Stuck at home? Here are 6 effective tips to help you structure your day.
If you are able to––or when you are able to if it isn't quite time yet––try to slowly begin to get back to a normal (ha!) routine as much as possible given the circumstances. Our minds and bodies thrive off of routine and structure. It makes us feel secure, safe, and stable. Uncertainty causes large amounts of stress on us both physically and mentally. Humans are creatures of habit.
So, what can this routine look like moving forward?
Try to set up a daily schedule for yourself. Decide when you will get up and when you will go to bed and stick to it. Pick times to eat your meals and a time to work out and try to keep that rhythm from day-to-day. Write it down for yourself if you want. Set alarms to help you remember to stop and do certain things like eat lunch or take a walk outside. I just set alarms on our home Alexa for everything: meals, walks, workout time, etc.
Get back to planning your meals out ahead of time and to food prepping. Don't "wing it" and leave things up to chance––or to whatever your cravings may be in the moment. Get into MFP and structure your day (or even your week) out for yourself. If you are still dealing with emotional or stress-induced cravings. It is ok to indulge a little but give yourself a cutoff. I allowed myself to eat Cheez-its out of the box for 30 minutes and then I decided it was enough.
Set up a routine way of getting food for yourself. Whether that be regular, weekly trips to the grocery store, or switching things up to some alternate method like a delivery service or local CSA. Decide what your new means for grocery shopping will be and when you will be doing it. Carve time out to do it. We have to eat.
Find at-home workouts that will work for you and create some structure and routine around them. If you normally workout before or after work, try to keep to that schedule even though you may be doing it at home.
Start maintaining community as much as possible with the people you would normally interact with. Reach out to coworkers and friends. Set up weekly digital "happy hours" with your normal crew and family. Reach out to someone you haven't talked to in a while or who you know lives alone. Check-in on each other and stay connected. Humans need regular interaction for our mental health. If you’re a client, utilize the community within the Facebook group! We are all dealing with similar things right now. There are a lot of people in the BIN FB group and I bet you there is someone else out there that you can connect with. Reach out! Post! Comment! Just be goofy if you want.
Prioritize all the freaking nutrient-dense foods right now. I am serious. All the dang fresh produce and fruits and veggies. Vitamins and minerals keep us healthy, boost our immune system, and help ward off infection. There is no better time to step up your veggie game than right now. Just as we are all taking social distancing seriously, we should also be taking our overall health and nutrition seriously too and doing everything we can to maintain good health and strong immune systems right now....no matter how healthy we think we are already. Stay well friends <3
Written by: Diana, Nutrition Coach