Category: Internal Medicine

5 Tips for Reducing Stress While Home Alone

When you are spending a lot of time at home alone, whether in self-isolation or because
you are ill, it can be really easy to get stressed out. Right now, the pandemic around the
world is creating enough stress on its own, but it gets worse when you have to be
quarantined alone.

If you are experiencing signs of stress like constant worry and panic, problems sleeping,
unusual eating habits, and increased use of alcohol or drugs, then the following tips can
be very useful for you.

1. Limit How Often You Watch the News

It can be hard to walk away, but if you are currently staying home because of the
Coronavirus pandemic, you really need to be careful with how much time you are
devoting to updates. While you don’t want to unplug completely, try to limit how often
you watch the news. Try getting your updates just once a day – they repeat a lot of
information, so that is really all you need. Choose just one way to get your news, and
leave it at that.

2. Have “No Social Media” Blocks

When you are spending a lot of time alone, social media can seem like a good way to
keep up with your friends and family. While it definitely helps, you might notice that
absorbing too much of it is hurting your mental health. If you find that you feel fine
before logging on, then are in a bad, irritable, sad, or upset mood after checking
Facebook or Twitter, it’s time to limit your time on social media.

A better strategy is to have blocks of time where you don’t use social media at all. The
length of time depend son your routine, but try for blocks of 1-2 hours at a time.

3. Take Care of Your Mental Health

To reduce stress while you are spending a lot of time home alone, you want to focus on
your mental health. This is what is going to help you de-stress. Sometimes, because it
actually reduces stress and anxiety. In other ways, it is more about distracting your mind
so that you can focus on other things.

For example, if you need fresh air, head outside to go for a walk. Keep your distance
from others if you are social distancing, but just getting outside in the fresh air and
getting some exercise is amazing for your emotional health. Some other ideas include
reading, doing meditation, and participating in baking or making crafts.

4. Take Care of Your Physical Health

In addition to your mental health, you can reduce stress by taking care of your body as
well. This includes getting more exercise, eating a nutritious diet, and drinking water.
But keep in mind that eating healthy doesn’t mean being on a restrictive diet or never
having treats. Don’t burden your mind right now with dieting or weight loss. Just try to
balance your meals and snacks with something healthy that also includes some
indulgent treats.

5. Socialize From a Distance

Even when you need to keep your physical distance from others, you can still socialize!
Connect with friends or loved ones on Zoom or FaceTime, text or call them, or just talk
online when you get the chance.

Healthy Groceries to Buy While Self-Isolating

In the middle of a quarantine, there are a lot of factors that can influence what is or isn’t
available to you and other people who are trying to keep themselves free of infection.
For a lot of people facing those sorts of changes for the first time, choices can be tough,
and options will seem to be in short supply. In order to give you some help, this
following article has been written to give you some solid advice on healthy groceries to
buy while self- isolating.

Perishable Foods

The first category of your foods are perishable foods. These are foods like dairy, eggs,
meat, and produce that have a shorter shelf life. While you might not turn to them quite
as much as you would without self-isolating, they are still important for a healthy diet at
this time.

The good news here is that meat and fish freeze really well. Store all your chicken,
meat, and seafood in the freezer, and write the date on the package. Cheese can also
freeze really well, so that is another great option to help it last longer. Keep your bread
and tortillas in the refrigerator as it will lengthen the shelf life.

Some vegetables will keep longer than others. Celery will last longer than lettuce in
most cases, so it’s all about what you want to eat. Just be sure that you include as
many healthy options as you can for this period. Some items can also be frozen like
jalapenos, while others will be ruined like oranges. Turn to frozen produce whenever it
is available.

Non-Perishable or Dry

Naturally, the majority of the foods you will buy during this time are going to be your
non-perishable foods. Think about foods like pasta, rice, quinoa, canned beans, canned
soups, and other canned goods. While these also have an expiration date, they can be
left out in your pantry for a lot longer than what goes in your refrigerator.

The problem is that with food shortages, they are also the first foods to run out. You
might need to get creative or buy non-perishables you aren’t super familiar with. For
example, canned beans tend to go first, but you can get big bags of beans that you
would soak and rinse before using. It is one extra step, but one that can save you some
money and help you get the nutrients you need for your meals.

If you can get your hands on rice and pasts, definitely do. These last a long time, are
very filling, and easy to turn into healthy meals for your family.

Toiletry, Hygiene Products and Miscellaneous

Be sure to pick up some versatile cleaning and hygiene products. If you let your space
get dirty, it could become a health hazard. Make sure to get the largest, safest cleaning
available. If this presents an issue, then look up recipes for things that can be made
simply online. Batteries, toilet paper, and every sort of feminine hygiene product should
be picked up at this time as well. Being well prepared can reduce stress by massive
amounts.

Remember not to buy more than your family needs! Everyone is in need of these items,
so you want to be courteous to others in your community.

Healthy Comfort Food Options

Are you looking to soothe your loneliness or stress during isolation with some comfort
food? If so, you aren’t alone! During this time, people are indulging in their favorite
classics, but remember comfort food means something different for everyone. Some
people want the recipes they enjoyed as children, others look for specific ingredients in
their comfort food.

Either way, it’s not always the healthiest food, so we put together some ways to make it
a bit healthier for you and your family.

What Does Healthy Mean to You?

The first thing you should do is consider what “healthy” means to you during this time. It
is an important detail, because they will determine what kind of swaps or comfort foods
you want to choose from. Maybe healthy means adding in more fruits and veggies,
enjoying whole grains instead or processed grains, cooking more from scratch, or more
specific options like low-carb or low-fat. Once you know this, you can work on finding
the best healthy comfort foods for your family.

Find Healthy Swaps for Your Favorites

Before finding healthy swaps, make a list of all your favorite comfort foods. What
sounds good right now? Maybe it’s meatloaf, grilled cheese and tomato soup, brownies,
or biscuits and gravy. It doesn’t matter what it is, as long as it brings you joy and
comfort. Once you have your list, you can start looking for simple swaps to make it a
little healthier.

For example, you might add veggies inside your grilled cheese to increase the
nutritional content, or maybe you make your favorite brownies with shredded zucchini
and walnuts inside instead of just plain chocolate. You might try a healthier pizza crust
by using almond flour, or use ground turkey for your meatloaf. There are tons of swaps
you can make that are super easy to do.

Add Healthy Elements to Your Comfort Dishes

Instead of trying to take things away from your comfort dishes, focus instead on what
you add in. You don’t have to take the shredded cheese and sour cream from your
tacos, but what if you added shredded lettuce to them, and then have a side salad or
other vegetable side dish? You are still enjoying your favorite tacos, but also having a
lot more nutrition in your meal.

Make Your Food from Scratch

A super easy way to increase the health of your meals and snacks is to cook more from
scratch. It is so easy to make mashed potatoes from actual potatoes – you don’t need
the frozen or boxed variety! They will be healthier, whole food, and taste so much
better.