The world is an absolute dumpster fire right now.
Like…what is actually going on?
You might be feeling a little confused, a lot anxious, and really uncertain about your job, your income, the health of yourself and your loved ones, and your sanity.
Cuz for most of people, their schedules and lives have been flipped upside down – and that’s not a comfortable thing even in the best of times.
I wanted to offer a few strategies to help you navigate these uncharted waters just a little bit easier- which can be summed up with focus on what you can control – but let’s get a little more specific.
Eat For Energy
Having balanced meals and snacks spaced evenly throughout the day will help you feel mentally clear, more focused, and less likely to snack the days away. I 100% recommend everyone plan out their meals and snacks for the day, especially if they’re not used to working from home.
My favorite combo for balanced meals – and the one I have found is most effective for nixing cravings and mindless eating – is having a good combo protein, fat & fiber (PFF) at each meal.
If you need some ideas on putting balanced meals together, click here to download my free Fueled Up Nutrition Jumpstart which includes a PFF Chart & 15 meal ideas.
Become a Food Cravings Detective
Food cravings tend to pop up when we’re stressed or running low on sleep.
Cravings can also clue us in to what we need physically or emotionally. If you find yourself craving sugary foods or carby food, it could be your body looking for an energy boost or a serotonin boost due to stress and/or lack of sleep. And while it’s totally OK to give into cravings from time to time, we don’t want to do it all the time.
When you feel the urge to eat, ask yourself if you’re physically hungry. If you’re not, ask yourself what you’re feeling and if that emotion is making you want to eat. Then what can you do instead of eat? I have a few of my favorite suggestions at the bottom of this blog.
Move Your Body
One of the fastest ways to shift from stressed out to blissed out is to move your body. Exercise, or even just going out for a walk, can get those endorphins pumping and your mood will be instantly boosted. I know it can feel hard to get motivated when you’re stuck at home and can’t stick to your normal schedule, but there are plenty of resources out there to help you workout from home.
Click here to join the virtual workouts I’m holding throughout the quarantine, or, honestly, just scroll Instagram- so many trainers and fit pros are giving away workouts for free!
Prioritize Sleep
Sleep is one of the first things to take a hit when we’re stressed, but it’s probably the most important thing we can do for ourselves. We want to keep your immune system running optimally and keep your mind clear, so adequate sleep is a must.
Even if you’re not following your normal schedule, set yourself up with a bed time and a wake up time and keep it consistent each day.
Then, make sure your bedroom is dark, cool, and calming. Keep your phone out of your room, TV off, and computer shut down at least 2 hours before bed, especially if the news and social media are triggering anxiety and stress.
Focus on What You CAN Do.
And lastly, if you find yourself freaking out over what-ifs or catastrophizing all the bad things that could happen, know that first, this is totally NORMAL and you’re definitely not alone — but you’re also not doing yourself any favors.
What we focus on grows. So if you find yourself living from fear, stress and anxiety, you’re going to call in more of those same feelings- the exact feelings we don’t want.
A few of my favorite ways to calm my mind when I’m feeling anxious and uneasy are:
- Put on one of my favorite meditation or a few of my favorite songs and just listen
- Focus on breathing in and out – 3 counts in, counts out for just ONE minute,
- Journaling my thoughts and feelings on paper
- Exercise and movement
- Probably most importantly- Allowing myself to feel the worry and the stress without trying to mask it- which is hard AF but totally necessary.
We can feel the stress and worry, and just be with it. We just can’t unpack and live there for the next 2+ weeks.
My best tip? Try finding pockets of joy in every day, no matter how hard the day is, and put your focus there.
I hope this was helpful for you, and remember, we’re all in this together. If any additional resources would be helpful for you, like virtual meet-ups, or nutrition talks, or you just need someone to talk to, reach out to me and let me know…we’ve got nothin’ but time!