You are here
Home > Lifestyles > How to Stay Healthy Both Physically and Mentally During Quarantine

How to Stay Healthy Both Physically and Mentally During Quarantine

By: Della Lin

Can you believe that we have been quarantined in our houses for basically two months now? Wow! While being stuck in your house and not having to physically go to school, you may find that you like this “new normal.” You can wake up pretty late, stay in your pajamas all day, and stay up all night binge-watching shows on Netflix. However, you may have found it hard to stay healthy, both physically and mentally. Don’t worry though! I have some helpful advice to help you stay in shape. 

One of my biggest tips is to try and maintain a healthy diet. I know that it can be really hard not to eat chips or ice cream all day, especially when we are stuck at home, but having nutritious meals is a great way to keep your body strong. However, just because I am saying to eat healthy does not mean that you can not eat any junk food. Junk food in moderation is still okay, so make sure you treat yourself once in a while. 

Another tip is to stay hydrated! Drinking enough water will help you stay refreshed and will make you feel ready for any day. I mentioned this in one of my past articles, but a little hack to make sure that you drink enough water is to put your phone underneath your water bottle. This way any time you go and look at your phone, you will automatically be reminded to take a sip of water. 

This is probably going to be the most annoying piece of advice, but it is very beneficial, and that is staying physically fit with some sort of exercise. Whether it is going outside for a quick run or just following some workout videos, exercise will help maintain your body’s strength. For free workout videos at every level, check out YouTube! There are countless options. I also strongly recommend going outside for a jog or a walk when the weather permits because you will be getting fresh air at the same time. Exercising is a great way to stay healthy. 

While being at home, you may start to feel kind of lonely and disconnected from the outside world. Your mental and emotional health is just as important as your physical health. Thus, one of my tips is to stay in touch with friends or to spend more time with family. It can be as easy as Facetiming each other or simply sitting down and enjoying a meal. This will make you feel more connected to others. Another piece of advice is to maintain a sleep schedule. I know that the majority of you stay up until 2 a.m. watching TV shows or movies. However, this will make you feel very sluggish or lazy in the morning. Getting enough sleep will allow you to be more productive and efficient throughout the whole day. Since we are all doing online schooling now, we no longer have as rigorous of a set schedule to follow. This may cause some of you to overwork or overwhelm yourselves. Therefore, it is extremely important that you remember to give yourself breaks and downtime. Set a daily schedule and stick to it! It can be listening to music or doing some yoga or meditation. These breaks will help you not overwhelm yourself. 

Relieving stress in healthy ways is key to ensuring your stress does not exceed your body’s ability to recover from it. If sometimes you feel overwhelmed, I have a little exercise for you. It is called the 5-4-3-2-1 exercise. First, take a deep breath. Then, name five things you can see, then four things you can feel, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste. This exercise will help you become mindful of the present moment and can make you feel more calm. While COVID-19 has completely turned our lives upside down, there are many simple ways that you can stay healthy, both physically and mentally. 

Top