This blog article has been written by Jessica Griffith, encouraging us to seek continuous growth, even during difficult circumstances. 2020 definitely threw a number of curveballs at us and we did well to make it through! However, if we are to keep pressing forward in this new year, we need to make sure we are growing in all aspects of our lives, health and wellbeing in particular. The first part of this article therefore will explore your health and wellbeing, focusing on good physical and mental health practices. Enjoy and put the following tips into practice so that you can enjoy this year to the fullest.
‘Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.’
World Health Organization
Physical health
Staying healthy is a good thing, it helps us to be our best, most productive selves and is something we can all strive towards and achieve.
1) Eat right
We all know that we should eat right (and exercise) but sometimes we don’t for various reasons; whether we don’t feel like it, regard it as being important or believe that it actually helps us.
But, here are some things you should consider:
- Remember why. Healthy eating is an important aspect of taking care of yourself and can help you feel happier and have a clearer mind
- Now is a good time to start. With the extra time you have found you can explore the internet for advice on how to obtain a healthy, delicious balanced diet
- It’s achievable. Eating healthy doesn’t have to be stressful. Simple start by getting some advice (especially from people and free online resources) that can guide you through this process so you can start to start and maintain healthy eating
Finally, don’t forget to drink water AND other healthy drinks for hydration in all seasons 😉
2) Stay fit!
Just as important as healthy eating is exercise! This will help you keep fit, feeling good and it is a great way to be productive.
The benefits of staying fit:
- It can be fun! Be creative in the exercise you do, making sure to do the ones you enjoy the most and make your body feel its best so you are more likely to stick to it
- It’s flexible. Exercise comes in all forms, shapes and sizes – from indoor workouts in your living room to going for a run or walk in nature. Going outdoors is a great one as we all need fresh air regularly (social distancing of course!)
- Every little helps. Busy or not, doing just some exercise regularly will help you feel better. If you haven’t worked out for a long time, it is recommended that you start at beginner level and then gradually increase the intensity and frequency of your workouts over time.
By starting with what works for you, over-time you will see yourself improve. As you stay fit (and fresh from having good hygiene practices) it will help keep your spirits up during this time.
Mental health
This by far is one of the most important parts of having good health and wellbeing, and I’m sure you can agree on this based on what you may have seen or experienced during this lockdown. Taking care of your mind will help you to have better days and enjoy life even times get tough.
1) Stay connected
Many companies have been advertising and posting on social media about ‘staying connected’ to help you stay mentally healthy. We all need each other and so let’s all make an effort by reaching out, being there for people (friends, family, colleagues) through messages, phone and video calls. Even though we are emerging from lockdown, is can still be useful to stay in constant communication, especially with those that are further away from us. In doing so, we are building and strengthening our support networks and improving our own mental health in the process; it’s a win-win situation!
2) Take out time for your self
In all that you are currently and planning to do, make sure you carve out some time for yourself. Some of us have been, doing university work, starting online courses, working on projects and other things that have been keeping us productive during this time. But, alongside all of this, I encourage you to give yourself some ‘me time’. Loving yourself in this way will help you to keep helping others; afterall, you can only take care of others as well as you take care of yourself.
“Loving yourself isn’t vanity. It’s sanity.”
Katrina Mayer
The importance of ‘Me-time’:
- It’s unique to you. Your ‘me time’ will look different to that of others, but the key is to do something for yourself during the week. This time could be enjoying a movie, tv series, book, or sitting in the garden – just something (or a combination of things) that helps you to relax
- It gives you time to recharge. This self-treatment should be done regularly – the best practice is every evening and weekly as a day-off
It is also important to highlight that whilst you need to stay up to date with the news on the pandemic and justice movements happening, don’t overwhelm yourself. Always balance your day with positive and negative content that is relevant to you.
The Chinese use two brush strokes to write the word “crisis”. One brush stroke stands for danger; the other for opportunity. In a crisis, be aware of the danger – but recognize the opportunity.
John F. Kennedy
Final thoughts
For many, these things will be like having a fresh start. Whilst the storms of the world continue whirling all around us, it is important to keep yourself grounded so you don’t get lost in everything that’s happening. Making time to break from old bad habits by making new ones can help you to keep striving forward to a better future that we all look towards. We believe that as you take the time to make these changes, you will cultivate a better, more balanced life.
Always take care of yourself and stay connected; this is not just for lockdown (or whatever restrictions we are currently facing) but for you to keep doing throughout your lifetime. Choose to see the good in all circumstances. Doing these things will help you to endure life’s tough storms, especially these current ones. Let’s all strive to feel and be better!
Thank you for reading! If you have any tips on how you have been trying to stay well during quarantine, please share them in the comments below so we can all benefit. Also, stay tuned for pt. 2 as we explore the topic of self-development and career goals – let’s be ready for it.
Written by Jessica Griffith
Jessica is a recent master’s graduate of MSc Public Health and works as a Health Protection Practitioner for Public Health England and as an Associate Editor for the DAS Employability Blog. She has been involved in many extra-curricular activities during her years at university including Africa Week, Fashion and Health Conference, radio guest appearances and her very own event which she co-organized and co-hosted: ‘My Fro and Me’, a Black History Month Event with the Student’s Union at UWE. Over the years she has developed various skills from having undertaken leadership (co-organizer, panel chair and PAL leader) and voluntary (student ambassador, panellist, mentorship) roles. Her interests are in health improvement and beauty.
Edited by Emmanuel Adukwu and Jessica Griffith
From the editors: Growth will help us achieve our goals and taking care of our health and wellbeing is a key part of it. These aren’t just 2021 goals; they’re lifestyle goals. We hope this article reminds you of the importance of taking care of yourself, especially during such challenging times, and nudges you into action as you begin to cultivate a balanced life that you enjoy. Remember: “Loving yourself isn’t vanity. It’s sanity.” – Katrina Mayer
We welcome contributions from staff, students and anyone who would like to contribute to our content about careers in the Sciences and STEM. If you are interested, get in touch via email – ScienceFutures@uwe.ac.uk. Do also connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter! We hope you enjoyed this read and look forward to seeing you in the New Year.