As we see COVID numbers rise, many feelings of anxiety and dread come into our minds. Will we be stuck without family, friends, vacations, and outings again? What about kids and camps or school next fall?
This is a response to the upheaval that was caused over the last few years. Instead of focusing on fear, let’s look at things that are true, factual, and that can help us continue through the day, rather than focus on the negatives.
Why do this? Because negative thinking and stress directly affect your health. There is a lot of anxiety over what people cannot control. Stop, breathe, and focus on what YOU can do and control.
Positive thinking and doing simple things to reduce infection will increase your health both mentally and physically!
Get Your Body Moving
Let’s start simple. Do you know the #1 risk factor for COVID, with 75% of hospitalizations and deaths?
Being overweight was the #1 risk factor with COVID. Now that it’s nearly summer, lets make our health a priority. Get out and walk in the mornings and evenings.
If you sit at your job all day you need 60 min of movement. Simply walking at a brisk pace is enough. You can ride a bike, swim, do yoga or other fitness classes too.
However, if you do not have memberships or equipment…just go walk.
Don’t Forget to Wash Your Hands
Want to know the second simple thing you can do? Wash your hands often.
Decades ago, we learned that washing hands is the best way to prevent infection and contamination. Keeping your hands clean eliminates illnesses that float around the community.
Don’t run your hand on handrails if you don’t need to touch them. Don’t touch public door handles if you don’t need to.
Wash your hands when you have been out in public. Use hand sanitizer when you can’t wash your hands. (However, remember that hand sanitizer is good in a pinch but should not be overused).
Benefits of Vitamin D and Sunshine
Get some vitamin D and sunshine. As little as 500 IU’s of Vitamin D and a little bit of sunlight can boost so many things. Your immune system depends on Vitamin D and uses UV light to convert it to its usable form.
UV light can be from 3 minutes of exposure unprotected. If you will be outside longer, please put on sunscreen. You will still get UV light that you need. Vitamin D also helps with bones, joints, mood, skin, eyes, nerves…so many things.
Vitamin D is essential, but please remember you can take too much. The average person can take 500 IU’s a day. If you have been told to take it by a healthcare provider, please follow their recommendations as your needs are different. This article is only to help with the immune system.
If you are unsure or nervous, Amaze helps with this by reviewing medication lists, medical issues, and determining the right dose for you.
Sleep Matters….Big Time!
Last but not least, good healthy sleep is important. Your body needs to “plug in and recharge” at night.
Make sure you are sleeping 6-10 hours depending on your personal needs. It needs to be quality sleep too.
Meditation, yoga stretches, or prayer before bed can calm the mind and allow your body to get good sleep. This in turn boosts your immune system and allows your body to fight whatever virus etc. it comes into contact with.
These 4 tips may sound simple but they are all very important for your body and overall health. Obviously, if you are immunocompromised there are other things you need to do and should add to this list.
This article is more focused on the majority of people. As we pull out of wearing masks or avoiding contact, our immune systems are a bit weakened from not being in contact with small doses of illnesses daily.
Boosting our immune systems to recognize and fight these illnesses can get us all healthy again. Focusing on what you can control (walking, washing hands, vitamin D and sunlight exposure, and sleep) can also help us to mentally be healthier.
It does not benefit us to worry about what we cannot control or what other people are doing. Let that go and do what you can to make YOU healthy.
