How to Emerge From Pandemic Mode
While the pandemic continues to wax and wane, many of us are looking at how to rebuild pre-pandemic confidence in ourselves, our careers, our families, and our communities. Being mentally and physically prepared to re-enter the world ready to embrace life and live to the fullest can go a long way toward creating a more prosperous and fulfilling future. If you struggle with weight issues that are impacting your health, Alexander Ramirez, MD FACS may be able to help.
Get Back on the Fitness Track
For many people, it has been a challenge to stay on our fitness routines in recent months. Gyms have been closed or at limited capacity, and community recreation centers, parks, and other outlets have also been tough to access with any level of consistency. It may be time to get innovative in your approach to regaining your health and fitness. This might mean establishing a home gym, getting into a socially distanced outdoor walking routine, or even accessing online group exercise classes to get you back in shape. According to Healthline, it’s best to start slow if you need to and keep the focus on your health and overall feelings of fitness rather than a number on a scale.
Eat Healthy Again
It’s time to clean out all of your pandemic comfort foods and replace them with healthy and nutritious whole foods. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, start frequenting farmers’ markets and local health food stores for lean meats, fresh fruits and produce, and unprocessed foods. This is especially important if you’ve got special dietary restrictions or are living life after bariatric surgery. Ensuring you get enough nutrients is critical to success, and can also have a major impact on your emotional and mental well-being. Consult a qualified dietitian or nutritionist if you have any concerns about meal planning that’s right for your body and your health needs.
Get Into a Professional Mindset
Whether you were downsized during the pandemic, had your hours reduced, or have been working remotely and are no longer feeling challenged by your job, now’s the time to look for a new career path. You may find you can increase your employment prospects, or even advance in your current role, by going back to school and earning an online degree in a field like business, marketing, or leadership management. Most online programs allow you to work on your own time frame from the location of your choosing, which can allow you to successfully balance work, home, and school.
Take Care of Yourself
While many of us have felt like we’ve been overly inactive during the pandemic, there’s a difference between being a couch potato and being intentionally at rest with your mind and body. Make sure that you’re hydrating adequately, sleeping well, and taking care of your mental health. This might be through mindfulness, meditation, yoga, or a personal spiritual pursuit that brings you peace and tranquility. Also strive to make yourself a priority, even when you’re charged with caring for others. Carving out time to focus on artistic or creative endeavors can help ensure you’re making time for yourself, as well as living a well-rounded life.
Change Your Mindset
The pandemic months have been challenging on a number of fronts, and it’s easy to be pessimistic. Instead, change your mindset by making an internal assessment of what’s good in your life and what’s important to you personally, and focus your energy and attention on that. Sometimes a break from social media, screens, and a 24-hour news cycle can give you greater perspective and allow you to reconnect with family, friends, your local community, and those you care about. Resist the urge to get entangled in political discourse and give yourself time to refocus your energy on what you deem to be most important.
We’re living in an unprecedented time in which people are coming out of pandemic mode at different paces, at different degrees, and with different attitudes. Prioritize yourself and your family and focus on mental, physical, and emotional well-being. This can be the start of your own journey toward the pursuit of happiness and fulfillment.
If weight is an issue you struggle with, that impacts your health, your happiness, and your ability to get the most out of life, contact Alexander Ramirez, MD FACS. There are many options that can help you live a longer, happier life, and Dr. Ramirez can help you make educated decisions about how to best care for yourself.
