It's been a little over a year since the Covid pandemic forced us to stay home. Many struggled with the idea of being trapped indoors for months, in a place, many of us rarely saw before the crisis.
Yet here we are, stronger than ever and taking on some of the biggest challenges like finishing projects you never found the time for before or taking care of your health.
Getting into shape is one of my biggest goals and has been since the start of the pandemic. But there was a time where I really struggled with my health goal because of my ADHD and lack of motivation. I knew I needed to make some changes if I wanted to get fit.
Changes that included:
Getting More Sleep - Before the covid crisis, I was under constant stress. I worried more than I usually did and found myself getting less and less sleep. My mind wouldn't stop processing every little worry even at bedtime.
But lack of sleep can lead to some serious health concerns. Sleep deprivation can even cause death. As I have grown older, I've discovered my body needs more sleep or I struggle with my daily goals for work. I don't focus as it is with ADHD, add not getting much sleep to that and my focus is out the door.
Because I started focusing on my health once I found myself staying home, I made sleep a priority. I took naps every chance I could and made my bedtime on time. And you know what? I also found my stress level going down! All of that much-needed rest was healing my body in ways I had never really thought were even possible.
Becoming Fit - As I have grown older, my body has pointed out or rather acknowledged with pain, that I'm not getting any younger. Since the pandemic, I started working out on my home gym any time I found myself in a work slump and as a routine way to get fit. But I also discovered that staying at home can harm your health because we are constantly sitting. Most of us don't even get dressed for the day, so why bother to do anything that doesn't feel like lounging, right?
Actually, sitting for long periods of time can lead to a slew of health issues including obesity. You don't have to start your fitness routine with a jog around the park. You could do something as simple as taking a walk around the block. You could even take it one step further by tracking your progress using a pedometer app. Some phones even come already installed with one.
Taking a Break - This challenge is extremely difficult for me, and I know I am not alone, but is crucial for us all. If we are always on the go, busy with work and life, we won't be as productive as we can be. We won't be able to give it all we have got.
We need to take a break and recharge. Whether it's a 15-minute break at work or a weekend vacation somewhere, we need to give ourselves that time to just relax and forget about everything else.
Once you are recharged and ready to face the world once again, you will discover that your productivity is on the rise and better than ever. So now is the time to pencil in that time off for yourself and start making plans on how you will enjoy it.
In the meantime, start focusing on those other challenges to help keep your health in check. Or start a challenge of your own.
Adjusting the way you see the calm before the storm in our busy lives can make your stress a little easier to handle, but you will never escape it completely.
There will come a point and time when our lives will become stressful enough that we may need to see and handle it a different way. But until that day comes, we should continue to focus on the things that we can do to improve our health whether it's sleeping in more often, getting more workouts in, or planning your next fun-filled backyard adventure, now is the time.
