Thursday, April 9, 2020 Well-being Ideas: 8 tips for your physical and emotional health
Many people are beginning to feel both the physical and emotional effects of social distancing, remote learning and being stuck at home. It’s totally normal to feel overwhelmed and inconvenienced, so take it one day at a time and to be sure you are accounting for your own well-being.
While at home, I am focusing in particular on my physical well-being. If you are a member of a gym or a group workout, your regular fitness routine has been interrupted. I find these at-home alternatives to be helpful for maintaining your physical well-being:
- Follow online fitness classes. Many are free and can be found on YouTube. UNL Campus Rec has free online classes too.
- Take breaks to stand up. Go for a walk outside while maintaining a safe distance from others.
- When feeling stressed, try a short meditation or breathing exercises. Headspace is a useful app and you can find guided meditations on YouTube.
- Stick to a schedule that allows you to get enough sleep.
If you are feeling emotional – maybe lonely, angry, sad, or irritated – you are definitely not alone. This is an unprecedented time for everyone. Here are my tips to help you maintain your emotional well-being:
- Be aware of your emotions and express them in appropriate ways. Do not be ashamed of these emotions.
- Strive to find the beauty in something new every day.
- View this adversity as an opportunity rather than a setback.
- Keep a gratitude journal and add to it daily.
If you are feeling overwhelmed or just need someone to talk to, I highly recommend visiting with a well-being coach, like myself. Coaches are trained in the nine dimensions of well-being and are knowledgeable on many helpful resources We are here for you, even if you just need someone to privately vent to about the emotions you are feeling. This is truly a test of resilience and we can come out of it stronger.
Clayton Wilson is an undergraduate well-being coach at Big Red Resilience and Well-being within UNL Student Affairs. Well-being coaches help their Husker peers in all areas of well-being: social, cultural, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, financial, career, environmental, and physical. Schedule an appointment with a well-being coach here.