Healthy Living

Stay safe, stay home, stay strong, let’s make use of this time to share creativity!

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“I have nothing to do all day”

“I have constant fear and worry that someone in my family or circle of friends is going to be affected by this disease”

“I have difficulty sleeping and concentrating due to constant stress”

“Alcohol seems to be the only substance which keeps me going” 

“All gyms are shut; this constant eating will make me obese.”

“I am stuck inside”

Panic, fretfulness and uncertainty can be overwhelming, resulting in strong negative emotions among adults and children. The first thing you should do is try to reframe your negative thoughts with positivity.  Reword “I am stuck inside” to “I can finally use this time to focus on my home and myself”. As miserable as the world may seem to you right now, try to take advantage of this spare time and refocus your attention from the external to the internal. What I mean by this is to set goals each day, use this time to work on something you’ve always wanted to do – it could be learning a new language, reorganizing your closet,  perfecting your cooking skills (or in my case not being afraid to try and cook for my family.  No one can criticize because I’m the only game in town right now!) Ask yourself how can I come out of this feeling stronger for getting through this in a positive way?

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Tips to manage Stress & Anxiety during this time:

1. Stop stressing yourself with continuous coronavirus coverage – Working from home, or being idle from social obligations may give you too much time to obsess over the constant information being passed around. Choosing only a few credible sources for a limited amount of time each day when you want an update is the best solution to prevent sending your emotions into a tailspin of negativity and fear.  

2. Create your own Quarantine Ritual – use this time to do something special or meaningful each day. It could be eating healthy, sleeping regularly, starting a journal where you reflect each day, knitting, painting, making a scrapbook or even doing basic strength training exercises such as stretches or planks at home. Keeping yourself occupied during this time will help you look forward to each new day and also prevent your stress levels from rising.  Personally, I’ve started working on and completing a new updated website.  After 6 years without a bit of modernization, I’m finding the time to create my new site and I am happy to have this project.  There are things to create for all of us…think hard. 


3. An untidy surrounding can lead to a frenzied mind – With the entire world feeling uncertain outside of your home, keep the inside orderly and serene.  Everything needs to be clean and it’s a place to create a sense of calm.  For instance, eat at the dining table rather than lazing in bed, work at your desk instead of the sofa, clean, clean and clean some more.  It feels so good to know that your space is sparkly and safe from disease. Keeping your own surroundings in order will minimize the feeling of unease and anxiety.


4. Use this time to reconnect – Facetime, call or use Zoom to connect with people with whom you were once close but lost touch with.  It could be a family member, an old friend or someone you trust and want to share your feelings with. We might not be able to physically see one another but we can make use of technology and connect. At this point in time, everyone is eager and would be happy to rekindle that connection or bond they once shared with you. 


5. Focus on someone else rather than yourself – Helping those who are in need during this time would be a win-win situation for both. Seeing that you were able to bring a smile or lighten someone’s day would definitely give you a feeling of satisfaction and a sense of pride and make you feel better about the person you’re becoming. 

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Treat Yourself

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I have heard so many versions of the following life-stealing thoughts–and they truly break my heart because no one needs to live this way to be healthy. See if any of them sound like you: 

“I can’t go out right now. I’m on a diet.” 

 “I’m afraid of going to the Millers’ parties. He always bakes and there’s so much food and booze around.”

“They called me up to meet for dinner nearby, but it was a Monday night and I’d just sworn to get back to good behaviour! I had to miss out.”

 “I dread family gatherings because of the food temptation—after hours and hours of resisting all the food sitting out, I always cave and then totally binge.” 

“I can’t just eat one cookie!”

“Whenever I get invited to a couples’ vacation or a wedding, I start freaking out about being thin enough and deprive myself for months.”

If this sounds like you, please hear this: When your diet makes you fearful of people, places, and food situations and takes precedence over living your one and only precious life: it’s a sure sign that it is overly restrictive, unsustainable, and mentally unhealthy. 

1. My first and foremost advice to overcome this mental prison is: Your diet is likely lacking enough planned treat foods. 

It may sound counterintuitive to say that actually eating a portion of your most loved treats on a weekly basis will help you lose more weight in the long term, but it will.

2. This balance is an important part of my sustained health and that of my most successful weight-loss clients. The practice of food balance can look very different for different people–to account for emotional, social, health, and schedule needs. Some of my client's reserve two to four free choice “flex” meals per week, to have whenever they wish, but often at least once at weekend parties (because they know that feeling like they can’t partake in fun shared foods can be destructively draining). Other clients prefer to have a small portion of their favorite sweet bites every night and save one full flex meal for Friday date night or Sunday lunch with family...What matters is this: rather than missing out on life and resisting your favorites things until you can’t help but binge on everything just to feel free, you can make those foods less precious and scarce by enjoying satisfying, yet not stuffing, portions in a nourishing weekly balance. 

3. Now you may be thinking, “but I know I won’t be able to stop eating when I’m full!” That is diet mentality talking. When you stop totally depriving, over time, you will feel safe in the knowledge that treats will not be scarce, that humans feel best when they eat nutritiously most of the time but also experientially some of the time, and when they respect both their hunger and their fullness. 

If you want to figure out what routine will work for you and your sustainable physical and mental health, let’s talk about it at your next session! Email me at ellen@yournextchapter.com or DM me on Instagram