Whether you’re beginning to get the urge to shake up your self-care routine, feeling unbalanced, or simply need a replacement for your studio yoga classes, your health is more important now than ever before. Here are some at-home ways you can stay on top of your health, ensuring your mind, body, and spirit are thoughtfully looked after.
1. Write in a journal
Writing in a journal will help you preserve your memories and allow you to process emotions and feelings about this time in your life. This year has been very stressful for some of us and also a blessing in ways we couldn’t imagine. Writing down your experiences in life is a great way to get clarity on how you feel.
2. Call that your friends and loved ones for a chat
There’s no time like the present to reconnect. Connecting with friends and family through phone calls and video chats is a means of self-care that can help you and your loved ones feel less alone or isolated in stressful situations. It can also help us feel happy, connected, and loved.
3. Learn a new language
Feel like you’ve lost your language abilities, or just want to learn the basics before visiting a new country when this is all over? There are free apps like Duolingo that offer language courses in any language you can think of.
4. At-home ways to move your body
During calls, stand up and pace, or stay seated and do leg lifts, knee lifts, and toe curls. Do standing push-ups against a wall. Take a short walk during lunch or in place of a coffee break. Set an alarm on your computer or phone to remind you to take an activity break.
5. Learn about your gut health
I recently ordered Thryve’s Gut Health Program and at-home kit. They send you the kit, and you collect your sample (super easy and not gross at all!) and send it back to them in a prepaid box. It analyzes your sample to treat the root cause of any symptoms you are having. Our gut is a source of most health issues if we aren’t in balance. The results come with a digital health report, customized probiotics, and personalized food plan. It was so helpful having an understanding of what foods irritate my system and how to fix my gut issues.
Adult Chocolate Probiotic Hearts
Price: $34
Gryph & Ivyrose
6. Do a spring clean
My home is my sanctuary and safe zone, so when I return to find it clean and clutter-free, my mind is more at peace. Spending time over the weekend to give your home a deep-clean can have a major effect on your anxiety because it takes away a potential element of stress that may be the final straw on a particularly high-stress day.
7. Discover your biological age
Index is an at-home test developed by Elysium Health. It tracks how fast you’ve been aging using the latest-generation technology in the science of epigenetics. My biological age was 37 and my chronological age is 41! I was happy to know how my lifestyle was affecting my aging process. You will get science-backed lifestyle recommendations you can use to adopt healthier habits and live longer.
8. Stay hydrated
Yes, you’ve all heard this before, but seriously go drink some water. Adequate water and fluid intake helps to keep your body strong and have the ability to fight off viruses and infection, but inevitable home distractions may get in the way of ensuring you’re drinking enough water. Ways to hydrate more:
-Drinking a glass of water before every meal
-Adding natural flavor to water through fruit infusion
-Utilizing a large reusable water bottle
9. Get plenty of sleep
Six to eight hours of quality sleep is a must. Establish a good wind-down routine. Try to use a white noise machine, take a hot shower or bath before bed, drink herbal teas, and eliminate any stressful activities or news before bed.
10. Practice meditation
Sit quietly by yourself for 5-10 minutes a day and focus on your breathing. Try this curated meditation playlist, or explore the free apps on your phone that can help guide you through a relaxing session.
Shop our health and wellness collection:
Erica Spiegelman is a wellness specialist, recovery counselor, and author of the new book The Rewired Life (2018) as well as Rewired: A Bold New Approach to Addiction & Recovery(2015), the Rewired Workbook (2017), the Rewired Coloring Book (2017), all published by Hatherleigh Press. Erica holds a bachelor’s degree in literature from the University of Arizona and is a California State Certified Drug and Alcohol Counselor (CADAC)-II from UCLA. For more information, visit Erica’s website or follow @Erica Spiegelman on Instagram.
The content provided in this article is provided for information purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice and consultation, including professional medical advice and consultation; it is provided with the understanding that Poosh, LLC (“Poosh”) is not engaged in the provision or rendering of medical advice or services. The opinions and content included in the article are the views of the author only, and Poosh does not endorse or recommend any such content or information, or any product or service mentioned in the article. You understand and agree that Poosh shall not be liable for any claim, loss, or damage arising out of the use of, or reliance upon any content or information in the article.
Up next, be the first to know our weekly content and sign up for our Poosh newsletter.