These are historic and unprecedented times. Let’s keep calm, keep busy, stay sane and be kind to one another, shall we? In addition to washing your hands regularly and taking necessary action to protect yourself, here are 20 ways to stay busy (and healthy!) during the coronavirus pandemic.

Creative Ways to Beat Coronavirus Cabin Fever and Stay Healthy

Many of these are physical wellness-focused, but ALL of them will improve your mood, help you feel good about yourself and maintain some degree of structure and productivity while you’re spending more time at home.

1. Exercise. Movement is essential to keeping both the body and mind in good shape. Your mood will improve, that sitting-induced back pain will decrease and you’ll prevent weight gain by making regular exercise a habit. Take a brisk walk or try an at-home workout. We’re partial to supporting a few of our fave local fitness experts:

• Carmen Demske at Sports Kick posts a free training of the day, every day. Completely free. (@SportsKickInc @BlasterGirl)
• Anna Rawson of Anna Rawson Fitness is hosting classes via Facebook Live. (@AnnaRawsonFitness)
• Studio 3 Dunedin is posting regular workouts on their social pages. (@Studio3Dunedin)

2. Continue your Trim appointments. If you’re not self-isolating, Trim Studio is committed to being a safe place for you to be.We have one-on-one appointments (no overlap of clients in the waiting area), ensure deep cleaning between clients, and one of our leading fat and cellulite reduction technologies requires zero physical contact whatsoever. Request an appointment here.

3. Clean up your eating. Now is a great time to focus on what you’re eating. Avoid eating out of boredom, and if you’re still not finding stocked grocery shelves in your area, try Market Meals for clean (yet delicious) meal prep at its finest. They deliver straight to your door, and with the code LIFE you’ll receive 20% off every week.

4. Catch up on sleep. Sleep is perhaps the most underrated tool we have for our wellness. Getting enough rest ensures proper post-workout recovery and reduces overall stress on the body (which translates to bad, inflammatory stuff). Not a great sleeper? Here’s some good tips.

5. Get up and move regularly. Especially for those who are new to the work-from-home life, this is super important. Get up and move. There are some great apps and smart watches which help remind you to take breaks from sitting. Or just set an alarm on your phone once an hour. Your spine will thank you!

6. Spend some time outside daily. Short stints in the sun are good for your health. Moderate sun exposure helps boost your body’s natural production of Vitamin D, a nutrient vital to strong bones and disease-resistance.

7. Focus on a new healthy habit each week. Focus on habits, not restrictions. (This is something we covered in a recent Facebook post.) With quite a few restrictions already in place out in the world, focus on creating new habits rather than preventing yourself from having things. Take it slow and introduce a new healthy habit every few days or every week. Things like drinking a glass of water upon rising; eating 1 extra serving of vegetables per day; taking a walk before bed, etc., all go a long way.

8. Tidy up your environment. Whether it’s organizing the garage or cleaning out the fridge, there’s nothing quite as satisfying as having a less cluttered space. If you decide to tackle your closet and end up with donation-worthy clothes and personal items, please EMAIL US as we have a client headed to Tennessee for post-tornado relief efforts.

9. Limit screen time. I read an interesting statistic that the average US smart device user is now on their device(s) an average of 2.5 hours more due to working from home or being quarantined. Too much screen time is bad for your health, and this applies to children and adults alike. Put that thing down (after you finish this article of course!)

10. Support local. It feels good to support your community, and right now this could literally make ALL the difference in preventing these small businesses from closure. Buy via online shops, get a gift certificate over the phone or even just like/comment/share their social media content. All these things are a HUGE support to small businesses, and what goes around comes around.

10. Make pen pals. Is there anything better than finding something in your mailbox that ISN’T a bill!? Purchase some cute, inexpensive blank cards, and send out letters to your grandma, your best friend, your long lost colleagues or even your mailman. Brightening someone’s day is FREE, and as we said before… what goes around, comes around!

11. Give yourself an at-home facial. (You too, guys!) We visibly wear stress on our skin. Even if you don’t have fancy devices or designer skincare products, you can still pamper your skin and make self care a habit with an at-home facial routine.

12. Bake something! For many, baking is both an art and a stress-reliever. It also brings the whole family together. Try this apple crisp recipe. Your house will smell amazing!

13. Grow something! Gardening is a favorite pastime for a lot of people, and there’s a reason for it… it’s fun! Beyond that, growing something like an indoor herb garden is practical and will enhance your cooking. P.S.: There are many plants with proven anti-viral properties as well.

14. Re-arrange your furniture. Ok, now we’re really starting to sound desperate! (LOL!) For most of us, right now it’s time to clamp down on the finances. So, if a whole-home remodel isn’t in the budget, try re-arranging things to create new looks throughout the house and fall in love with each room again.

15. Learn something new. Take up a new language or play some simple brain games every day. Take a crash course on how to draw (our friend Cara Dunning is doing online classes for kids!) Learning new things is a fun way to keep the mind feeling sharp and accomplished.

16. Do some career advancing! Free online courses are available and exist from Harvard and other big names. You might want to break out that old resume and dust it off, do some updating and get it ready for when all this blows over. You never know when opportunity will come knocking!

17. Support artists. There are thousands of artists online right now making the world brighter and better with online concerts (search the hashtags #TogetherAtHome and #QuarantineConcert for starters!) Watch, share, like, love, join in! It’s all love.

18. Declutter your inbox, phone and newsfeed. Have you ever noticed how many emails, Instagram users and even apps on your phone are just flinging ads and campaigns at you all day? Some of them are amazing and may enrich your life, while others make you feel bad or just plain don’t improve your day. Declutter all of that stuff. Delete the apps. Unfollow the Instagram models. Unsubscribe from that useless newsletter. Ahhh… Don’t you feel better already!?

19. Take up reading. Like a real book. Not on a screen. We highly recommend The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, The Gratitude Jar and A Dog’s Purpose.

20. Consider journaling. And while writing down your feelings can be part of this, it’s not entirely what we mean here. Although right now is ripe with uncertainty, the future is FULL of opportunity and hope. Write down your goals, your intentions and plans for how you’re going to make your dreams a reality. It’s revitalizing!

Need help? We’re here for you.

Whether you’d like to set up a FaceTime consultation or even just have someone to chat with, we’re here for you. Call or text us to set something up! 727-288-4329