"Three things helping me to get through days in quarantine"

In the situation we're pretty much all facing right now, appreciating values such as well-being and staying healthy are truly highlighted (if now's not the time, then when?). Staying home and not being able to do the normal things we're used to forces everyone to really ponder how to foster those areas of our lives.

While valuing them, the key is to focus on the main areas and ensure that our acts support the big picture - physical and mental health and well-being. Here's my three take-aways (pun intended): Being active, creating lines and being consistent, plus eating well. 

1. Move your body

Walls are starting to collapse? Being somewhat stuck at home, with limited space and no places to go, can feel daunting even without the home quarantine we're all facing at the moment. Some of us can or are obligated to still go to the workplace, but otherwise we're asked to limit any other moving-arounds or get-togethers. To help you battle through these uncertain times (since no one knows when things can get back to normal), it's utmost important to stay active in the ways we can. So have breaks, most preferably active ones, from whatever you're doing. Able to do air squats or push-ups? Have any stairs nearby?  Access to the internet? Many helpful movements don't require wide space, but the effect of getting your blood flow, heart rate to go up and your body to sweat will help you to endorse your well-being + maintain that effective workflow!

>> Selection is pretty much endless these days! Here are just a few examples:

• Daily effective home workouts (for every fitness level):
  Out of the box, Balance By Hotti
• Other possible home editions:
  CompTrain Home Gym Program, The Training Plan
• Many crossfitters and other athletes publish their own home wods and other body maintenance stuff - look for your favorite ones! (mine would probably be Khan Porter, Noah Ohlsen, Oona Tolppanen & Laura Hämäläinen, just to mention a few)
• CrossFit gyms' own home wod programmings (remember to check your favorite's social media and web pages!)
• For more relaxing exercises, many yoga studios release free classes (remember to check your favorite!), f.ex. Pranama Kallio
  

2. Separate "workspace" 

While great deal of us are now working from home, being able to separate the time between work and free time blurs very easily. Let alone, which time & place to dedicate to "working area". It might be a tempting idea to just work from the bed, f.ex., or just a slip of thought to not really pay any further attention to proper workstation ergonomics (since many of us might not have actual work station at home). However, being able to state "at work" and "off-work" can be crucial in the long run. So, make yourself some guidelines and rules - try to bring those workplace routines into your distance days as they would be in the regular basis. And if that's not possible, try to create new ones!

>> My key take-aways or tips would be:

• Breathe & meditate. Many of us are already familiar with the power of breathing and mindful exercises, and why shouldn't you? Check Calm app if you're not (+ their YouTube channel)
• Turn off your phone's notifications if you can - checking "just one thing" may interrupt your focus and concentration for even 15 minutes!
• Also, stick to your working hours - checking "just one email" before bed may very well and unnecessarily stir your stress level
• No working from bed! Create or determine yourself specific working spot or spots - one corner of the table, DIY standing desk, whatever works best and is ergonomic!
• No working in PJ's! Changing "work clothes" can help you to distinguish yourself from other being-home moods (helps with training as well!)
  

3. Good quality nutrition

Snacking throughout the staying-at-home day? One guilty here! Being at home and not able to make that various lunch and dinner choices (yes, now that normal grocery shopping isn't either that recommendable) may promote irregular and even unhealthy eating habits - the lack may occur either in quality (healthiness and tastiness), quantity (too much or too little) and/or consistency (eating in irregular times, possibly upsetting digestive systems, especially since being active can be limited to some extent). My personal key here is to combine two important 'wants' at the same time - to ensure good quality nutrition and hence well-being AND to support local businesses during the challenging times. 

>> Few tips worth checking:

• Food service companies such as FuelMe (Helsinki-Vantaa-Espoo-area) provide tasty and nutritious meals for every day of the week, and because any extra moving-arounds should be avoided, being able to choose home delivery truly safes the week!
• Cooking at home, but lacking ideas? YouTube! The unlimited source of different type of food vloggers and other tutorials on how to prepare tasty and nutritious meals.
  Check f.ex. avantgardevegan's channel and his tips how to prepare quarantine meals or high protein vegan meals.
• In addition, Instagram! Another place to find endless inspirational ideas. A couple from my feed: Feeding The Frasers (if you're a crossfitter, you should know), NYT Cooking (classic!), Jamie Oliver, and Jessie May. Look for your own favorites!
• App-wise: already familiar with the app ResQ, right? These days, since restaurants and other entrepreneurs are facing difficult times, helping is more crucial than before. Through the app you can search for different offers from prepared dishes to snacks.

P.S. It's not just about the quarantine. Being active, paying attention to sometimes fine (physical and mental) lines between work and leisure (and holding on to them!) and creating proper and functional eating habits in the realms you have - these all mark as a foundation for a healthy and sustainable lifestyle. 

Not everyone has the same resources or possibilities, but let's support each other the way we can. Keep yourselves safe and healthy!

xo

Annastiina, crossfitter / journalist / visualist / master of health science