Lifestyle H E A L T H
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MANAGE STRESS WITH THESE HELPFUL HINTS
H
as the COVID-19 pandemic left
right
you feeling out of sorts? Beyond
the
foot.
the physical toll it takes on those
breaks from your work
who experience symptoms, almost all of
and move around. You can
us feel an emotional heaviness these days.
even set a timer to remind
Thankfully, wellness experts can help us
you to get up every hour
cope with the day-to-day challenges by
and walk around a little.
day,
Throughout take
regular
following these tips:
STAY CONNECTED—EVEN FROM A DISTANCE. DO SOMETHING YOU ENJOY.
People are social animals and we enjoy
If you’re feeling stressed, find something
being connected to our friends and family.
you can get completely lost in doing. Look
There are lots of good ways to keep up
for an activity that you get so engrossed in
with your loved ones, even if you can’t see
that you lose track of time when you get
them in person. Catch up with friends and
started.
Psychologists call this “flow.”
family by phone, video calls or email, or
Other things that can help lower your
even send an old fashioned letter or card.
stress levels include taking a walk on
Social media can be a good way to stay in
a sunny day, learning something new,
touch, but try to ignore the negative posts.
reading a good book, spending time with
Too often, the negatives dominate our
friends (socially distanced) and enjoying
thoughts. One of the best things you can
time with your pets.
do for your mental health is to take time to appreciate the positives in your life.
MAKE WORKING FROM HOME WORK FOR YOUR DIET.
Before bed each night, try thinking of a
Take
by
for, and why you’re grateful for those
increasing the amount of fruits and
things. That simple mental exercise can
vegetables you eat daily. Try to “eat the
really give your spirits a lift.
advantage
of
being
home
few things in your life that you’re grateful
rainbow,” by eating as many different colored fruits and veggies you can. The
GET SOME SLEEP.
healthy nutrients in fruits and vegetables
Your body does a lot of physical and
are some of the things that give them their
mental repair each night as you sleep. If
colors, so the more colors you eat, the
you are not getting quality restorative
more variety of nutrients you get.
sleep on a regular basis, you are losing the opportunity for all of that repair
STAY ACTIVE.
work. It’s like not doing any preventive
Make regular exercise a part of your daily
maintenance on your car or house. There
routine by putting it on your schedule.
are several things you can do to help get
Strive for a workout early in the morning,
a better night’s sleep on a regular basis.
because as the day goes on more things can
Establish a routine—try to go to bed and
pop up and get in the way of your activity
get up about the same time every day
time. First thing in the morning can be a
(even on weekends). Do something that
great time to get the day started on the
lets your brain know that it’s time to
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Owensboro Living M A R C H / / A P R I L 2 0 2 1
start winding down, like reading a book or drinking some warm, caffeine-free tea. Avoid caffeine and other things that wake you up (like hard exercise) within a few hours of bedtime. And lastly, make your bedroom as conducive to sleep as possible. Keep things cool and dark, and use white noise, like a fan, to mask noises like traffic. Need help creating healthy practices like these? Dr. W. Scott Black, of Owensboro Health Lifestyle Medicine and Sports Medicine
works
with
individuals
to
replace unhealthy behaviors with positive habits so they can improve their health and quality of life. This approach works to prevent, treat and even reverse diseases affecting patients’ lives. To make an appointment, call 270-688-2110 or visit OwensboroHealth.org/Lifestyle to learn more about wellness resources available.
