The times are changing abruptly. So suddenly, you are unable to follow your usual routine for work: no more driving from your home to the office, picking up your morning caffeine fix to enjoy in your nook, daily rundowns of the day’s to-do list with your team, running from one meeting to another and enjoying a sumptuous lunch during your break in your favorite restaurant. Instead, you are making quick trips from your kitchen to your workspace at home, brewing your own coffee, attending video conferences for meetings, and looking for new recipes to cook at home. This is our new reality — our “new normal”.
As simple as it looks, the unprecedented arrival of the pandemic caught everyone off-guard. In the blink of an eye, the world stood still. With so many uncertainties surrounding us, the future has started to look bleak, and with vaccines or cures seemingly far off on the horizon, there’s no telling when things will return to “normal”, or if it ever will. For now, you can either choose to adapt or go bankrupt.
When social interaction has become restricted to a bare minimum, technology proves to be the bridge that will keep everything afloat and keep humanity connected. We are fortunate to be living in an information technology era where anything can be accessible with a flick of your finger. Unfortunately, not everyone is trained or equipped enough to adapt to the fast-changing times.
Businesses that have been thriving in handling things the traditional way are forced to shift most, if not all, of their processes online. While it’s easy to excuse yourself from the responsibility for being technologically challenged, inactivity during these times can cost you an arm and a leg. Because the reality is that while the virus has caused people to stay confined in small spaces, bills keep piling up and responsibilities are here to stay.
People who are forced to live in isolation and those who work at home could feel overwhelmed at the swift change. Everyone is expected to adapt from what they have been used to, to the new norm — and often, this can take a toll on someone’s health. Mental health is often a culprit that lowers one’s immune system, and stress is one of the triggers that can pique mental instability and induce illnesses.
How do you stay healthy during quarantine?
Managing health in isolation is vital to combat any virus. More importantly, it is to make sure you come out stronger and better, even post-pandemic. Here are some tips for staying healthy while on lockdown:
Eat a balanced and healthy meal.
Staying at home all the time could look like an extended staycation at first. However, due to the length of time during which you are locked in, boredom can show up at any point and overwhelm you. With so much time in your hands, you will surely resort to various activities you’ve never thought of trying before, such as concocting gourmet food from the comforts of your own kitchen. While it’s tempting to just lay around all day and watch your favorite series on Netflix and have some fast food delivered to your home, always remember that what goes in your body could either ruin or boost your immune system — something that we need to strengthen especially during this time when a pandemic is on the rise. Following a balanced diet could make a huge difference for your health, leaving you less at risk of contracting the dreaded coronavirus.
Create a routine and stick to it.
Working at home can be daunting at first, but could eventually lead to unproductive, wasted hours on distractions such as Netflix and social media. It is easy to get derailed from your usual office work when you are inside your home, as there are so many comforts you can allow yourself to succumb to. Instead of making you comfortable enough to work, it can make work even more complicated with the absence of co-workers and the ambiance of your office cubicle to keep you focused. Because of this, you should always remember to be intentional with your actions. Create a priority list at the start of the week to be broken down on a daily basis, which can help instill a habit, so you can get your desired results by the time the weekends.
Drink enough water.
Hydrating your body is essential in boosting your immune system. Despite the warm weather, experts advise drinking lukewarm water over cold. Moreover, the required daily water intake is dependent on the age and weight of each person, so this may be something you can check with your doctor. Generally, an individual should drink at least 8 glasses a day. For added nutritional benefits, you may also drink lemon, mint, or cucumber water to supplement your 8 glasses of pure water each day.
Be physically active.
Staying indoors all the time and lounging around on your bed or sofa could trigger the lazy bones in your body. Exercise and other physical activities are ways to keep your body physically fit and healthy. Mobility can help with the digestion of your food, as well as in keeping your creative juices flowing. On top of this, working out also releases feel-good chemicals called endorphins to keep you sane during these difficult times.
Get enough sleep.
Lack of sleep affects your productivity and the quality of work you deliver. As such, it is important to get at least 7 hours of sleep each night, as this could also help boost your immune system and keep your health in check.
Stay away from fake news.
Watching the news and reading social media posts may drain your energy at a certain point. It is vital to remain informed rather than stay ignorant of what’s happening around you. However, it is equally important to make sure that you obtain information only from reliable sources, such as the World Health Organization (WHO) or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Not everyone you see on social media is qualified to provide medical advice, so it is always most ideal to hear directly from the experts.
Delegate routinely tasks.
The virus is an unseen enemy that can hit anyone by surprise without any exceptions, but if we’re sure of one thing, it’s that people with low immune systems are an easy target for the novel coronavirus. This is why it’s practical to seek assistance these days from a personal assistant or a virtual assistant, who could help ease your workload and take some weight off of your shoulders, so you can have less stress and more rest.
Onboarding people with the relevant skills and experience in technology can be of huge help as they could assist you with various tasks such as organizing your schedule and your files from a remote set-up. Instead of stressing yourself out with a mountain-load of responsibilities such as homeschooling your kids, planning and cooking healthy meals, and disinfecting your house and grocery items all at the same time, hiring virtual assistants to help you out with trivial tasks can help you focus on the things that matter most.
Some of the tasks a virtual assistant can help you out with include the following:
- Extensive research
- Administrative work
- Online grocery shopping
- Meal planning
- Schedule management
- Email management
- Social media management
- Activity recommendation
With a personal assistant to assist you with your most trivial tasks, you can finally focus on the essentials. Hiring a virtual assistant service such as OkayRelax can help you ease your worries and claim back your valuable time. Whether they be scheduling and facilitating Zoom meetings, following up on your airfare refunds, or managing your office records, you can be sure that your personal assistant will be handling these tasks efficiently and effectively at a minimal cost.
The new normal is here to stay. COVID-19 has taught the world a valuable lesson in filtering out what’s urgent and essential from what is simply unnecessary. This is your opportunity to enjoy the advantages that technology has to offer as you switch processes and activities into digital. You will be surprised at how efficient and effective it could be for you personally and professionally, so embrace the changes and shift your energy to what’s essential for you as you’ll never know until when you are able to enjoy them. In the midst of the pandemic, it’s best to have a positive outlook and live life to the fullest as you focus on the important things in life – even while you’re just at home.