At a time like this, uncertainty, worries, and panic arises – will we lose our jobs and source of income? Can we manage to tide over this difficult period of time? How do we know if we haven’t really contracted the virus with the increase in asymptomatic patients?

So many questions remain, but no answers surface (at least for now).

However, one thing we all know for sure is the devastating impact COVID-19 has had on many all around the globe. Businesses are suffering losses, people are falling prey to the disease, and we’re being denied physical, social interactions of any sort.

In turn, this starts to affect many different parts of our lives – including physical health. Especially since we won’t have the opportunity to move around much due to the ongoing Circuit Breaker right now, it is all the more necessary for us to keep ourselves healthy.

So, putting aside our usual fully serviced apartments articles, this time, we’ll be offering advice to keep yourself physically healthy amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keep yourself fit

Exercising or engaging in physical activities can boost your mood and lower anxiety levels tremendously.

And it doesn’t mean you have to necessarily take part in those exhausting HIIT cardio workouts or mundane exercises – we’re talking a little more on the fun side of keeping fit; Zumba, hula hoops, and many other kinds of activities!

While it’s best to stay at home to avoid any sort of harm to yourself, if you’re really in need of fresh air – exercise in your corridor, nearby your home or travel a little to an open area.

You can still head outside as permitted by the government if your goal is to exercise and you maintain your distance from others.

Get sufficient rest

For those under the WFH (Work From Home) initiative, it is vital to get a good amount of rest still; that means getting enough sleep and taking breaks when you need one.

Immersing yourself in work may not be the best way to keep yourself occupied as you lose touch with the outside world. Understand that you need a couple of minutes to have some quiet time to reduce anxiety, refresh yourself, and calm your mind.

In fact, since you have extra time to yourself (cancelling out all the travel time to and fro your workplace and home), why not pick up a new practice to loosen yourself?

You could try out yoga, tai chi or even meditation for peace of mind and a quick boost to your health. Even other existing hobbies, like reading or listening to music can be a great idea to chill out a little.

As long as it’s something that you like – just do it from time to time and keep yourself relaxed!

Have a healthy diet

It’s all about keeping a well-balanced diet, and it doesn’t just apply during a pandemic; but all the time.

For a start, you can start planning to shop for the essential groceries – avoid any high-salt, processed or high-sugar snacks. Instead, grab some vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, healthy fats, and whole grains.

Meanwhile, here are a couple of other foods you can take note of to give a boost to your immune system and rid of the anxiety:

• Select magnesium-rich foods like nuts, legumes, leafy greens, whole grains, and seeds. It helps support immunity and keeps you calm. It is also known that stress may lower magnesium levels, so keep it high with these foods!
• Consume foods which are rich in Vitamin C, such as red bell peppers and citrus fruit. This nutrient has been said to help with your immune system greatly.
• Get fatty fish such as Alaskan salmon consisting of omega-3 fatty acids, which may help in reducing anxiety based on a study on medical students in 2011.

Limit screen time

You still can engage in video calls with your friends, play a game or two, and watch your favourite TV series, but it’ll do you good to take a break every now and then.

While it is unavoidable that you’ll have to frequently be on your devices most of the time, try to keep your screen time to a minimum as much as you can; specifically turning them off whenever you can, particularly 30 minutes before bedtime.

Instead, you could spend more time with your family members through other means – such as board or card games and a catch up with a good, long chat. Besides, too much screen time may strain your eyes and result in headaches, so, try to make an effort to keep away from a screen – be it a computer, television, phone or tablet.

With the Circuit Breaker being put in place right now, it’s a lot harder to head outside and get some fresh air; especially with the stricter measures – no dining in, gathering of more than 10 people, and social distancing of at least 1 metre away from another person.

However, fully furnished apartments for rent will still be used to house existing residents and business will still be continuing as usual. Housemates are highly advised to follow the rules and measures closely, and keep socialising to a minimum as much as possible. If we all do our part, we can help in curbing the virus. So, do what you can and stay safe!