Maintaining Health from Home STAYING HEALTHY FROM HOME By: Meggan Thompson
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OVID fatigue seems to be the new “buzzword” these days. For many, however, COVID fatigue is very real and avoiding it while ‘adulting’ proves to be more challenging each day. With the surge of the Omicron variant, many businesses and schools are returning to ‘Work From Home’. This means the New Normal to which we thought we were so eagerly returning, is once again a hopeful goal rather than a reality. The kitchen table is no longer available for meals; as computers have taken over. That quiet nook that hugged you as you finished that novel is now repurposed to…. ‘ew what is that’. It’s a lot to juggle and there are only so many “Death to 2021” type series you can watch. How then, does one stay sane? Here are a few tips to keep you healthy; mind, body and soul. Mental Health: It sounds cliché, but to optimize your mental health, the key is get the proper amount of rest and exercise. For most adults, that is 7-9 hours of sleep per night and 30 minutes of a consistent elevated heart rate four times weekly, according to betterhelp.com. When you don’t have the proper amount of rest, your stress response and digestive systems are negatively impacted. Likewise, lack of exercise limits your ability to sleep well..
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Physical Health: The Mayo Clinic reports that those who sit for eight or more hours per day had a risk of dying similar to those posed by obesity or smoking. As such, it is important to stand and stretch throughout the day. A best practice is to stand up for at least 15 minutes of every hour to help blood flow. While seated, try to keep your back straight and elbows close to your body. Your hips should be angled between 90 -120 degrees with your feet flat on the floor. You can also do stretches periodically in your chair. YouTube is a great resource for 5-minute stretch sessions. Nutritional Health: Didn’t your mother tell you to eat your vegetables? Well as the saying goes, mother knows best. More than 40 food nutrients can be organized into 7 categories: carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber and water. “How Not to Die” by Michael Greger M.D. is a book specifying how each food fits into these categories. High nutritional value foods, such as vegetables, often fill multiple categories, while remaining low in calories, giving you long-lasting energy. According to HelpGuide.org, “Giving to others can also help protect your mental and physical health. It can reduce stress, combat depression, keep you mentally stimulated, and provide a sense of purpose.”
