Remaining healthy amid pandemic

The human body resists changes. Medical science says part of the brain called the amygdala interprets changes as a threat and releases the hormones for fear, fight, or flight. That’s why people are hardwired to resist changes. In the present situation of the world, it feels so difficult to stay healthy at home when so much around us is changing abruptly. The pandemic has left the world upside down.

During this lockdown, it’s important to stay at home to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. At the same time, it’s also really important to look after your body and soul. In the fullness of time, when the world will turn normal, you have to stay in that body and soul after all.

Eat healthy

To begin with, it is necessary to eat healthy food. Being locked at home all day often leads to boredom and stress; as a result, people end up overeating as a coping mechanism. Junk food consumption during the lockdown has questionably increased in recent times.

Sadia Afrin, a third-year student of the Bangladesh University of Professionals gained 7.0 kg weight during the first half of lockdown last year. “I was super anxious and unstable while the lockdown just started. I used to have munchies almost all the time. Gradually, I started normalising the situation and eventually took my food habit under control,” she adds.

A similar story came from Tazwar Mahmid, who worked as a sub-editor for an online news media last year. As he had to work from home, sitting idle in front of his laptop screen, he would relentlessly swallow pringles (one kind of potato chips).

The result of this consumption was, “I took almost double the shape I used to be before the lockdown.” He is now facing tough times to bring his body into the previous shape.

“Home office has to be normalised and food habit shouldn’t be affected by it. We should brush off the idea that home office needs lots of foods and something to crack inside the mouth.”

Simple exercises

Along with a balanced food habit, it’s also very important to do some freehand exercises. As you do not go out or do any heavy work all day, your body tends to deposit fat as it doesn’t get enough scope to burn extra energy. In this case, a session of 30-minute simple exercise can take you a long way. To assist, there are plenty of workout tutorials available on YouTube.

“I have been following Chloe Ting workout tutorials for six months now. Honestly, these videos are life-changing. I feel lighter than ever now,” shares Eshika Zaman, a 9th-grade student of Birsrestha Nur Mohammad Public College.

Pick up a hobby

The world is so chaotic lately. As an escape, you can pick up a hobby to keep yourself busy with. Reading all those unread books, watching all the movies from your watchlist, growing plants and showering in greenery, experimenting with all those salivating meal recipes, or learning guitar like Muhib Sagor - you can do whatever fascinates you.

Muhib is a National University student from Tejgaon who always had an attraction for guitar. As his academic life is stuck in between second and third year now, he is sailing on his dreams.

“Well, it’s all about doing anything that is new. This gives me fresh vibes in this stagnant life,” explains Muhib on the necessity of trying new things.

Limit social media usages

Social media is full of havoc at times. No wonder all those funny posts and memes cheer you up once in a while but overusing social media can prove harmful to both your physical and mental health as the false information and hoax published on social media causes severe anxiety. So take good breaks from social media, enjoy other things in life.

Nurture your mental health

You might fill out the entire checklist for a healthy lifestyle, but none of them will add any value to your life if your mental health is not ok. Keeping your mental health in check is the most generous thing you can possibly do to yourself. Trying to keep distance from negativities, reading soulful things, enjoying soothing music, talking to your loved ones and giving yourself more than enough attention and affection are all you need.

Kaniz Fatema is a 4th year student of geography & environment at the University of Dhaka.

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