These simple changes can go a long way to improve your mental wellbeing, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic!
1. Drink some water!
This is something you should do at least once a day. Water is a very crucial component to our daily lives. Being hydrated helps our energy levels stay up, helps our skin glow, increases metabolism, flushes body waster, and much more. Blood is actually more than 90 percent of water, and it carries oxygen to various parts throughout our body. So drinking water aids in delivering oxygen throughout the body. It is okay to drink other drinks such as tea, coffee, and juice. However, I would suggest only doing so in moderation and making sure you’re devoting some time for water consumption!
2. Get some exercise
The best part about this habit is that it doesn’t need to be achieved daily. You can perform any exercise at leisure throughout the week. This can be either daily, twice a week, or three times a week. It is completely up to you! The idea of exercise can be very dreadful, especially if one doesn’t know what exactly to do. However, any exercise is more beneficial than none. The best exercises you can do for yourself are actually quite simple. Walking, jogging, running, and swimming etc.. are all great exercises that are enjoyable that can proceed to the development of a healthy habit. Exercise is beneficial to our health, because it improves our muscle strength, increases endurance, and aids in our cardiovascular system by delivering oxygen and nutrients to our tissues. With improvement in endurance, improved cardiovascular system, and strength, this will boost overall energy levels to help tackle any everyday tasks physically and mentally.
3 .Try going offline for a while
Okay, I am definitely guilty of being on my phone for an unhealthy amount of hours (5 hours streaming TikTok). While I am not against going online, I think going online is very beneficial in terms of accumulating information important to our daily lives. However, devoting time to keeping your eyes off a screen can really relax your mind. Especially in the online world we are heavily forced into due to COVID-19. By taking some time away from the screen, you provide yourself with the benefit of being able to pursue some new habits that don’t involve a screen. For example, with the time you have unplugged you can go exercise, read a book, learn some new cooking recipes, take your pets for a walk, plant a garden, paint, draw, play an instrument, and many more. You will also help prevent severe eye strain!
4. Sleep well
Sleep is definitely a factor that contributes to our overall attitude during the day. If you slept about 4 hours, you will lack clear judgement and have a difficult time concentrating. Your overall mood will not be upbeat because of fatigue. One of the biggest effects lack of sleep can contribute to is memory. With little sleep, our ability to memorize important things will be decreased. This is not great especially for students. Make sure to aim for about 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night to avoid the disadvantages of little sleep.
5. Have breakfast
Having breakfast jump starts your metabolism, which will prevent you from overeating throughout the day. Having breakfast can definitely make you feel like you're starting the day on a good note. It can also prevent stomach pangs while you attend class and help you concentrate more. Make sure you have a nutritious breakfast as well to remain a strong and healthy individual!