Highly Effective Health Strategies for Self-Care in Winter
Staying healthy and mentally well is more important than ever. Strategies to ensure our physical, mental, emotional and social wellbeing needs to be placed at the top end of our priority list. What are some simple yet effective measures that we can put in place this winter?
Shape Your Physical Health
- Strengthen your immune systems – the influenza virus attacks weaker immune systems, so do everything you can to build an inner fortress within you when it comes to immunity.
- Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Keep a bottle of one-litre water at hand and refill it so that drinking becomes an easy habit to cultivate.
- Dose up on your vitamins and minerals – – although taking a multi-vitamin supplement is generally a good recommendation, ensure that you have 5 serves of colourful fruits and vegetables each day. Stew up. Although fresh is often best, today’s food technology boasts of retaining a significant portion of the nutritional value after being processed. So you can take advantage of frozen, canned and dried varieties, combining them in your meals especially if you cannot afford regular visits to the grocers. Not sure about your choice between fresh, frozen, canned or dried? Here’s an article from BBC that helps to explain.
- Keep clean – wash your hands, keep your home, office and surrounding clean. Sanitise your equipment with wipes. On this note, remember to keep the mould out of your bathrooms in the wet season as they cause respiratory issues especially for young kids. Our article on “9 Ways to Effectively Eliminate Mould” compiles some latest studies to help you remove mould as well as debunks common myths.
- Move – it is easy to be glued onto our screens and seats while being at home through video conference calls and more conference calls. That’s why it is important that you consider a sit-stand table. Maintaining a good posture at all times is critical in avoiding common back issues. While working from your desk, why not do some isometric exercises to firm up your muscles?
- Exercise – – the variety and availability of exercise videos have exploded over the internet which is a great choice if you are not headed to the gym. You can choose pilates, yoga, Tabata fitness, dance videos, Zumba, resistance training etc. and just join in the exercise programme for free from the comforts of your home. Gardening is also a great way of performing exercise while getting a good dose of oxygen and is just excellent for the mind. Make it a habit to train as it is also good for the brain.
Mind Your Mental Well-being
- Meditate – your mind controls your emotions. It is valuable to be still and calm your thoughts. Observe the thoughts that flow through you and choose thoughts that are helpful to you while discarding those that are simply not. Choose your helpful thoughts wisely and you will experience a happier you.
- Breathe – an increased level of oxygen helps fuel your body and mind. The ancient civilizations are familiar with its benefits and have introduced breathing techniques such as Tai-Chi or Yoga to control your breathing. These days, even smart watches have incorporated these features to remind users to breathe. Breathing is a proven technique that greatly helps with anxiety and stress. So, go ahead and take a deep breath in and count slowly to let it out
- Learn – Keep learning new tricks. Be it a new skill, language or subject that interests you, actively learn and love the process of learning. Read our article on “Staying at Home and Loving It” for loads of ideas on what you can do and expand your learning while being based indoors.
- Be grateful – make gratitude a daily practice. It is the single key that will unlock an overflow of joy into our lives, no matter the challenge we face. Our blog on “Gratitude: The Secret of Happiness” will help you get started.
- Nurture relationships – family, friends, colleagues, acquaintances – they all have a role to play in our lives. Behavioural scientist, Maslow (1943), recognised how important being socially connected is to our well-being in his “Hierarchy of Needs” theory.
- Create your happy space at home – declutter, fix up anything that needs mending around the house, re-arrange your home and optimize your workflow, air the rooms, bring in plants and wood elements and create your happy space. If you need ideas on how to create your workspace effectively, read our blog on “Remote Working: Designing the Ideal Workspace”. Our article on “Embracing Happiness at Home the Danish Way” details researched-backed ways on how to create a home that will enhance happiness.
- Adopt a pet – from a small little fish to a cat, dog or horse, having a pet at home provides proven psychological benefits. Research from Psychology today states “Studies have shown that owning a pet may reduce the symptoms of depression, provide a sense of purpose, increase self-confidence, and provide comfort to their owners”. Here are articles for our Property Owners on the benefits and what you need to know in renting out a property with a pet allowance.
Our property managers at Time Conti Sheffield sincerely wish all our Owners and Tenants a safe and healthy winter. We understand that wintertime may have its challenges especially for those with health challenges and social restrictions can prove difficult for our mental wellbeing. We hope that you feel encouraged and empowered to stay on top of your physical and mental well-being by applying some of these helpful strategies outlined here.
