Wondering how youre going to keep your spirits up when the sun sets in the middle of the afternoon, the temperatures are bitter, and the COVID-19 health crisis is worsening and increasingly limiting leisure and social activities?
Its been a tough year. And on top of whatever hardships you've been dealt, you may now be facing the reality that some of the usual wintertime activities you do (holiday gatherings, winter getaways, dinners with friends, indoor sports, and just about anything indoors) are going to be much more difficult or canceled, thanks to the pandemic.
Mental health experts say paying more attention to all the little ways we practice self-care (everything you do to stay physically and mentally well) is going to be more important than ever. Whatever your usual self-care routines are might not be enough by themselves given that were living through a pretty challenging time right now, explains Travis Westbrook, PhD, a clinical psychologist at the Wexner Medical Center at The Ohio State University in Columbus.
Think about it. Are you feeling more stressed than usual? Maybe listening to music or a morning jog usually keeps your anxieties at bay. You might find theyre not really cutting it these days. You might need to get creative when it comes to whats going to work for you to keep your energy and mood up, Westbrook says. Sometimes we really have to lay our foot on the gas pedal when it comes to taking care of ourselves.
If youre looking for a little inspiration for how to ramp up your self-care routine, here are nine tips from Westbrook and others.
If youve been spending your days at home throughout the pandemic (working, taking care of family, or otherwise), you know youre part of a lucky group who has some control over how much virus risk you face. But you may simultaneously be finding the monotony of your routine brings a stress of its own.
Every hour looks like the next hour; every day looks like the next day. We miss those subtle cues such as the commute or the stop for coffee on the way into the office, says Paul S. Pottinger, MD, an infectious disease doctor at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle.
No matter what your current daily routine looks like, think about how you can adapt it for the cooler, darker months. If you have the flexibility, take a walk during the middle of the day when its sunniest. Consider getting fresh air first thing in the morning if you find yourself less motivated to go outdoors in the evening after dark. Allot time for water, coffee, and tea breaks to give yourself time away from your screen if youre working at a computer.
If people can somehow build in a rhythm and routine in their day that is somewhat predictable, not too complicated, and leaves room for flexibility, that could help reduce stress and make the workday feel more manageable, Dr. Pottinger says.
I love the idea of taking yoga [or other exercise routines] outside as long as youre dressed in warm clothes that allow for movement and you take plenty of time to warm up, says Shala Worsley, a certified yoga instructor at the Asheville Yoga Center in Asheville, North Carolina. Outdoor exercise can help serve up an extra dose of vitamin D (sunlight triggers production of this nutrient), which is important for energy and mood.
Try a couple rounds of sun salutations, and then move on to a heat-building pose for example, plank pose, Worsley says.
And if the cold temperatures are going to keep you from heading out of your home, be honest with yourself and schedule an alternative, suggests Westbrook. In those cases, it can be important to try to carve out time and plan an activity in advance. You could schedule a Zoom workout with a friend, with each of you [doing the same workout] in your respective living rooms, he says.
Although working or learning remotely can make it tempting to sleep in, staying consistent with your usual bed and wake-up times all year round will help keep energy levels up, mood lifted, and sleep more sound, says Westbrook. Dont beat yourself up if youre not perfect but do your best to get a good amount of sleep every night, he adds.
In the long term, a night of poor or long sleep here and there likely wont do a great deal of harm. But over time, irregular sleep patterns have been linked with higher risk for hypertension, elevated blood sugar, obesity, and developing heart disease, according to a 2018 study published in Scientific Reports. And oversleeping is associated with health problems, including depression, headaches, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. Most adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep each night of the year (no matter the season!), according to the National Sleep Foundation.
Seasonal affective disorder (sometimes called seasonal depression) is a variant of clinical depression where symptoms emerge and worsen in a seasonal pattern, says Westbrook. It can happen in the summer, too, but its far more common to show up in the winter months. Many people also experience the far less serious symptoms of the winter blues, characterized by a drop in mood and energy levels in the cold-weather months.
