportunities, now is the perfect time to look for some! Worried about your career? Look at some of the jobs of the future. Worried about your health? Start following the right diet and exercise program.
Also, be sure to express your gratitude to the ones in your life who deserve it. If there's somebody in your life who helped you get through the pandemic or that you're just uniquely thankful for, let them know!
Do The Most Important Thing First
Learning how to prioritize is one of the most important parts of getting back to a normal life. While people are readjusting to the pre-Covid world, improving their mental health, and finding new ways to live a normal life, being a "yes man" at work might not be the way to go.
Take a look at your own situation. Your situation with work, family, and where you are in life. Figure out where the majority of your energy needs to be put in and make it your first priority.
Do you need to get back into shape? Wake up early and hit the gym. Do you need to catch up on business? Spend a little extra time in the office and plan out your agenda. Looking to get back to financial stability? Learn how to stop wasting money. Whatever the situation is, tackle it head-on so you can focus on everything else.
Be Kind to All
Honestly, everybody needs some positivity in their lives right now. The news about Covid, the climate, and so much more are weighing us down during such a difficult period in history. The only thing we can do right now is to make the most of it and be kind to everybody we cross paths with.
Remember, what goes around comes around. The more positivity you put out into your community, the more you'll see in return. Everybody needs it right now, so give it a shot!
Get Back to Life
The most important part of getting back to life is to do what you were doing that made you happy. It seems like everybody had something ruined by the pandemic, so take the opportunity now to get it back! If the pandemic taught us one thing, it's the importance of health and financial security. Keep up with our latest news about the new normal, make sure that you're protected, and get a quote today!
