I've always been one to make the best of every situation. Decide how I could turn a negative into a positive or find the silver lining. Ive decided that while we can 't control everything going on around us today, we can control ourselves and can try to choose self care. Its a good time to try things or do things you didn't have time to do before. Here are a few ways Im choosing to focus on myself and my health at home.
MEAL PREPPING
Im the world's worst at being busy and grabbing something unhealthy to eat. Any time I have gained weight, this has been the culprit. When I was working twelve hour days in Houston and didn't want to cook at 9 pm or when I was building a business from scratch in Mississippi and dinner came from a bag. Life gets busy and the idea of having to cook is exhausting when you have put in a full day. My husband is really into being healthy and working out and we have meal prepped on and off over the past few years. These past few weeks I decided it was a perfect time to focus on what we were eating and actually take the time to plan our meals. I searched pinterest and found low carb recipes to try and made things in advance so I didn't feel like I was having to constantly cook. Its easy to double a recipe or change out a few things for healthier ingredients. Adam and I differ on what we eat, so I will make different variations of the same dish. I will make alfredo and do mine with spaghetti squash and his with noodles or a roast in the crockpot where I eat mine with cauliflower rice and his was regular rice. Its so easy to meal prep when you have time. Two of my favorite things to make right now are sausage and egg breakfast burritos and spaghetti squash alfredo with mushrooms and whatever roasted veggies I can throw together. There are so many ways to get creative! Check out my Low Carb Meal Prep Pinterest board to get ideas and see what Im trying out next!
GETTING INTO A HEALTHY WORKOUT ROUTINE
I don't know about you, but for me, routine is the key word there. I love to workout. Ive never been one to shy away from the gym and have had workout routines on and off since high school. But so many times life catches up with me and Im busy or tired and I let it go for too long. Ive always been better at sticking to working out if I do it at the same time every day. Its changing it up constantly that throws me out of rhythm and eventually makes my routine non existent. Now is a good time to wake up early to work out knowing that you can nap later if you need it. Starting a healthy workout routine and getting used to it will make it easy to transition it back into your life later on. Ive been walking the neighborhood everyday. I haven't done it at the exact same time, but always in the morning an hour or so after I wake up. My theory is if the workout gets to where it isn't as hard and im used to the routine it will be easy to shift it back earlier and earlier on the clock fitting it into any future routine. If you aren't into cardio but want to still workout you could try a pilates style at home workout. There are tons of apps on the market, but Ive had success with the "Workout for Women" app in the apple store. It gives you bite size workouts focusing on certain areas or you can choose full body workouts. Each one only lasts around ten minutes, although if im being honest they usually take me a bit longer to do. I figure you don't have to be perfect, you just have to try.
FOCUSING ON SKINCARE
I can't tell you how many times I have thought how much better my skin would look if I didn't have to wear makeup everyday. If I could just give my skin a break. Lets face it most of us feel our best and most professional when we are put together. Going out in the world bare is not normally an option nor something I would really want to do. Getting a break from everyday life seemed like the time to take my skincare routine seriously. Ive bought several Rodan and Fields products over the years. First, the unblemish regimen. I loved the wash/mask that was step one. Then, I tried the brightening. It was fabulous and my skin genuinely felt a lot brighter. Most recently, Ive tried the Redefine. I enjoy the step one mask and love the PM. I recently tried to Skinmedica moisturizers and the jury is still out. It doesn't have to be an expensive brand of skincare. You could just decide that you are going to clean and moisturize your mask every night. You could put wipes beside your bed, so you never forget to take off your makeup. You could set a timer to make sure you don't forget. For me, Im skipping makeup all together and trying hard to remember to at least moisturize at night. Im hoping the more disciplined I become with this the more the routine can grow. Ive learned skincare is a lot like cardio. If you only do it occasionally you won't see results, but if you do it regularly the results will be amazing.
LEARNING A NEW SKILL
Remember those piano lessons you took but you haven't taken the time to play in years or how much you love to draw but it took a backseat to your career. Now is the perfect time to cater to your hobbies. Pick up that old hobby or learn a new one. Maybe it isn't a skill, but a dream you have. Start working on that dream and take the time to make it a reality. I know during this time Ive been using Duolingo regularly. Its an app that teaches you any language you want to know in a game like setting. Its actually really fun and you learn faster than you realize. Ive been learning spanish and Im currently on level 2. They say they have more people learning Irish on their app than actually speaking it in real life. The amount of languages they offer is impressive. Ive always had a love for languages and decided Spanish would come in the most handy. I thought in the future it might allow me to feel more comfortable abroad or even be helpful in the United States. Whatever the skill of your choice is, try it out!
GIVING YOUR HAIR A BREAK
We are all upset that the hair salons were forced to close in most states and hopefully we will never be in this type of situation again, but since we are, give your hair a break. No one, I repeat, no one expects you to look your best right now. For once, its actually acceptable not to, and for most people staying at home there is no one to impress anyway. A few ways to give your hair break and help the overall health of your hair are:
Ditching the heating tools including your blow dryer. Allow your hair to dry naturally. If that isn't an option then blow dry and skip the heating tools.
Whether its a color retouch or highlight, giving your hair a break from its normal routine can be refreshing and revitalize your hair. On the positive it may even make you decide on trying a new look once you are back in the salon. Whatever you do, don't box color. Its harsh on the hair, but honestly the worst part is playing russian roulette with hair color. Is it going to be orange, brassy, or way too dark? Who knows, I guess we'll wait and see. Don't. Just don't. Its scary and color corrections rarely run under $300. If you have roots that you are trying to hide there are several sprays and powders on the market. Teasing and hairspraying is a big help as well to hide grays or dark roots.
Remember all of those times your hairdresser said to quit washing your hair every. single. day. because it was drying your hair out. Well, now you can! Start by washing every other day and on the days you don't wash thoroughly brush your hair to allow the oil at your roots to be distributed through your hair. Then, switch to every two days and do the same thing. Dry shampoo is your best friend for this. My secret is that I apply dry shampoo at my roots right after I blow dry my hair, so it never has the chance to get oily. I have tried several over the years, but right now my favorite is Unite Refresher.
Wear your hair in a clip instead of tightly in a band during the day. At night you can twist it up and clip it with a large butterfly clip or hair clip to keep it in place and out of your face without causing any damage. Your hair will thank you.
These are just a few ways Im trying to take advantage of my time at home and hope that you find them helpful in some way. Zoom meeting with friends and family, buying a new devotional or joining a bible study are also other options to keep you healthy as well. Mental health is a huge concern during isolation and I know that even people with strong mental health can start to feel the effects after a while. Staying active and eating healthy along with staying motivated and busy are all very important for our mental health. Whether its a little meal prepping, zooming with friends, or enjoying a cocktail, I know we will all get through this together and possibly better than before with renewed gratitude for the little things. Wishing you all happiness and health during this trying time. We are all #unitedapart