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Wellness Wednesday: Working from home? Here are some tips to help you with this new 'normal'

Here are some tips that you can put into practice to help you keep mental, emotional and physical wellbeing.

PHOENIX — At a time when many are working from home, kids are being homeschooled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some wellness tips come handy.

If you were like me, you probably complained about traffic on the way to work. It was the best thing ever to be able to get out of work at non-rush hour times and have a smooth drive back home, what a good way to end your day.

Since we’re so used to living a life in a hurry, we might feel like we’ll go crazy if we don’t go back to our “normal” lives soon.

Let’s stop right there for a minute and try to make the best out of what we have right now. 

Here are some tips that you can put into practice to help you keep mental, emotional and physical wellbeing.

Harpreet Gujral, Program Director of Integrative Medicine at Johns Hopkins’ Sibley Memorial Hospital shared some recommendations to help you while working from home during the pandemic.

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Greeting the day

It’s time to adapt and create new routines. Let's start with the first part of our day, the morning.

“I recommend spending 10 to 15 minutes on self-care. I take a moment to think about three things I’m grateful for,” suggests Dr. Gujral.

Breathing for Stress relief

Some might be stressed before their day begins, practicing stress-relieving breaths can help you cope with your day better.

“There is a technique called 4-7-8 breathing, or relaxing breath, which helps you concentrate on deep breaths. The practice is simple: Breathe in for a count of 4, hold for a count of 7 and breathe out for a count of 8,” says Gujral.

She recommends practicing this breathing exercise four times a day to help relieve anxiety.

Moving and stretching

Walking, jogging, dancing, stretching, do something that you enjoy. If you’re tired of being indoors, you can take some time before you start your day or towards the end to take a walk and enjoy the beautiful spring weather while practicing social distancing.

Dr. Gujral recommends trying about 10 minutes to 15 minutes of some kind of activity, but some experts recommend 30 minutes. You can increase the minutes at your own pace.

Eating well

It’s so easy to eat and eat and eat while you’re home, I feel is even worst when you’re working because you are concentrating on something else.

Plan your meals if you can, using healthier ingredients.

“Eat meals rich in plant-based foods, especially leafy vegetables and fruit, work in the whole rainbow of produce colors to get all the phytonutrients,” she said.

It’s recommended to choose healthy snacks as well and drink plenty of water.

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Stay focus while working from home

It might be difficult to concentrate when working from home especially if you have kids around you.

If you do well with aromatherapy, she said eucalyptus or jasmine can make your work area more “conducive to calm productivity”.

Dr. Gujral also said oils can help create a relaxing environment.

For some people relaxing music - instrumental, piano, etc. – helps them concentrate.

Practice mindfulness

During these difficult times stay in touch with people that are going to bring something positive to your life and lift your spirits when you need to.

Be grateful for what you have and remember that constantly.

“When you wash your hands, take a moment and say to yourself, ‘I fill my heart with gratitude for what’s going well.’ Sprinkle this affirmation through your day, with every hand-wash,” said Dr. Gujral.

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