Coronavirus Disease 2019, which is popularly known as COVID-19, has been recently declared by WHO as a pandemic. There were increasing number of infected individuals in several countries, such as Italy, Iran, South Korea, and Spain. Total mortality rates globally are also not declining.
The statistics, the communications from health and government authorities, daily COVID-19 updates from the news (such as big sports event cancellation, school shutdown, travel bans, people stockpiling of everyday necessities) – all of these may contribute to a person’s psychosocial stress.
Effects of Stress On Your Body
Psychosocial stressors have a relationship between diseases. The impact on a person will depend on how persistent the stressor is in his or her environment. Also, the outcome depends on how vulnerable the person is – in terms of external support and ways of coping.
Stressors are known to have a significant influence on our mood, behavior, and health. Stress responses typically do not impose a health burden on young individuals. But it is a different scenario when we talk about older people or persons having underlying health problems.
Media coverage of COVID-19 may have caused anxiety to people around the world. It is totally understandable. Our health is our priority. And what else can we do during this fearsome situation? It is through maintaining your well-being.
Ways to Maintain Your Well-Being
Here are some ways to maintain your well-being:
Eat a balanced diet
Some apps encourage people to choose healthy foods. One of them is called Foodstand.
Foodstand is not a calorie counter for everything you are taking into your stomach. It’s also not the app for ordering healthy grocery items, neither an app that pulls you to dive into a fad diet.
It is actually a community-based app that promotes eating less processed food, more plants, fewer animal products, and being mindful of whatever you are ingesting.
If you are into this type of living, join and connect other health-conscious food lovers. Get involved and try out the Good Eating Challenges that are designed based on the latest trend in habit building research.
Exercise regularly
Physical exercises release neurotransmitters called endorphins, which are often named “feel-good chemicals.” Endorphins reduce our perception of pain – that makes a natural pain-killer in our body system!
This brain chemical also leads to a feeling of inner satisfaction and enhancement of the immune system – something that we need during this critical time.
In MN Physiotherapy Clinic, we offer our patients to download the app called PhysiApp. In this app, we will be able to design an exercise program for our clients that they can do at home.
Completion of prescribed exercise program is so easy with crystal-clear narrated exercise videos combined with built-in reminders to stay on track!
Choose your preferred relaxation method
Find a way to limit the effects of stress on your body and mind, whether it be a massage, meditation, yoga, baths, writing, and walking.
Massage has been practiced for thousands of years already, and those pressing, rubbing, and smooth strokes on muscles using hands and fingers make one person feel relaxed.
There are more than 50 massage therapy styles according to an article from WebMD. One app can teach you some basic techniques on how to do massage, and its called Basic Massage Techniques Guide.
Basic Massage Techniques Guide is like a Youtube app, but its collection is composed of video demonstrations on how to give a quality massage in the comfort of your home. The app won’t give you that certification, though!
In cases that you decided to have a relaxing massage for yourself, and no one wants to do it onto you, go ahead and book an appointment at MN Physiotherapy Clinic and get that destressing massage session with our massage therapist!