With current lockdown restrictions in place in many countries all over the world, some of you might be feeling beaten down, hopeless, and getting a little fed up with not being able to do what you normally do. You can’t go out, the shops are closed and you can’t have your friends over. All of this is very difficult for some people.
By Team Savant
Image: Jonathan Borba
Isolation can raise cortisol levels in the body which can result in making you feel more anxiety, stress, and depression, but it is important to try and do normal things in different ways. Some of the things you must remember to do are:
Get some sun
Exercise at home
Socialise
Soak in the Rays
While you might not be allowed to go out and spend time in the sun as you normally would, you can still stand outside your front door or spend time in the backyard so as not to make yourself feel more isolated than you should.
Even though it is winter and you won’t naturally be outside as much anyway, you can get your daily intake of vitamin D from the sun’s UV rays. Understandably, not everyone has access to a garden or might not be able to go outside so a good Vitamin D Supplement might be a better option.
Vitamin D is important to the body as it regulates calcium and phosphate levels which contribute directly to the health of your bones and teeth. Low vitamin D will also exacerbate any depression feelings you might have as well as cause back pain, fatigue, and muscle cramps.
Anything Can be a Gym
Gyms were one of the first establishments to be closed when lockdown measures began, and rightly so. The proximity of patrons in a gym and the shared use of equipment makes it almost impossible to sustain a Covid-19 free area so you won’t have access to your usual workout gear.
That doesn’t mean that you can’t work out though. Almost anything in the home can be used for exercise. If you have stairs then (carefully) run up and down them for a good incline workout like a treadmill, or grab a couple of bags of vegetables to use as weights.
Should you have sufficient space, and most people do, you could clear an area of your lounge or another room and perform regular exercise moves such as crunches, squats, and presses. Remember, many online retailers such as Amazon are also still open so home equipment such as resistance bands can also be purchased relatively cheaply.
Talk to Someone, Anyone
Mental health is just as important as physical health and many of you might feel very isolated right now, and even though you can’t go to a friend's home there are still many options at your disposal.
Video calling through apps like Facetime, Teams, and Skype has become a prolific form of communication over the past year or so. For some people, using apps like this has made them feel closer to loved ones rather than a simple phone call and are excellent tools for group activities and having the chance to see long-distance relatives.
However, the power of the phone call shouldn’t be underestimated. Calling a friend or a relative for a quick chat will make you feel less alone and while some of you might find this off-putting in this time of socially distant measures, the person you are calling will definitely appreciate you taking the time to talk to them. Not everyone has relatives or friends so there are many hotlines you can call where someone who genuinely cares will listen.
Making time to socialise in some way will reduce the feelings of anxiety and depression that isolation can cause, so don't be afraid to call, text, or Facetime someone because they will be happy to hear from you and try to remember that this won’t last forever.