We are living in a time of growing uncertainty with rapid changes. I have been reevaluating so many aspects of my life and my priorities have been adjusted, and I’m thinking the same might be true for you. Just a couple of weeks ago, I had planned different content and blog posts for my website and community and it all changed as the Coronavirus made it’s way on the scene. I took some time to pause and regroup.
The first few days of self-isolation (I live in South Florida) were really crazy for us. We had a lot of questions and wondered what was going to happen. Reality began to set in that this was going to be our new normal for several weeks and months to come.
Our daily routines and schedules changed. Our view of life, health, and our priorities were flipped upside down. Practicing “social” distancing (I prefer physical distancing-more on that later) has us all reevaluating how and where we spend our time, our money, how we will take care of ourselves, our families, and makes us question our future and what it will look like. We are all feeling this major life event a little differently depending on how it is impacting us, our families, and our communities, and there is no “right” way to feel. I have found myself being scared and anxious to unbelievably blessed and filled with gratitude.
During this time of uncertainty, people are becoming more cognizant of the importance of supporting their bodies to maintain a healthy immune system. Many are asking or looking for a supplement or a quick fix that will help give their health a boost. The reality is while one thing, such as a supplement, may nurture our immune system, we can’t rely on it as the only strategy. Our bodies rely on a more comprehensive approach to support a healthy immune system. Making self-care, sleep, stress relief, body movement, and nutrition a priority and a part of our routine is key to keeping our bodies functioning at their best.
Investing in ourselves and our health has never been more important. At the same time, people may be feeling overwhelmed managing their new day to day life and thinking about adding anything new is just too much right now. In this space, I’d like to explore bite sized steps we can integrate to help us become stronger and more resilient. My goal is to provide support, ideas, strategies, and guidance to help build a toolbox that works for each of us to optimize our health and well-being, not only during this time of uncertainty, but moving forward. Discovering new ways to care and nurture ourselves is crucial.
I am currently working on building my own wellness toolbox and seeking out strategies that work for my new circumstances that I can incorporate into practice to help me navigate this time of chronic stress and uncertainty. Now more than ever before, I am recommitting to getting back to the basics to keep my immune system and body strong to give myself the best shot at staying healthy, avoiding an autoimmune flare-up, and building resiliency. In this ever changing time that is uniquely challenging, what I need today may be different than what I need tomorrow. Listening to my body and having a toolbox that I can pull from depending on what I need in the moment is going to help me best nurture my body and build resiliency.
Here are a couple of simple wellness tools to explore to get you started that can be done daily or as needed:
- Go on a walk – If you live in an area where it’s safe to do so and are able to maintain physical distance, go on a walk as a family or by yourself. It’s great to have a change of scenery and a break from the house. Try a solo walk with your favorite music, podcast, or while catching up with a friend. I love to have walking phone dates with my people.
- Meditate – Even if it’s only for 5 minutes, meditation helps calm the mind and relieves stress. Try an app like Headspace or do a quick search for a guided meditation on YouTube. If you have kids, invite them to sit with you.
- Body Movement – Get your body moving any way you can with what you have access to. Put on some music and have a dance party solo or with your family, do Pilates or yoga, stretch, use free weights, or even walk around the house while talking on the phone.
- Journal – Capture current thoughts, dreams and inspirations, what we are grateful for, or what is bringing us joy.
- Quality Sleep – Aim for at least 8 hours per night. Adequate sleep is a strong defense for illness and infection and increases our resiliency.
As you are building your own wellness toolbox and exploring and trying out various strategies for optimizing your mental, physical, and emotional health, it may be helpful to put them into different categories. Some strategies may work really well for you as a daily practice, while others may hang out in your toolbox until you need them, sort of like a menu of options. It may require some trial and error to discover what is going to work best. Every day will be unique and I find comfort in knowing I have several strategies at my finger tips to support me.
What have you added to your wellness toolbox these last few weeks to help support your body and immune system?
If you have suggestions for what you would like to learn, explore, or focus on over the coming months, please send them my way to melanie@melaniesnyder.com. Hop on over to my Instagram page @melaniesnyder to see what I am up to and how I am navigating my new day to day life in my stories. I look forward to sharing more with you.
