How To Maintain Your Wellness in Self-Isolation

These are my top health secrets for maintaining better wellbeing and wellness, whilst being stuck inside during self-isolation.

Okay, so I am not a health professional. That’s absolutely clear. However, with my experience through writing for Bondi Beauty, I have interviewed, met and chatted casually to so many health professionals who are anywhere from a physiotherapist, a chiro, holistic dentist, to a yoga teacher a dietician – all of have given me some great advice on ways you can maintain your wellbeing whilst in self-isolation.

Wellbeing, wellness and mindfulness. These are the three most researched and googled words on the planet right now, and it’s no wonder why. When most of the world is stuck indoors in self-isolation, either by choice, or forced.

Unable to work, or working from home. No matter the circumstance, these three words are now becoming the foundation of how to stay sane under the current lockdown restrictions.

And it’s important to understand why that is.

Because without these three things; wellbeing, wellness and mindfulness, the body can easily slip into bad habits, bad thinking and start to express bad intentions.

So it’s important to realise what could be the cause of any anxiety you have, any stress you have, or any other issue you may find yourself dealing with under the current uncertainty which we are all facing together across the world.

Because let’s face it. No matter how stressed or anxious you are about what is going on during this global pandemic, we are all in this together, no one person is not going through the exact same thing you are.

Here are five important things to pay attention to whilst in self-isolation, to help you maintain good wellness and wellbeing.

Give technology a break:

Sure, we all talk about it, but none of us do it really. Especially now that we are stuck indoors with more time on our hands then ever. It’s hard not to pick up the phone and see what’s happening with everyone around the world, especially with friends and family. How they are coping and what they are doing.

But do try and switch off the phone for a while. Or at least put it aside and take a break. Pick up a book, play a board game (if you live with someone). Don’t consume yourself with too much of what is happening out there, especially as there may be a lot of speculation on what is happening out there. If you don’t have the ability to just whats happening and move on, then skip it together to help reduce stress and anxiety.

Do some stretches:

Stretching is so important, now more than ever really. All it takes is a few minutes in the morning to take the body, thirty minutes in the middle of the day and then thirty minutes before bed.

This will help with blood and oxygen flow through the body, and can even improve digestion and kidney function, which is very important when we are all stuck at home, sitting down a lot longer than what we normally did prior to COVID-19.

In Australia, as we are now in mid Autumn and with Winter around the corner, the change in the temperature is noticeable, with beautiful sunny days and a cool change at night. Stretching of an evening before bed in the cooler weather will warm up the body and stretch out any tense and tight muscles which can often be the result of the cold weather, or sitting down for too long.

Drink warm drinks:

If you thought you didn’t drink as much fluid because you are now at home more, you thought wrong. Staying hydrated no matter the circumstance is always important and with the cooler weather now here in Australia, drinking hot herbal teas makes a great replacement for plain water.

I find myself getting tired of always drinking water, and I do drink a lot. So herbal teas, whether hot or iced make a great replacement for plain water. Although I don’t like cold drinks, my version of an iced tea in the cooler months is to get a class, grab a fruit based herbal tea bag (like mixed berries or something that’s citrus), I fill the class with filtered tap water and let the tea bag infuse the water.

This adds a great flavour to the water, making me drink more and I also then enjoy drinking more water, keeping well hydrated throughout the day. Staying hydrated is key to flushing out any toxins from binge eating too many sugary treats or enjoying too many take away meals whilst being stuck at home.

Do some yoga:

You don’t always have to be in a yoga studio to practice yoga and now do you need to be a yogi to do it either.

With many yoga studios forced to close from the new lockdown restriction, self-isolation and social distancing policies now in play, most yoga teachers have gone online to conduct yoga classes through Vimeo, Zoom and Instagram, so you can still get a personal yoga experience in the comfort of your own home.

Or if you are still working, use your workspace to do some yoga. Which can also be done at home, if you are now working from home.

Try pushing your chair out from your desk and stretching your arms out to rest on your desk and then hang your head through your arms, keeping your back as straight as possible. This is a great stretch for posture and will help improve blood circulation to the brand when you have been sitting all day.

Remember to breath:

As humans, we start out by breathing from the diaphragm; which is located underneath the lung area.

But, as we get older and life starts to get more stressful, we get busier and find less time to look after ourselves. Our breathing moves from the diaphragm up into the top part of the chest.

When you’re stressed, try some easy breathing exercises to move the breath back down the body where it should be. Your chest can’t hold as much air, so breathing from this space when stressed has proven to actually increase stress levels. Place your hands on your belly and practice breathing through this space – you’ll be amazed at the results.

Get some sun:

Compared to varying other nations, Australia is one of the lucky ones with respect to the types of restrictions we are dealing with for self-isolation and self-distancing. We are still allowed to go outdoors to enjoy the sun and some fresh air. So do it.

Australia has the best Autumn weather, with the sun shining most days, so it’s important to take advantage of this whilst in self-isolation and try to soak up as much vitamin D as possible.

This will be good for the mind and the body. Good for the mind, as you are clearing the cobwebs from being stuck inside all the time, and good for the body as vitamin D is important for the bones and for the skin, to help it repair any damage and even fight bacteria in the body.

Try taking a walk around the block in the sun if you can, or perhaps you have a backyard (or front yard) where you can sit in the sun and relax with a book or a cup of tea, listening to the birds and appreciating the new sounds which can be heard, with less cars on the roads and less planes in the air.