STAY POSITIVE AT HOME
‘Stay at Home’… STILL! Will we ever want to once this lockdown is totally lifted?
Right now, as everything is slightly lifting, then closing down again - none of us know what to expect from now week to the next. One thing remains true: the elderly are most vulnerable and still expected to stay-at-home to protect themselves (and the NHS). We’re an ageing population: in the UK, 12 million of us are aged over 65, 6 million over 75; and predicted to increase by 20% in 2030 (just 9 years away). But, while we’re still in the midst of socially distancing from friends, neighbours and loved ones - Tiers galore - use this time to focus on how we’re going to emerge.
How about calmer, healthier, more mindful and more positive? Here’s how to boost the immune system and stay strong.
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Eat colourfully
Eating as healthily as possible is important not only for your physical health, but your mental wellbeing too. A healthy diet has been proven to reduce our long-term risk of chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, auto-immune disorders and stress conditions such as agoraphobia and depression. So now more than ever, turn to brightly coloured vegetables and fruits that are complete foods when eaten raw, such as blueberries, blackberries and raspberries, cucumber, cabbages, carrots, and avocados. My rule of thumb is - ‘if it doesn’t have a bold colour in nature, don’t eat it’ - that immediately cancels out potatoes, rice, flour, sugar… so you’re already on a healthier course with a simple belief.
Get more colourf in your life with antioxidant fruit and vegetables (preferably more of the latter)
Personally, I would never suggest following a ‘diet’ per se: instead, simply avoid all processed foods as they tend to be high in sugar and additives that affect every healthy cell in the body. Eat foods that grow the way they look when you buy them. I mean right now isn’t a time to restrict yourself, but if you’re feeling low or anxious, adopting a healthier regime is a more positive, psychological step to take in self-care.
The best foods for positivity are:
Complex carbohydrates: found in fruit, vegetables and whole grains, as these slowly release energy, help stabilize our moods, providing vital nourishment to the brain.
B vitamins: found in dark green vegetables such as broccoli and spinach plus beans, bananas, eggs, fish & poultry. B’s help release happiness chemicals, serotonin and dopamine in the brain. A lack of B6, B12 and B9 is common in cases of stress and depression.
Prebiotics and probiotics: found in fermented foods like kefir, tempeh, kimchi and yoghurt are important for gut health, help to reduce inflammation, boost cognitive function and lift your mood.
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Exercise a little more
Exercise releases all those feel-good chemicals in the body such as endorphins and dopamine, that naturally make us feel good. More movement is also associated with better sleep, less anxiety, and better memory skills.
A moderate amount of movement for 30 minutes per day, is the ideal. However, sometimes a solid block of exercise may seem unachievable day-to-day, and quite quickly one loses heart. Also, it may be physically unachievable. Why not try short mini-sessions of 10-minutes. Try ten minutes in the morning, 10 in the afternoon, and 10 early in the evening (no later than 7 pm). This way the notion of beginning a new routine feels less overwhelming. Especially for the elderly, getting around around the garden, weeding, tidying, all expels energy and requires flexibility.
Getting outside lifts the spirits. Make that one friend someone you know is less able to get around & help them to get outdoors more.
Go online: for good company and inspiration
From Zoom to Facetime and IGTV, check out these new style online classes that have emerged as a result of Covid-19
Many ways to stimulate your body's circulation include walking up and down the stairs, bend and stretch loading the washing machine, do some sit-ups, push-ups against a wall, or shadow boxing while watching the TV. I use a vibration machine, affectionately called the ‘wobble board’ in our home, called Vibrapower. Great for all the family, this machine helps to stimulate muscle to brain activity: especially for anyone similar to me who may have difficulty exercising for long periods of time due to nerve damage, MS, Alzheimers or Dementia. But my husband is a huge fan too - more to come on this in a later story.
Many yoga, pilates, dance & fitness trainers have created online classes during the lockdown to help keep us active while safe at home, why not select your favourites now and focus on those so that you will want to continue it once this period of time is over. That way you are cultivating a positive outcome for yourself going forward.
London Pilates studio Exhale Pilates offers online classes with prices starting from £15.
Barry’s UK famed for it’s Bootcamp approach to push participants to the limit, physically and emotionally, now adds its intense workouts on Instagram Live.
Go Joe Wicks, who has inspired movement in every age group. #GOJO
Exercise company Move It or Lose It, which caters for older adults, is offering live workout sessions on its Facebook page.
Yoga and Pilates Studio Triyoga is currently offering online classes six days a week, Monday to Saturday, bookable through the studio’s website.
LV Yoga Fareham, in Portsmouth is live-streaming free classes on its Facebook page.
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Sleep Better
We so underestimate how essential sleep is to help our bodies, helping to repair cell damage, detoxify, boost brain power, and enhance memory skills. Research now shows that a lack of quality sleep (interrupted in less than six hours) may increase our risk of developing a long-term chronic disease including obesity, heart disease, diabetes, MS and depression.
Sleep is Your “Healing Time” - between 10 pm and 2 am is ideal.
Sleep is called your ‘healing time’ - the period of time between 10 pm and 2 am when every cell in the body repairs the onslaughts from the day. Aim to get between six to nine hours a night, preferably uninterrupted. Plus going to bed and waking at similar times every day creates a regular pattern of behaviour that can help create a positive mindset, and help you relax, as your body learns to anticipate sleep.
TOP TIP: If you find it hard to fall asleep due to worry, try to:
limit your consumption of alcohol, turn off the news before bed (especially during the coronavirus lockdown), and reduce your exposure to blue light on your phone at night, as the retina can disrupt sleep quality.
create a peaceful, calming bedtime routine: seek out calming aromas to infuse around your bedroom - lavender, geranium, sandalwood and rose; update your bathtime routine with aromatic additives. Try burins one of our pure aromatic candles or diffuse a little pure oil before bed.
Devote More Time to Relaxation
Take a breath. Embrace this pause. Fingers crossed it will never happen again - chances are this has taught us to be a little more modest, self-reliant and creative with our time. So what did you rarely make time for before that you’ve since enjoyed? Cooking, painting, writing, gardening, sewing, jam-making, puzzles, learning a new language, or learning to meditate perhaps? On reflection this has been the perfect time to be more creative with your time. Make these gifts your strengths in times of adversity, and consider what ‘time well spent’ truly means in your life.
… & Emotionally
Keep connecting however you can with loved ones. Don’t wait for the phone to ring or messages to be sent - start the connections yourself, as there will be others feeling the same. My son was poorly with the virus and in that time he felt buoyed up simply by checking in with old friends he’d lost contact with through email, text and Instagram, and it made him feel so positive. It’s also a time to work out which people in life truly do matter to you - that’s instinctive.
Stay well everyone - keep in touch x Jo