Top 10 tips for survival in lockdown
By Dr Mary Ryan
I hope you are all well. I wanted to share with you my Top 10 tips for staying healthy during lockdown.
Focus on the positive
You are alive, you are breathing. You have survived. Gratitude is attitude. We live a life full of habits and limitations that only change when we hear of how others have broken through those myths to achieve unbelievable results. We are all unique human beings with all of us having the ability to give something unique to this world. Have self-belief and be positive.
Focus on being healthy
It is never more important than now to eat healthy as health eating means you are nourishing your body with good healthy food and also your immune system. Eat all the colours of the rainbow and eat three portions a day. Include your fibre intake, your vegetables especially your greens more than your root vegetables as all vegetables above the ground are lower in sugar.
Reduce your sugar intake
Sugar is not good for the immune system. When we are struggling with lockdown and fed up there is a tendency to overindulge with confectionaries . Do not give into this temptation as it is toxic to the immune system. We are all allowed two small treats a week. That is it as otherwise you will get overweight and obese and put yourself at risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes which I am seeing too much of at the moment in the Diabetic Clinics. The incidence of Diabetes has increased in the past year and we must reduce it by keeping our weight normal.
Stay active
Exercise is great for your bodies, aerobic fitness but also for your mental health. Have a vision to become fit in this latest lockdown. By seeing what will happen in your mind you create your vision and reality so act now. Start slowly and build up slowly. Wear the appropriate footwear as otherwise you will damage your feet and joints.
Make sure to get your eight hours sleep every night
A lot of you are staying up late and this is not healthy for you mentally or physically. Our bodies need 8 hours sleep. Try and be in bed for 11 pm as you will be up about 7 am and get maximum light hours. Remember natural light drives serotonin production which is our happy hormone. Light does the same for humans as photosynthesis does for plants.
Decide on a new goal
Getting to do something is the true blessing that we often forget in life. You may want to write or take up a new hobby. You never had time before, but now you do. Have a vision in your mind of what you want to achieve. When you hit a wall or two as everyone does, just reconnect with your vision. That will drive you to your destiny and beyond.
Make sure to hydrate
We all need 2 litres of water per day before 7 pm so that you won’t interrupt your sleep by having to go to the toilet. Water is so important and not enough people drink it. If you have heart or kidney failure you have to limit your intake but otherwise you must achieve this and drink more water.
Meditate and enjoy your extra time
Be in the present and enjoy the birds singing and your lovely surroundings. Take time to enjoy the sounds and colours of spring and appreciate them. When you are on your next walk see how many spring flowers you can identify. Listen to the birds and be more aware of the amazing nature that surrounds you.
Learn to love yourself over this lockdown
Identify your strengths. If you truly love yourself you know the boundaries, you will eat healthy, you will nourish yourself, you will listen to your body. There are loads of self-help books. Get them and read them while you have time.
Ask for help if you are struggling
Don’t think it is only you. Everyone feels vulnerable in this pandemic. If you can give help, do. It is in giving that we receive. Smile at a neighbour or when you are shopping. The person you met at the supermarket might be the only person they will see all day and maybe for the next seven days. Appreciate the fact that you are alive and healthy.
We can get through this. It is difficult for everyone, some more than others. We are in it together and we will get through it together. The vaccines are here. We will do everything we can to quicken up the supply and get everyone vaccinated as quickly as possible. A lot of us have volunteered to give them as this is an emergency to get everyone vaccinated.
Stay strong and stay focused and help each other.
There is a new dawn.
There is a new awakening.
Remember when we come out of the storm, we will not be the same people that walked it. That is the whole point of the storm.
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