I recommend greeting the sun in the morning by opening your blinds whenever possible; this can help keep our biological clock regular, he says. Exposure to light in the morning helps keep your body clock aligned with its natural circadian rhythm, keeping you energized throughout the day and triggering the release of melatonin (the hormone that signals to your brain its time to sleep) at night, according to a paper published in Environmental Health Perspectives. Exposure to bright morning light has also been shown to help lessen symptoms of seasonal effective disorder, according to the authors.
If you suspect you may have symptoms of clinical depression, talk with your doctor. Treatment for depression with a seasonal pattern can often include psychotherapy, medication, light therapy, and vitamin D supplementation, according to Westbrook.
Socializing in person is going to tougher to do safely in the winter (in places where its too cold to gather outdoors). Consider ways to stay connected via phone and video calls. Consider a live, virtual workout class or schedule a virtual game night with friends, says Westbrook. Pre-COVID-19, Westbrook and his friends used to meet at different restaurants each weekend. Now we get takeout and have a meal or happy hour together via Zoom or FaceTime, he says.
You can take turns hosting the game night on Zoom, or try a service like Geeks Who Drink, a website that offers virtual team-based trivia games.
You may be focused on COVID-19 protection, but getting your flu shot is even more important than ever this year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Everyone 6 months of age and older should get a flu shot except in rare exceptions, states the CDC. Getting a flu shot not only helps protect you from the seasonal flu but also helps reduce the strain on health systems, which is higher than normal in many parts of the country due to COVID-19, according to the agency.
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Were seeing just an absolute explosion of [COVID-19] cases, Pottinger says. Its vitally important that people do everything possible to stay healthy right now, he says.
Feeling cooped up, lonely, stressed, or bored can all be triggers for slipping into unhealthy habits when it comes to snacking or maybe imbibing one drink too many, Westbrook says. Pay attention to what situations leave you most vulnerable to these vices, and keep healthy triggers on hand for those occasions, he suggests. If you find yourself eating too much junk food on movie night, stock up on some healthy, portion-controlled snacks instead, like fresh fruit, nuts, or vegetables and hummus. If Zoom happy hours leave you throwing back a few too many drinks, consider swapping with a cup of herbal tea or a mocktail.
Vitamin D levels tend to drop in the winter months, when were spending more time indoors because a major source of vitamin D is sunlight. And given that vitamin D helps with immune function (that means it strengthens the bodys defense against viruses and other germs), its particularly important to make sure youre getting enough once the seasons change, according to Tod Cooperman, MD, president and founder of ConsumerLab.com, a provider of independent test results and information designed to help consumers and healthcare professionals identify the best-quality health and nutrition products.
A 2017 meta-analysis published in The BMJ found that supplementing with vitamin D was associated with reducing the risk of respiratory infections, especially for people who were vitamin D deficient. Studies that show a link between vitamin D deficiency and the spread of COVID-19 are still somewhat preliminary, but the data does indicate the vitamin may help protect our bodies from the disease.
Dr. Cooperman makes the following recommendations: Get your vitamin D levels checked. If youre deficient, ask your doctor about taking a vitamin D supplement or a multivitamin that contains it. A daily dose of 600 to 1,000 IU is safe. And consider taking a magnesium supplement, too, which helps regulate vitamin D levels. Approximately 200 milligrams (mg) per day from a supplement is safe, according to Cooperman.
And remember, because there are risks associated with taking too much of either supplement, its always a good idea to talk with your healthcare provider before trying something new.
No matter what your holiday or winter plans are this year, theyve likely been somehow rearranged because of the global pandemic, which can be either a minor or major source of stress. If youve recently lost a loved one or a job or endured other difficult experiences, you also might be feeling extra stress, sadness, or loneliness right now, Westbrook says.
Do reach out for help and support when you need it, whether via a friend, family member, or medical professional, he recommends. You dont have to struggle with these issues all alone.
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Self-Care Tips for Staying Happy and Healthy This Winter of COVID-19 - Everyday Health
