January Blues? Here’s how to stay on top of them.
To say 2020 brought us unprecedented challenges is the understatement of a lifetime. The past year brought us, among many other things, a global pandemic that fundamentally changed the way we go about our daily lives. But we’re looking forward to a brighter 2021 – and with it, we’re setting some New Year’s resolutions.
1. Get the COVID-19 vaccine when it’s available in your area. And then keep wearing a mask
Masks help prevent pathogens from spreading, and they’re far more effective if we all wear them together. Even as various coronavirus vaccines roll out, it’s important to continue wearing masks until enough people receive the vaccine that public health guidelines can change.
Find more information on why wearing a mask is so important even AFTER receiving a COVID-19 vaccine here.
2. Keep your mental health in mind
Feeling a little bit like the world is ending? The pandemic has added intense amounts of stress to most people, notes the CDC. Make sure you’ve got a plan for your mental health.
- Make sure you know how to obtain necessities in case you’re diagnosed with COVID.
- Exercise regularly. Exercising reduces stress.
- Get plenty of sleep.
- Avoid excessive drug and alcohol usage.
- Eat healthy.
- Know how your stress affects you – and how to relieve it.
- Here’s a few more stress-relieving activities to try.
- If your stress becomes long-term, seek out professional counseling.
3. Exercise
In many places, gyms are closed right now due to the pandemic. Getting into a home routine can feel a little difficult – we’ve found some success in designating a specific place in our homes to do so, or by incorporating workouts that we can do outside (you know, for those warm spring days we keep hoping for.)
Below’s a list of the workouts that worked out for us.
- NerdFitness’s 8 best home workouts
- Self’s 12 best home workouts
- Coach’s ultimate home workout plan
4. Learn something new
Raise your hand if you’re still stuck at home and bored senseless. Learning a new skill or trade is a great way to stay productive and feel like you’ve done something rewarding. (There’s a reason that Duolingo, the language-learning app, saw such a huge increase in usage over the past year.)
- Try a new recipe with Epicurious (unless you’re still making that focaccia that got internet-famous)
- Try not to kill a houseplant (and learn a little about about tropical flora on the way)
- Teach yourself a coding language with Codecademy
- Brush up on your outdoor photography skills (no camera needed, btw)
- Do just about anything else with Skillshare (which offers free classes on just about everything!)
5. Be patient with yourself
Above all, the kindest thing you can to for yourself this year is be patient. It’s likely you’ve never been in quite this situation before (we’re with you) and it’s normal to feel stressed, unproductive, or lazy. Data shows that negative self-talk about things like this only makes stress and anxiety worse – so be kind to yourself and to others, and make some safe and healthy plans for the new year.
Love & Kindness Surrogacy is here for you during tough times. Please let us know how we can assist you in your surrogacy journey by contacting us.