Health is such a subjective aspect of our lives — when you are young you tend to take it for granted and it is only when you are ill or feeling some pain you are jolted out of your euphoria and compelled to look after yourself. The year 2020 was a gamechanger for all, COVID-19 coerced us to take extra care of ourselves, stay hygienic and build our immunity.

It was World Health Day on 7 April and in the spirit of excitement, I committed to waking up early enough each morning for yoga or physical exercise. And I confess I have been struggling to stick to my intention. To my mind, I can give 100 reasons or excuses but something definitely is a miss. I have been pondering over it, and maybe I can call it pandemic fatigue. I have been hearing this a lot from my friends and many are coping with issues such as stress, loneliness, depression, loss of enthusiasm and what not.

Work from home is also a culprit to an extent, especially when you can’t draw boundaries between your personal and work life. I am grateful to my job for keeping me engaged and funding my impulsive shopping, food orders (good food is life!) and bills. However, long working hours have become the norm and I am equally guilty for not chalking out time for physical activity and keep munching on chips or other snacks during the day.

We often forget that health is not just physical health, but your mental state as well. Our thoughts and emotions play a key role in helping us build our immunity and stay healthy. I am not really an expert here, since I too have my fair share of struggles. I will share a few tips which help me save the day:

• Breath is the thread that can help you pacify your wavering mind. Did you know that through breath, you can eliminate up to 90% of your toxins? Such an amazing tool we have with us and we barely notice it. I practice SKY, a rhythmic breathing technique taught by the Art of Living, every morning (yeah mostly!). It gives me an assurance that I will get by through the day without hassles.
• Deep breaths to the rescue when it feels overwhelming. Whenever you feel as if you are drowning in anxiety or panicking, take deep breaths till the count of 10. You will instantly feel better than before. Also, whenever you are upset or angry, take a few deep breaths and wait for 15 seconds before sending that email or message.
• Practice eye rotation to relax those eye muscles and spare them some horror! Excessive screen time isn’t kind at all to our eyes and we barely pause and notice the strain on our eyes.
• Keep stretching your neck and shoulders after regular intervals to prevent stiffness in muscles while working. Like me, if you can’t carve out time for workout do some stretching or pick up any household chore.
• Avoid social media burnout (this is for me especially). Set a cut-off time each evening to minimize the use of your phone. Ideally, they say no phones 1 hour before you hit the bed.
• Socialize virtually, make sure you talk to your friends and family. This the least we can do to maintain our and their mental wellbeing. Your support system is the key to happiness.
• Seek support! Don’t wait for things to get worse.
• Practice gratitude. Sing, dance, eat, drink or write. Light food, chocolates or fresh fruits uplift your mood, eat smartly when you are feeling low! I journal to pent out my irrational thoughts and it really takes the weight off my head.

For more expert views, you may check out Bulletin Byte podcasts (see Podcast section) by Mansi, an ace nutritionist, where she gives useful tips to build immunity and have quality sleep through herbs like ashwagandha and saffron. We all need to be on our toes now that several regions are seeing second and third waves, such as India, Canada and Europe. Remember, you not alone. This too shall pass!

Photo by Caju Gomes on Unsplash