Our lives are almost already a year determined by this health pandemic. Restricted social contacts, restrictions on travelling and in some countries even restrictions on movement. Staying positive and making the most of your day is becoming harder and harder for a lot of people. Therefore I have listed my personal tips & tricks how to keep looking at the bright side.
Create a routine that works for YOU
Often these days you see people boosting on their social media channel how succesful they are and how good their routine is. Very good for them, and they have the right to be proud of it, but you should not compare yourself with them. If you are not a morning person, it makes no sense to put your alarm at 6AM just to be part of the ‘morning glow’ group nor to work out in the morning if it only makes you more tired and stressed.
Find out what works for you and stick to it. If that means you get up at 8, read for an hour and start your day, that’s fine. If you want to get up at 7 and get straight to business, that also good. Just look for a routine that is easy for you to stick to and gives you energy.
Go for walks
It has been scientifically proven that people who spent more time in nature have more;
– positive thoughts
– better immune system
– lower changes of contracting diseases such as obesitas, cardio vascular diseases, …(1)
Nowadays, we tend to spend more time inside. But instead we should be doing the opposite and try to go outside for a little walk whenever we have a break. So put away your phone and get in some outdoor movement.
When moody, shake your booty
Something that really works for me when I feel down, is putting on some happy music (in my case: reggaeton). Listening to music reduces your stress levels, improves mood and memory, eases pain, provides comfort and can improve exercise. (2) Because, let’s be honest, nobody can stay perfectly still when listening to some reggaeton (or whatever music you like).
Eat the rainbow
Those who are already following me for a longer period know that I am a HUUUUGE fan of eating the rainbow. I can not stress this enough, but eating a variety of fresh food and looking for vibrant colours really can increase your mood too.
If you choose to eat colourful foods, you are more likely to get in all the micro nutrients your body needs and a healthy body from the inside will automatically look brighter on the outside too.
Cheers to movement
If you feel down, try to do some exercises such as running, cycling, core, aerobic, … whatever you feel like. During your training, your body will create ‘happy’ hormones which will put you in a good mood. Therefore, after your sweat session, you will experience a more positive mood in the following hours. (3)
Moving your body frequently also increases your immune system and makes you an overall healthier person. Maybe not in the beginning, but after a while you will notice that your energy levels have risen significantly.
Be nice to yourself
Lastly, this is a difficult period and something we as humans have never encountered before. Therefore it is okay to feel bad sometimes and to have an ‘off day’. Be nice to yourself and treat yourself to a nice bouquet of flowers, a new (work out) outfit, some nice food, … whatever that makes you feel better. We got this, the worse is behind us and step by step we will be able to do more things and return back to our ‘normal’ life. You have already come from far, it is just the last kilometers to the finish. Just a couple more months, and then we can enjoy our ‘old’ life again.
Big hugs and kisses,
Lisa xo
Sources:
– White, M.P., Alcock, I., Grellier, J. et al. Spending at least 120 minutes a week in nature is associated with good health and wellbeing. Sci Rep9, 7730 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-44097-3
– Pfizer, 10 Health Benefits of Music, (August 30, 2017), Retrieved from https://www.gethealthystayhealthy.com/articles/10-health-benefits-of-music
– Suzanne G. Helfer, PhD, Jon D. Elhai, PhD, Andrew L. Geers, PhD, Affect and Exercise: Positive Affective Expectations Can Increase Post-Exercise Mood and Exercise Intentions, Annals of Behavioral Medicine, Volume 49, Issue 2, April 2015, Pages 269–279, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-014-9656-1
