Making Healthy Choices: 3 Tips For Navigating The Pandemic

The pandemic has significantly strained people’s health, both physically and emotionally, whether or not they or someone they know has contracted the virus. Rather, the difficulties stem from more fundamental issues like isolation and a lack of access to healthy food or opportunities to exercise – but it doesn’t have to be that way. By evaluating your environment and making strategic adjustments to your daily routine, you can improve your health, even if you’re largely locked down.

Find Time For Fitness

Exercising isn’t just good for your body, it’s also good for your mental health because working out reduces stress levels and can even help minimize insomnia. However, many people aren’t sure how to squeeze in a workout because their gyms are closed or aren’t maintaining proper social distancing and masking protocols. So, what are the best ways to keep moving?

One of the best ways to be active right now is by doing something simple, like walking or biking outside. Although it may be too cold during the peak winter months in many areas, if it’s not, exercising outdoors is ideal because the risk of virus transmission is almost non-existent. Just be sure to avoid crowded areas and continue to wear a mask. Alternatively, if it’s too cold, you might consider taking an online fitness class at home.

Seek Out Healthy Novelty

Another major issue affecting people’s mental and physical health during these past many months is a lack of novelty; without some variety in our daily lives, many people become depressed and frustrated. In response to this boredom, people may make less-than-healthy choices, ordering in greasy food or making the risky decision to eat at a restaurant, but it doesn’t have to be that way. You just have to be creative.

If you’re looking for a healthy alternative to traditional takeout and want to avoid the risk of eating in a restaurant, consider picking up a snack from The Jar – Healthy Vending. With vegan, reduced sugar, and gluten-free options, and no risky contact, it’s the ideal snack swap.

Meal Choices Matter

Although many people are tired of cooking after all of these months, eating more healthy, home cooked meals is one of the healthiest shifts brought about by the pandemic. The question is, how can you continue putting healthy meals on the table when you’re completely worn out? One solution is to meal prep a few times a week.

Like cooking from scratch, meal prep requires some serious work, but it cuts down the effort needed each night by ensuring you have everything chopped, peeled, and ready in advance. Depending on what types of meals you like to eat, you may also be able to make a few large meals at once and then rotate through the leftovers.

It’s understandable that many people are struggling with their health and overall well-being right now, seeking out new self-care options, and otherwise doing their best to navigate a difficult situation, but we aren’t helpless. Rather, we have to be creative as we attempt to meet our needs in healthy ways. Although our lives look different right now, we can find ways to negotiate them that don’t involve sacrificing our health.