Most of us are focused on staying physically healthy these days.
Wearing a mask when you go out…check. Faithfully washing your hands throughout the day…check. Keeping your distance from other people…check.
But if we’re not careful, we can succumb to some pretty serious mental health issues. Humans were designed to live in community and this lockdown stuff is hard to take.
Thankfully, there are things you can do to keep your sanity while navigating these strange times. Forming and sticking to a routine is one of them. Let’s look closer at the benefits of a routine for general wellbeing and mental health.
The Benefits of a Routine
Following your normal hygiene routine is a huge part of taking care of your overall health. You may have already discovered the negative effects if you’ve fallen out of your normal routine during the lockdowns.
Yes, you might be washing your hands more often, but showers kind of become optional. Who needs to brush their teeth when you’ll only talk to people on Zoom?
See where we’re going with this? Without a routine, basic care can tend to fall by the wayside.
As humans, we also like to be in control of our situations. Right now, a lot of things are very much out of our control, but you can calm that side of your brain by maintaining a routine.
What’s Does a Good Routine Look Like?
Keep in mind that sleeping in late, browsing Netflix, and ordering pizza again for dinner is not a healthy routine. Instead, keep up habits that make life feel a little more ordered and normal.
Get up at the same time, take a shower, and get dressed. Don’t laze around in your pyjamas all day. If you’re working from home, maintain office hours as much as possible. If you’re caring for kids/overseeing their schoolwork, create a routine for them and stick to it yourself.
Make time to take a break for lunch and cook a healthy, balanced meal for dinner.
Somewhere in there, plan a time for exercise. Your body and mind will thank you. The endorphin high and other benefits of exercise are vital to help keep depression and anxiety at bay.
Stay Healthy and Happy through the Lockdown
Taking good care of your body and mind is essential to surviving a lockdown and the uncertainty of the future. You can do that by establishing a healthy routine and sticking to it. Without the routine, it’s too easy to let basic care slide and watch your mental health begin to suffer.
Chin up, the end is in sight!
