Love Yourself Enough To Live A Healthy Lifestyle

Self love isn't just about loving who you are. It's about taking care of the only vessel you have to enjoy this life. How will you decide today to love yourself as much as you can? As things continue to evolve with COVID-19, it's important to stay updated on the news, but it's equally important to make a break from it. Engaging in non stop news updates about the pandemic can lead to anxiety. Below are my suggestions for staying healthy as we navigate this new normal of staying at home. Exercise everyday. The gyms are closed, but we can go outside for a walk, bike ride or a run. Do push-ups in your living room, watch one of the excellent workouts readily available on YouTube. If you have a Concept2 ergometer or treadmill, put it to good use. Prepare healthy food. As much as possible, watch what you're putting into your body. Healthy food = healthy immune system and a healthy mind. Treating yourself every once in a while is also important. Take care of yourself. Ask yourself at least once a day: what do I need right now? Sometimes, it can be as small as talking to a friend, a ten-minute fresh air break, or a healthy snack. The more you ask yourself what you need, the less overwhelmed you'll feel and the more likely you'll engage in simple actions that make a huge difference in your life and mental health. Create a schedule. This can be hard because we are creatures of habit and often like "going with the flow." However, it's necessary for the sake of productivity and feelings of satisfaction to have structure to your day. Here's the structure I'm currently using: 5 am - rise, meditate 6 am - read 7 am - play with my son 8 am - get on the erg for :60 minutes pull 9:30 am - get dressed and begin work 12 pm - lunch 1 pm - one hour bike ride 2 pm - work 5 pm - 1 hour bike ride with my son 6 pm - dinner 7 pm - read 9 pm - lights out Connect with people. Ironically, while we are social distancing, we need to connect with each other and show compassion more than ever before. Pick up the phone and call someone you haven't spoken to for months. Check on a friend or neighbor you know is a worrier. Call your parents. Feed you soul. Yoga, journaling, time in nature, creative work, ideas for new business, concepts for things that have not been done or whatever you love doing. These are all food for the soul. Don't let your soul go hungry. The measure of any society is how we care for our most vulnerable citizens. The fact that we are self-distancing and self-isolating tells me we care a whole lot about one another. Sometimes, the adrenaline of fear leads to bad or reactive behavior, so let's work from a place of love and not fear as often as possible. And when we do feel fear, let's recognize that other people are feeling it too and give them a break.