When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Photo by Maximiliano Carrizo from Pexels
Have you ever wished you could get healthier - improve your diet and exercise more - but life just seems to get in the way? You know, work gets crazy so there is no time to work out OR you have to go out to lunch with colleagues OR there is free food sitting out by the printer OR you have to go out to dinner with clients OR you are traveling and can't control the food you get OR you can't figure out how to get ready for work at the gym?
Look, this coronavirus pandemic is horrible so you might as well squeeze some lemonade out of it. For those of us that are "sheltering in place" or spending an extended amount of time at home, it's the perfect time (even better than the start of the new year) to kick start your habits and come up with the sparkly new improved you. Sure, you're catching up on your favorite shows, doing puzzles and becoming the social media queen, but why don't you invest the commuting time you are saving into the habits you have wanted to make a regular part of your life? It can be the foundation for a better future than you imagined.
Things to do with a few weeks at home:
- Eat healthier and start your food log
- Support our farmers - there is a lot of fresh produce. Cooking at home is healthier than eating out. Take this opportunity to improve your cooking skills!
- It's easier to eat healthier when you have a baseline of what you eat. You can improve on it, and a food log provides accountability. Go ahead and start here.
- Snack mindfully. Make your own Mindful Mix.
- Get into a regular exercise routine. The gym isn't open, but you have sneakers, right?
- The Peloton app currently has a 3 month free trial. Even if you don't have a Peloton bike, there are classes for yoga, meditation, strength, stretch and outdoor walking/running.
- The Down Dog yoga app also has a free trial until May.
- Browse our exercise archive for more ideas.
- Start meditating regularly. Set aside 5, 10, 15 or more minutes. You don't need a guide, but if you prefer one, there are also apps for that. Some apps are Calm, Head Space and Breathe. The Peloton app (free right now) also has meditation.
- Learn something new. Dust off your instrument or paint brushes. Take a free class (450 free Ivy League classes are here). More ideas to feed your brain here!
That's it. It's a pretty short list, but the benefits are massive. Remember, you don't need to be perfect and do these all the time. You just want to be consistent and do them regularly.
