Every new season is an opportunity to revamp your lifestyle, and this fall, we pledge to become healthier. Let’s face it, after 2020, we all need to rethink our personal and mental well-being.
As if the holidays were not stressful enough, this fall will be even more intense in light of the recent pandemic that’s still underway. If you’re feeling a little concerned about what you can do to feel at your best with personal and environmental stress pending on the horizon, we’re here to help and remind you that you need to take care of yourself and your health before the leaves hit the ground and the nights start getting longer. Here are five essential tips to get you on your way.
1. COVID is not over
First and foremost, respect that even though infection rates may have fallen in certain parts of the world, the virus is still incredibly dangerous and evolving as we speak. You need to respect life in the time of COVID and all the safety protocols laid out by medical professionals and government experts. Do not forget to follow all the guidelines given by the WHO and CDC about the coronavirus, including:
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Wearing a facial mask or covering
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Maintaining a six-foot distance from others
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Staying at home as much as possible
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Washing your hands frequently
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Disinfecting frequently touched surfaces
Take all preventive measures and keep yourself safe. If you’re traveling over the holidays or believe that you might have been exposed, take a test and keep yourself in quarantine.
2. Boost your immune system
With the temperature dropping, your immune system is working even harder to protect you from pathogens, microbes, and bacteria in the area and on the surface. You need to have strong immunity to stay healthy and happy, free of illness.
There are so many ways you can give your body an immunity boost! First of all, get your flu shot and essential vaccines. Eat healthy food packed nutrients, like citrus fruits that are rich in vitamin C. If your diet doesn’t provide you with enough vitamins and minerals to keep your health strong throughout the upcoming months, then you should take nutritional supplements to ensure you’re covered.
Contrary to some popular belief, adding these to your diet doesn’t have to taste terrible. Unlike apple cider vinegar or oil of oregano, you can pick up immune gummies that taste great and help your body feel even better.
3. Hydrate from the inside-out
Fall weather often translates to “chapped lips weather”—not the most pleasant thing to experience. When the air becomes very dry, and it’s crucial to keep yourself hydrated with plenty of water (just as much as it is during the summer months!), so keep your skin healthy and moisturized, and apply some lip balm on those lips to prevent painful peeling and cracking.
And hey, if you’re feeling up to it, you can indulge in an oil head massage that prevents dandruff and maintains hair strength is the dry, brittle air.
4. Move your body and stay active
As the days get shorter, it becomes easier just to watch your favorite shows and eat as much junk food as you like—but that’s not the lifestyle we are here to promote. You need to push yourself to move your body and walk around for at least a few hours a day, including 30 minutes of exercise. Take your dog for a walk! It needs it, and so do you. You can even dance the calories away and have fun with it! It’s a great way to ward off those seasonally depressed blues you might be feeling.
5. Cut down on the bad habits
I’m not sure if you needed to hear this, but if you’ve been smoking, excessively drinking, eating poorly, or just doing something that you know is bad for you, start working on those bad habits now. Why wait to make a New Year’s resolution when you can reclaim your life today?
Final word
With your physical health comes your mental health. Where you exercise, eat right, and do right, you’ll not only stay healthier, you’ll be happier.
