8 Ways to Support Your Wellness from Home

Are you feeling stuck at home and slipping into unhealthy habits? Refocus on your wellness goals and turn today’s challenges into solutions.  Discover or get reacquainted with eight easy ways to live a healthier life and support all your wellness goals thanks to daily at-home activities:

1. Start your day with a smoothie

Getting proper nutrition while spending the day mostly at home can be extremely challenging, especially when dealing with stress cravings. Get ahead by starting your day with a nutrient-packed smoothie instead of a breakfast filled with sugars and carbs. Adding wellness supplements, vitamins, or healing herbs to your smoothie is the perfect way to get your daily dose of healthy nutrition in one go. It’s also the ideal fuel for an energized day.  
Begin with your base of fruits and veggies, add your liquid, and top it off with your supplement powders and healthy oils. Things you can add to your smoothie include: 
  • Frozen or fresh fruit (frozen is best for a milkshake texture) 
  • Nutrient-rich veggies like spinach or kale 
  • MCT oil to support your metabolism (1
  • Turmeric to reduce inflammation (2
  • Collagen powder for skin youthfulness (3
  • Protein powder for tissue healing and growth (4
  • Powder-based vitamin mixes to support your immune system 
  • Plant-based “milk” like almond, coconut, or oat milk 
     
  • 2. Work out with home-made weights 

    You don’t need workout equipment at home or a home gym to get a real workout. With a little bit of creativity, you can make some of your own “equipment” from objects in your home and enjoy various exercises. Mixing it up keeps your work-outs more fun:
    • Fill gallon jugs with water for hand weights 
    • Fill a pail with sand or dirt to make a kettlebell.  
    • Use ropes, chains, or a garden hose for “battle rope” exercises 
    • Utilize a yoga ball for stability moves 
    • Lunge, jog, or squat up and down indoor or outdoor stairs 
    • Work with furniture sliders for bodyweight work 
       

    3. Make a distraction-free work zone  

    Working from home can be challenging, especially if you don’t have a proper workspace isolated from other rooms and noise. Sitting on couches, poorly designed chairs, or on beds can harm your posture and be a source of distraction. To support your spine and remain focused, set up a real workspace in a quiet corner, get a comfortable, supportive chair and headphones. If you spend a lot of time in front of a computer screen, be sure to prop it up at eye level with a few books to prevent slouching or squinting. If the weather allows, take some phone calls while walking outside. Do not forget to schedule breaks in between calls to avoid fatigue and get some healthy snacks.
     

    4. Prioritize your health

    Now is not the time to forego medical attention if you need it. Many platforms offer online appointments with an array of price points. Maintaining your health is essential on all levels, physical, mental, emotional, and shouldn’t take a backseat to other pressing concerns. Finding support to live a healthier life has become more comfortable with virtual advice, tutorials, and services available from your mobile phone, especially for nutrition and exercise. Establishing wellness rituals like meditation or taking daily walks can make a huge difference in boosting your wellbeing.

    5. Stock up on healthy snacks


    High levels of stress and more time spent at home may have you reaching for more carbs and sugar. To avoid the detrimental effects those snack foods could have on your health, prepare in advance some healthy and delicious options that you can keep at all times in your fridge or pantry: hard-boiled eggs, cut vegetables with hummus, fruits, smoothie bowls, oatmeal bowls, nuts and seeds, yogurt, cottage cheese, olives, dried fruits, or whole grains snacks if you have time to cook, learn how to prepare tasty options that won’t compromise your health and get the entire family involved.
     

    6. Stay connected

    Having a supportive circle is invaluable for maintaining your mental health. While social distancing is in order, the first step is clearing your schedule to make room for personal calls and meaningful conversations with friends and loved ones. Instead of waiting for someone to reach out to you, pick up the phone and call a friend each week or each day. Not only will you fill your cup of love and support, but you may also reach out to someone who needs that conversation. Virtual celebrations are also an excellent way to stay connected.

    7. Virtual therapy 

    Mental health is also paramount to maintain overall health and wellbeing. While family or friends can provide a loving and supportive environment, sometimes they can’t help us with the emotional processing we need being. Finding support has become more comfortable with virtual therapy and services available from your mobile phone.

     

    8. Make cleaning and organizing a self-care hobby  

    With more time at home, having a clean and tidy environment can help to reduce stress. Use this time to tackle one project and create a list and schedule to stay on track. Cleanse the pantry of expired foods. Clean out the broom closet and make a list of products that need a refill. Organize a corner of the garage. Go Marie Kondo on your wardrobe and donate items that no longer spark joy. Donations are always needed and a great way to support our community.

    It can be quite challenging to start new habits even in normal circumstances, let alone create a full schedule of new standards to live by today. Incorporating just one good ritual a day is something to feel good about consistently. Some days you’ll feel empowered, you’ll check the boxes, you’ll drink your smoothie, you may even fit in a workout. But if you also have a scattered, overwhelmed, or unstructured day, be kind to yourself. Take each minute, hour, and day one at a time. You have tomorrow to try again. 

    RESOURCES:  

    1: Medium Chain Triglycerides enhances exercise endurance through the increased mitochondrial biogenesis and metabolism  
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5805166/  

    2: Curcumin: A Review of Its’ Effects on Human Health  
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5664031/  

    3: A Collagen Supplement Improves Skin Hydration, Elasticity, Roughness, and Density: Results of a Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Blind Study https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6835901/  

    4: Effects of Protein Supplementation on Performance and Recovery in Resistance and Endurance Training  
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6142015/