Over the past few months, Covid-19 has had a direct effect on everybody in our world. It has reminded us that we are all connected and something that affects one person can have an effect on another. It has reminded us that regardless of culture, occupation, and financial status, this disease treats us all equally. Finally, it has reminded us how valuable our health is. Now, more than ever, we need to find healthy strategies to help us maintain both our physical and mental health. Below are some approaches you can implement into your daily schedule to live a happier and healthier lifestyle. 

• Find New Hobbies: Have you ever caught yourself using the excuse “I would if I had more time,” for not doing something? Well, now we have that time. We can’t dine at our favorite restaurant and we probably won’t see that week at the beach. Now is the time to get comfortable being uncomfortable. Never in our lives have we had this much time to try new things and experiment with new hobbies. Push yourself out of your comfort zone and try different activities that you believe you could be passionate about. Whether it be reading, painting, trying a new sport, or cooking; create a ritual that you look forward to everyday. 

• Get Outside: Get out and enjoy the beautiful weather when you can! Vitamin D is essential in immune response and helps fight different diseases. Vitamin D has also shown that it plays a vital role in regulating mood and rebutting depression. Decreased sun exposure can lead to a drop in your serotonin levels, which could ultimately lead to depression. With this in mind, maintain social distancing and go enjoy time outside with friends, family, or individually. But don’t forget the sunscreen. Dr. Andy, Connected Health’s concierge PCP, encourages the use of no less than SPF 30 broad spectrum sunscreen when heading outside.

• Maintain a Healthy Sleep Routine: Sleep is essential to our physical and mental health and this is especially true in the face of the Coronavirus pandemic. Make sure you are practicing good sleep hygiene nightly. Maintain a regular sleep-wake schedule, establish a soothing pre-sleep routine – don’t nap too close to bedtime, and avoid caffeine and other chemicals that interfere with sleep. Connected Health’s registered dietitian, Lauri Lang, suggests guided meditation for winding down before bedtime.

• Stay Active: There are many gyms across America that remain closed or have limited hours but there’s no reason we can’t bring some of these same exercises into our homes or apartments. Connected Health even offers virtual personal training sessions. Whether it be push-ups, sit-ups, squats, leg raises, or simply going for a walk around the neighborhood, 30 minutes of exercise per day will lead to a happier lifestyle both physically and mentally.

• Stay Connected: Over these past four months, zoom has taken the world by storm. Let’s continue to take advantage of this technology and stay connected with those friends and family that this pandemic has kept us from seeing. Schedule virtual happy hours, brunches, game nights, and check in on the people that you care about. Also, reach out for support if isolation is beginning to wear on you.

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