15 Habits You Should Do to Keep Yourself Healthy During Pandemic

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It has been more than a year since the COVID-19 pandemic brought the world to its knees. While we remember the nearly three million people we lost to the disease and pray for the more than 126 million still afflicted, it is up to us healthy and well to maintain our health. The Inspiring Journal provides you with plenty of motivation and inspirational stories to get you through this difficult time. You can also check out these 15 habits you should do to keep yourself healthy during the pandemic.

1. Wear a Mask Whenever You Need to Go Outside Your House

Infectious disease experts say that consumer-grade face masks offer a wide range of COVID-19 protection from 26.5% to 80.2%, with N95 face masks providing the most protection at 98.4%. While 26.5% seems minimal, it is still better than not wearing any mask at all.

Wearing a mask wherever you go outside your home not only protects you from possible infections. It also protects the people around you in case you already have an infection.

2. Observe Social Distancing When in Public Places

If you want to stay healthy during the pandemic, wearing a face mask is often not enough. Observing a 6-foot distance from people around you can improve your chances of not getting the virus. When combined with a reliable face mask, social distancing can reduce your likelihood of getting the infection. You and your family will never have to experience the burden of getting sick.

3. Be Mindful of Your Sneezes and Coughs

Even without the pandemic, being mindful of your coughs and sneezes always shows respect for others. Sneezing and coughing entail the forceful ejection of air from your mouth and nose. The air can harbor COVID-19 particles and get transmitted to other persons within range.

4. Do the Household Chores Manually

Since the best way to stay healthy during the pandemic is to stay at home, it would be best to increase your physical activities to maintain physical health and fitness. Ditch your electric appliances and do the household chores the old-fashioned way. Washing your clothes by hand will burn 382 calories, equivalent to walking for an hour at an average speed of 5 MPH.

5. Ditch the Coffee

Good-quality sleep is fundamental to optimum health and wellness. Unfortunately, your favorite morning coffee (although it may have some benefits) may not be a good way to cap your day. If you cannot ditch having it, make sure your breakfast coffee is your last for the day. Caffeine can have lingering effects that can affect your sleep come nighttime.

6. Stay Connected with Family and Friends, Virtually

Keep your sanity by staying connected with your family, friends, officemates, and acquaintances without leaving your home. Many digital platforms now offer video conferencing features that let you connect even with your long-lost high school buddies.

7. Order Healthy Foods and Have Them Delivered to Your Doorsteps

Just because you are staying at home does not mean you can already eat anything you want. Stress eating is at its highest during these times. Make a conscious effort to eat only fresh and healthy foods. If you cannot get them yourself, you can order online and have them delivered to your doorsteps.

8. Exercise at Least 15 Minutes Every Day

If you cannot ditch your machines in doing the household chores, make sure to exercise at least 15 minutes each day to keep your muscles from deteriorating. Exercise also improves blood flow and keeps you in tip-top shape. Push-ups, jumping jacks, and running in your backyard are doable.

9. Try Meditation

Meditation lets you take in the moment, whether it is your breathing or a thought. It helps increase your awareness and develop a healthy perspective about things. It can also relax you because you are training your mind to focus only on one thing. The best part about meditation is that it does not involve anything, only yourself.

10. Grow Vegetables in Your Backyard

Vegetables packed with antioxidants and dietary fiber are always a good addition to any meal. Growing them in your backyard instead of buying from the grocery can also give you a sense of fulfillment during the pandemic. You are not only nourishing your body. You are also cleansing your soul.

11. Always Wash and Sanitize Your Hands Before and After Any Activity

Make it a habit to perform handwashing and hand-sanitizing before and after any activity. It is your way of preventing the spread of germs. It is beneficial when you go out of your house during a pandemic. You will never know when the handrail you held onto was last disinfected.

12. Keep Your Social Media Posts ‘Social’

Go through your social media accounts and weed out any negative posts. If you are following people with so much negativity in your life, there is a good chance you will have the same outlook. Keep it social, cordial, and amiable. Words can also hurt people and strain your relationship with them.

13. Enjoy One Beautiful Moment Every Day

Finding inspiration amidst the growing pandemic-related frustration and desperation can keep your sanity and help you stay healthy. Beautiful moments do not have to be expensive. As you watch the birds perched on the trees or the butterflies fluttering from flower to flower, sitting by your garden is often enough to let you know the world is still a beautiful place despite the pandemic.

14. Take Care of Yourself

What is the sense of protecting yourself from COVID-19 when you cannot perform the most basic of self-care activities? Brushing your teeth, taking a bath, and grooming yourself are all self-care activities that should never go away during this difficult time.

15. Start Your Day with an Affirmation

Always begin your day with a positive statement or affirmation. It sets you up to have a more positive outlook, making you feel happy and content in your life. Make daily affirmations a habit and you can see improvements in your health, while the world tries to weather the pandemic.

The ongoing global pandemic is not a reason for you to be unhealthy. By observing any or all of these 15 helpful habits, you can stay healthy and keep your sanity at the same time.