Aside from actually catching Coronavirus, there are so many other ways that this is impacting us. I am currently in Spain where we are on Coronavirus lockdown so unless you HAVE to leave the house, you can’t. The impacts of this virus are reaching far beyond what I would have imagined even a month ago. The good news is that there ARE ways that we can stay calm, sane and keep our healthy goals on track during this time.

 

If you want to make this situation as positive and healthy as you can then read on.

 

As a health coach, life coach, nutritional advisor and personal trainer, one of the main things I see with clients (and in my own personal experience) is that we tend to put our health on the back burner in times like these. I want to encourage you to keep it forefront in the coming weeks. Here are my top tips on how to do that. You can also take a look at my FREE 4 part introductory training course by clicking here.

 

Manage Stress:

 

You might not even realise that you feel stressed as we all manifest it in different ways. The first thing to do is to literally check in with yourself. What are you feeling? What are you worried about specifically?

 

We have to learn to identify our stress, anxiety and the sources of it as best we can. For example:

 

• You may be feeling worried about elderly relatives right now and its just on your mind.
• Perhaps you are concerned about protecting your whole family.
• There is an air of uncertainty all around because we don’t know what is next. Perhaps you are waiting for your country or area to go into lockdown.
• Many are worried about not having enough supplies to sustain the family throughout.
• Are you afraid of isolation, boredom and confinement?

 

As you can see, there are so many things about this that could be stressing us out! The first thing to do is recognize which ones bother you the most! Identify your stress sources! Once you do that then you can deal with each one in turn.

 

For example a worry about parents or relatives is legitimate. It’s OK to be worried about them. However we want to manage that as best as we can!

 

One of the best ways to deal with this anxiety and stress is to take some kind of action. To feel like you are more in control and that you are doing everything you can to mitigate any negative impact.

 

Click here to check out my FREE 4 part introductory training video course on mindset for weight loss

 

Aside from all the hand washing and physical precautions there are mental ones we can take too!

 

Focus On What You CAN Do, Not What You Can’t:

 

If you are playing that anxiety playlist in your head where you are picturing all the worst case scenarios and listing off all the things you don’t want to happen then you are focusing on them! Use all that energy to focus on what you DO want. What you CAN do. Every time you catch yourself listening to your disaster playlist then stop for a minute and just say to yourself “What CAN I do”.

 

This stops us feeling so helpless because there are always things we can do.

 

For more on this head to #thefullbodiedevolution FREE Private Facebook Group.

 

If you are feeling really wound up then think of some ways you can relax. For example have a bath, read a book you’ve been putting off, do some breathing exercises or meditation, cook for or with your family. Whatever makes you focus on something else and relaxes you!

 

Stop Scrolling On Social Media:

 

It’s so tempting right now to spend hours looking for answers on social media. Reading endless articles and trying to come to some sort of understanding of what is going on. The trouble is there is not enough good information out there. A lot of it can’t be trusted and all that happens is that we get confused and overwhelmed.

 

• Limit your time on social media to just a few minutes morning and evening.
• Decide on 2-3 sources of information that you trust and ONLY look to those. Try not to read everything!
• Actively tell yourself to put the phone away if you find yourself going down the rabbit hole!
• Try not to have the news on in the background ALL the time. That way you never get to switch off from it.

 

Don’t Get Sucked Into Other Peoples Hype!

 

I’m a laid back person. One of the things that makes me feel uncomfortable is other peoples stress. It’s not my natural state to be a panicker so I find it very invasive when I can feel other people pushing stress at me. I limit my contact with stressy people at this time. We have to protect ourselves. I don’t play into other peoples drama right now. When people are texting and panicking I change the subject. I need to stay calm for my own family so I can take care of my people! I can’t do that if I am taking on energy from everyone else.

 

If you are getting whipped up into a frenzy then be careful who you are surrounding yourself with or listening to! Their information might not be correct either! Again, only listen to your trusted sources.

 

As for the panic buying! I refuse to panic buy. I am quite horrified at the greed and selfishness of so many people right now. The shops will still be stocked and if we all just buy what we need then there will be food left for everyone! Again, just because everyone else is in a frenzy, it doesn’t mean you have to be! Don’t get sucked into the hype!

