Easy Ways to Stay on top of Your Health Online

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The isolation of 2020 has many of us seeking comfort. Unfortunately, comfort foods can get in the way of good health. To stay healthy in body, mind, and spirit will take community, and if you can’t meet in person, there are many online options that can help.

Focus on Healthy Choices

If you’ve changed up your workout during the pandemic, keep an eye out for online supplements that can help boost your health and manage any discomfort.

For example, you may have muscle soreness because you’ve added a second arm workout or are focusing on building muscle elsewhere. Whey-based protein shakes after your extra workout can lessen the pain of this additional effort.

Order Groceries After a Healthy Meal

Online grocery shopping is a bit like in-person grocery shopping. If you buy when you’re starving, low in spirits, or exhausted, you may make poor choices. Plan a meal that is both nourishing and satisfying. Finish it with a cup of calming tea or a small glass of sparkling water so you feel comfortably full.

Now you’re ready to open up the ads for your favorite store, see what’s on sale and start planning your meals for the week. Make sure that your meal-planning process isn’t too rigid. Be ready to adjust your meal planning for the next day based on what’s in the refrigerator and freezer at the moment, and if your children suddenly hate what they loved last week, get creative.

Use Mindfulness Tools

Your phone is likely giving you plenty of notifications as the day goes by, and not all of them are good. Give your spirit and brain a break with mindfulness tools that will help you center when everything is spinning out of control.

As you work through the tools, find places to pause during the day. If you find that your brain is creating tracks of anxiety about work, money, health, relationship, or any other frightening factor in our world, stop. Step back. Take a few deep breaths or use your phone timer to define a mental block of time just to breathe. If you can’t control your focus for at least a minute, you may need some help with your anxiety.

Seek Supportive Community

Many of us find it hard to stay motivated during the quarantine. Give yourself a break from all of the “should” thinking that can get in the way of a healthy life and find a group online that is determined to make small improvements.

Track your steps on a pedometer app on your phone and share it with supportive friends on social media. If you can’t find a support group, start one! Create a space where you can post incremental improvements and get some applause for your efforts.

Be ready to share applause in response and be ready to invite in newbies. Set some hard and fast rules; for example, you may be welcoming of other people’s recommendations for workout gear or supplements, but stop at hard sales.

Find Comfort Away from Food

If you find yourself headed to the refrigerator when you’re not hungry, set a new habit. Grab a water bottle instead of a snack and move away from the refrigerator. If you have stairs, stretch and walk up and down the stairs a couple of times, then find a game on your phone and play a bit.

Try not to get hyper-focused on always being productive. Avoid beating yourself up if you do slip up, either in your food choices or your workouts. Set a quitting time each day and allow yourself to just play and have a bit of fun.

That being said, you can create a starting ritual to break away from behaviors that make you frustrated with yourself. If you find yourself looking for chocolate at 9 pm and wondering if you can justify a run for a chocolate shake, as yourself, “Will I be proud of this tomorrow?” Add this question to your daily calendar so you get a pop-up before you grab a sweet treat, and make a better choice.

It’s easy to view the progress and situations of others and get discouraged. However, your health goals have to be built on where you are right now. Your improvements are all about moving forward, step by step and sometimes inch by inch, to where you want to be. Use online community and commercial opportunities to make a great investment in your own health every day.