 

Sticking To Your Health Goals:

 

Nutrition:

 

With all the talk of stress, anxiety and uncertainty, it’s likely to be a time where you feel the need for food as a source of comfort! Again, managing your stress is going to be your biggest tool against stress eating. Also if you are in lockdown like me then boredom might lead to constant grazing and snacking!

 

• Another problem I foresee because of all the panic buying is that you can’t get all the fresh foods you might normally eat.
• You may be forced out of your comfort zone because you can’t cook the things you normally would.
• You might find yourself buying things like crisps and junk because it keeps longer!

 

What else can you add to this list?

 

Lets get some of this on the table here. When I work with my clients one of the first things we develop is an awareness. An ability to predict the problem area and create a solid plan for it. So above are some examples of how your nutrition might be affected from a mindset perspective! If we know whats coming we can deal with it head on! Lets go into this with our eyes open.

 

For a detailed mindset for nutrition masterclass then sign up to my FREE 4 part introductory training video course and get started today!

 

What To Eat:

 

When there is a lack of fresh produce or you can’t get what you want, it is important to focus on maintaining a balanced diet! That is each meal containing a protein, a carbohydrate and a source of good fat.

 

If you can’t get hold of what you normally would and you don’t want to leave the house at all then you will need to stock up on foods that last longer.

 

Proteins:

Beans and lentils (canned or dried)

Canned fish such as tuna, sardines

Nuts and seeds

Cheese

Yoghurt

Eggs

 

Carbohydrates:

Pasta

Brown rice

Wraps

Wholewheat, chickpea, buckwheat flours

 

Fat:

Olive oil

Guacamole

Nuts and seeds

Fish oils

 

Fresh Fruit and Veg:

If you can’t get it then use frozen peas, spinach, berries and freeze bananas for smoothies. It is important to get as much fruit and vegetables into your diet as you can depending on availability.

 

Limit the fast foods because ready meals actually take up a lot of space in your fridge/freezer and you will get more nutrition from unprocessed and homemade foods.

 

Snacks:

Dark chocolate

Popcorn

Homemade granola with yoghurt.

 

For more about balanced diet and nutrition head to my FREE private Facebook group where I am going to be covering these topics all week!

 

Exercise:

 

Exercise is almost always the first thing to go when life gets in the way. Especially for people who don’t love it! You might be panicking because you cant get to your usual gym class or you don’t want to go because you don’t want to catch Covid19! Perfectly legitimate. What isn’t as legitimate is stopping at that and not trying to find a solution.

 

When we give ourselves a pass to take 2 weeks off completely then a few things can happen:

 

• It makes it twice as hard to return to it after a break.
• It puts us in a situation where we learn that when things get tough we give up. So next time your in a situation you will just stop.
• You wont learn that amazing resilience that you can get from thinking around a problem. It is truly a freeing feeling and one experience that I would love you to have!

 

Keeping your exercise up can help you to feel like you are more in control of your situation, make you feel proud of yourself for pushing through, help you to stay sane, help you to stay on track so you don’t have to ‘start over’ again. Exercise has also been shown to reduce stress and improve anxiety! Now is NOT the time to give up.

 

So if you hate working out at home and you are on lockdown then there are literally hundreds of great workouts on You Tube! Use this time to try lots of new things. Enjoy the process. Look at it differently. What if you learnt how to enjoy a home workout this week?

 

As I am on lockdown I have chosen to actually knuckle down and go harder on my workouts! I am going to spend time in the kitchen and really focus on getting balanced nutrition. If you want to learn more and join me this week on my journey in lockdown then find me in my FREE private Facebook Group #thefullbodiedevolution

 

I thought about it that I can have two weeks off and literally do nothing and start to feel blobby, depressed and like everything is out of my control or I can treat the lockdown as two weeks of deep focus and self-care. Ultimately it is up to you! I know which one sounds better to me!

 

I am going to be going LIVE in my FREE Private Facebook Group #thefullbodiedevolution every day this week to cover all these topics in a lot more detail! Join us in there! Also find me on instagram @thefullbodiedevolution.

 

If you are interested in learning more about YOUR mindset for weight loss then check out my FREE 4 PART INTRODUCTORY TRAINING VIDEO COURSE with printables to get started right away!

 

….and as always, don’t forget to listen to The Full-Bodied Evolution Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify!