Coronavirus Survival Guide
The Coronavirus Pandemic has created a New Normal, which poses many challenges to every aspect of our lives.
Most people are opposed to change, especially if the idea isn’t their own. It’s human nature to resist because we are creatures of habit and once we develop a daily routine, deviating makes us uncomfortable.
A good example of this type of resistance is the millions of people around the globe who’re refusing to wear a face mask and practice social distancing.
It’s a pretty safe bet to say that none of us want to deal with this new way of living, but nonetheless, we have no choice.
The number of issues that this pandemic has created is a mile long and will not be resolved anytime soon.
People are suffering the most from economic worries, boredom, and whether or not they’re receiving the correct information about Covid-19.
These are the issues that create the perfect storm that causes people to develop major stress and anxiety.
When faced with challenges, the best way to handle them is by implementing solutions to either solve or minimize their effects.
In this guide, you’re going to discover a few tips on how to deal with some of the main issues that are negatively impacting your life the most.
So, without further introduction, let’s jump in with a discussion of those stressful challenges you’re facing…
Working From Home
The unemployment rates have skyrocketed into the millions ever since the Coronavirus struck the globe. Unfortunately, not everyone has the type of job that allows them the flexibility to work remotely from home.
For example; factory worker just doesn’t have the luxury of performing their duties from the privacy of their home office.
People are filing for unemployment by the millions and for some, this simply isn’t enough to cover their monthly overhead; such as the mortgage, utilities, car payments, groceries, etc.
There are people who have never filed for unemployment before or have ever needed to accept assistance, that now have to swallow their pride.
It’s heartbreaking to see hardworking people lose their livelihood in a matter of months.
Do you remember what we stated earlier in regard to facing challenges?
The best ways to handle them are by implementing solutions to either solve or minimize their effects.
This period of self-quarantine has provided a lot of time for people to rethink the way they make a living.
Especially those who are now unemployed as a result of being laid off or furloughed.
Believe it or not, there are some people who are not affected financially as a result of having multiple streams of income.
The Internet makes it possible to earn multiple streams of income right from the comforts of your home.
The key is to choose one type of online business model and commit to the process until you’ve achieved success before moving to another.
This approach will keep you focused and prevent you from jumping from one business opportunity to the next. This hopping is called Skinny Object Syndrome and must be avoided at all costs.
That is unless you want to waste tens of thousands of dollars over time, not to mention countless hours away from your family and friends.
One of the best ways to control your income is to start an online business.
Starting an Internet business allows you to control your autonomy and finances.
If you’re one of the millions that are suffering financially as a result of this Coronavirus Pandemic, just imagine if you had multiple streams of Internet income flowing into your bank account.
The money would be one less problem you’d have to deal with.
Your income level affects every area of your life…
If you don’t have enough money, you will struggle financially, which causes a negative domino effect.
Financial stress is one of the biggest contributors to stress and anxiety, so much so, that it causes people to get divorced.
Getting your finances in order can drastically improve the quality of your life, even during a pandemic.
10 Benefits Of Working From Home
We’ve talked about the benefits of having multiple streams of income and how they can help to protect your livelihood, especially when things change in the marketplace.
Fortunately for you, the internet is one of the most useful technologies that you have at your disposal, which allows you to leverage at will, right from the comforts of your home.
Let’s talk about the ten benefits of working from home…
1)) Freedom
By launching a home-based business, you’ll get to enjoy freedoms that your 9 to 5 is unable to provide.
You could say goodbye to the long hours spent stuck in traffic for 2 or more hours per day, dealing with all those road rage drivers who cut you off and cusses at you.
You’ll no longer need to wake up early every weekday because of having to go to the office.
You’ll gain control of your time. You’ll be able to schedule your work hours according to how you want them without having to sacrifice your social and family life.
2)) Control Over Your Income
When you’re an employee, your salary is capped off at a certain point, which severely limits your ability to earn more income.
No matter how much harder you work, you continue to make the same amount of money that you agreed upon with your employer before accepting the job offer.
This aspect of a 9 to 5 job is what frustrates most employees because, over the years, there’s no incentive to motivate them to work harder.
As humans, we must continue to grow in all areas of our lives in order to be fulfilled, and making more and more money is no different.
If you focus on one Internet business opportunity at a time, you’ll eventually develop the skills that will allow you to make more money on demand.
3)) Better Opportunity
Because of the advancements in Internet technologies, there’s no better time to start an online business, especially during this pandemic.
There are several home-based business opportunities for you to choose from. All you need to do is research the business models you’re interested in, pick one, and stay focused on it until you become successful at it.
4)) Less Startup Capital Needed
Compared to starting up a traditional brick-and-mortar store, having a home-based business will not require you to spend much money to launch it.
If you find the right mentor, they’ll show you how to get started on a shoestring budget if possible.
When it comes to building an Internet business, you typically have three routes that you can take to get the work done.
- Sweat Equity: This is where you manually do the work yourself (Time Consuming)
- Outsourcing: This is when you pay others to do the work for you
- Automation: This is where you use software (cloud & personal computer) to do the heavy lifting
As a side note, you can combine all three routes in order to create a hybrid model that works for your own personal situation.
Your start-up cost will be dependent upon the business model that you choose, which is why you must select only one, to begin with.
Otherwise, all of those monthly subscriptions needed to run a successful online business can cost you a small fortune if you attempt to build multiple businesses at the same time.
The good news is that most Internet business models are fairly inexpensive and usually require you to invest in a few months' online tools that are needed to run and grow your enterprise.
5)) Better Family and Social Life
Since you will be able to manage your time, you can make your own schedule to make sure that you have enough to spend with your family and friends. This is called Work-Life Balance.
The mass majority of the population doesn’t have the luxury of living a balanced lifestyle due to their 9 to 5 jobs, their long commutes, and all the other responsibilities.
6)) More Fun and Less Stress
You no longer have to sacrifice your work hours and your time with your family. A home-based business allows you to equally divide your time between both.
For example; during the weekdays, you could work a few hours in the morning and then spend quality time with your loved ones in the evening by watching a movie or playing games.
Just imagine being able to make money while you sleep and get to enjoy your life, you’d be having fun while reducing your stress levels.
This would also mean no more feelings of guilt for missing your children’s activities or date nights with your significant other.
7)) Be Your Own Boss
Since you’d be your own boss, you can easily venture into the kind of business that you want to have. You will also get to become your very own CEO, sales manager, strategist, and a whole lot more.
We recommend that once your Internet business becomes profitable, you outsource some of your workloads, otherwise you’d just own a job.
The last thing that you want to do is replace your Corporate 9 to 5 job with your own home-based business that traps you in your home office for 14 hours per day.
In the beginning, it's okay to wear all of the responsibility hats so that you can learn the skills on how each part of your business work, so that later down the road when you want to outsource certain tasks, you’ll know if they are performing the tasks correctly.
8)) Enhance Your Creativity
Having a home-based business will help you cultivate your creativity since you’ll have the time to do things that you love. You’ll have full creative control over your entire operation with No Boss standing over you micromanaging.
9)) More Productive
Starting your own online business will allow you to be more productive, especially since you’ll no longer have to waste time in long reactive non-productive meetings and two-hour commutes.
10)) Better Tax Deductions
Launching an online business allows you to take advantage of certain tax deductions. With taxes being your single biggest expense, why not build a home-based business so that you can offset some of the taxes that you pay?
We can’t give legal advice, which is why we recommend that you consult with a tax professional such as an accountant, bookkeeper, and tax attorney.
Related Article: 10 Best Ways To Make Money From Home
Economic Worries
The impact of this pandemic is being felt by millions of people around the world, mainly from a financial standpoint.
Not being able to provide the basic necessities such as food, shelter, and clothing will cause even the strongest person to stay up at night worrying.
Our livelihoods are everything because it’s hard to exist when you have no stability due to a lack of resources.
Money doesn’t make you happy, but it sure does help you to resolve issues and challenges.
Here are some simple tips that can help you survive financially during this Covid-19 crisis.
7 Powerful Recession Survival Tips
Tip 1: Stay Employed
Unfortunately, most people who work a corporate job, have no control over their employment status, because businesses that are considered non-essential are either temporarily or permanently closed.
If you are fortunate to still be employed, you must keep your job at all costs as many companies will try to lower their production cost by slimming down their organization to what’s called a “Skeleton Crew.” Make yourself indispensable.
Upgrade your knowledge and your skills. Work diligently. Be more involved with your work. Suggest improvements.
Meanwhile, explore other career opportunities in case your boss hands you a termination letter. Start looking for a new job immediately in case this happens.
Look for a job that has the option of working remotely from home.
Don’t forget about our discussion on starting your own home-based Internet business.
Even if you have a full-time job, we recommend that you launch an online business on the side as a way to add other streams of income just in case you get laid off, get fired, or furloughed.
Related Article: Recession Survival Guide
Tip 2: Budget All Your Expenses
This might sound obvious, but many people actually fail to keep track of their expenses even during times of recession.
When planning your budget, be comprehensive and take into account any possible ad-hoc expenditures such as year-end vacations, insurance, etc.
It is inadequate to estimate one month’s expenditure and multiply it by 12.
It’s a must to know your exact expenses so that you can establish an accurate budget to keep you from overspending.
Related Article: 5 Household Budget Tips
Tip 3: Save Money
Identifying how you can save money in all aspects of your expenses, particularly in groceries, food, entertainment, and utilities.
Spend less on what you are already buying and stop making big purchases! Make sure you save enough money to last you up to 6 months without an income.
We know that saving enough money to hold you over for several months is easier said than done, especially when you may be living from paycheck to paycheck.
Related Article: Top 25 Ways To Save Money At Home
Tip 4: Reduce Your Debt
Consider using your savings to settle your credit card bills. Otherwise, make sure you are paying as little interest as possible.
One way to do so is by switching to a card with a lower interest rate.
Use common sense here, because there’s no point in draining out your savings account if that would mean going completely broke. As a general rule, you should always pay yourself first.
Related Article: 10 Ways To Become Debt Free
Tip 5: Diversify Your Investments
This is important to avoid losing all your investments at the same time. Have you ever heard of the old saying, “Don’t Put All Of Your Eggs In One Basket.”
Tip 6: Get The Best Bargain
Retailers will tend to offer good deals during recessions to stimulate sales. Check out current discounted items or stores whenever you are shopping for groceries or any other daily necessities.
We recommend using one of the many mobile Apps that allows you to conveniently browse and use retail store coupons that give you cashback when you shop.
Tip 7: Enjoy life!
Life always has its ups and downs, and so does the economy. Try not to be too sad if you are suffering from this recession caused by Covid-19. Stay optimistic and things will eventually get better if you take action on what you learn in this guide!
Keeping The Family Safe
We all want Covid-19 to go and take a hike, but the sad reality is that it’s here to stay for a while.
Family safety is usually at the top of most people’s priority list and they will protect them at any cost.
Since at this point there are no definitive safety guidelines for preventing the contracting of Covid-19, especially with the information constantly changing, we recommend using a combination of commonsense and some of the guidelines that have already been established.
Established Safety Guidelines
- Practice Social Distancing (Stay 6 Feet Apart While In Public)
- Avoid Crowded Public Places
- Avoid Close Contact With Anyone That Has A Fever Or A Cough
- Only Go Out For Necessities (e.g. Groceries, Gas, etc.)
- Wear A Clean Face Mask In Public Places (especially if mandated)
- Wash Hands With Soap For At Least 20 Seconds
- Avoid Touching Your Eyes, And Nose When Out In Public
- Cover Your Cough With The Bend Of Your Elbow Or A Tissue
- Stop Hand Shakes & Use Non-Contact Greeting Methods
- Disinfect Surfaces Like Doorknobs, Tables, And Desks Regularly
- Suspend All Non-Essential Travels And Trips
Coronavirus Symptoms
The following symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure:
- Fever
- Cough
- Sore Throat
- New Loss of Taste Or Smell
- Shortness of Breath
- Chills
- Repeated Shaking With Chills
- Muscle Pain
- Headache
- Fatigue
NOTE: The symptoms are usually mild and begin gradually. Seek medical advice if you develop symptoms, have been in close contact with a person known to have Covid-19, or live in an area with an ongoing spread.
If you are 60+ or if you have an underlying condition like Cardiovascular disease, a Respiratory condition, or Diabetes, avoid crowded areas or places where you might interact with people who are sick.
At the time of this writing, there have been reports that younger populations (25-34 years of age) are contracting Covid-19.
Once again, we’re not the authorities on Covid-19 and recommend that you do additional research on the following sites and other reputable sources.
Sources:
- World Health Organization (WHO.int)
- Center For Disease Control (CDC.gov)
Home Schooling
When the Coronavirus hit our society, conventional schooling was abruptly halted and the students found themselves finishing out the rest of the school year from home.
This sudden change didn’t give teachers, parents, or students much time to prepare for this major adjustment.
Talk about improvising on the fly!
Some school districts are deciding on the following educational models (more or less) to accommodate students in response to the Coronavirus outbreak:
Traditional Schooling Model– Attends school 5 days per week
Hybrid Schooling Model(e.g. Attends school 3 days, 2 days home study)
Full-time Home Study Schooling Model– Performs all schoolwork at home
When the time comes, which option will you choose?
Here are some pros and cons of homeschooling to help you to decide:
Pros
- Able to keep an eye on your children
- The certainty that your kids are on their best behavior
- Can’t be bullied by other kids at home
- Could be a safe haven for mentally and physically challenged kids
- You’re able to set the pace of learning based on their capabilities
- Gives you more bonding time
Cons
- This could potentially cause you to become too strict or lenient
- Unable to socialize with other kids
- Children may become socially awkward
- The isolation may make kids depressed, stressed, and develop anxiety
- Parent’s academic knowledge may not be enough to sufficiently teach
- One parent may need to quit their job to stay at home
- Very time consuming
- Requires a lot of patience
As parents, we know that you put the best interest of your children first. However, you must be realistic by considering the impact of your decision.
For example; you may want to quit your job so that you could home-school your children because you feel that you’ve been missing out on spending quality time with them and you’re feeling guilty.
Based on that example, before you quit your job, you should make a list of the pros and cons of doing so. You must answer questions such as:
- Will I have enough money to cover my monthly bills?
- Will this cause financial tension that may lead to arguments?
- What will I do with my 401K?
- How will I continue to save money?
- What are my options for earning income from home?
- And etc.
We’re not here to discourage you from making the decision to stay home in order to home-school your children. We’re simply recommending that you think it through so that you make the best choice that works for the entire family.
Related Article: Beginners Guide To Homeschooling
Activities To Prevent Boredom
Being self-quarantined for months on end can take its toll on anyone. Millions of people are starting to suffer from Cabin Fever, which is causing elevated levels of stress, anxiety, and depression.
Cabin Fever Defined: According to Merriam-Webster, it means extreme irritability and restlessness from living in isolation or a confined indoor area for a prolonged time.
Does that describe what you’re feeling?
If so, you’re not alone.
We understand that there are only so many things that you can do at home to prevent boredom, which is why people like to venture out into the world.
There are only so many video games you want to play and so many movies you want to watch.
At some point, you need to get creative on finding other fun activities that you can do to ward off all that boredom so that you can maintain your sanity.
Activity Ideas To Help Prevent Cabin Fever
Fortunately, there are plenty of fun activities that can be done both indoors and out to help prevent boredom and are only limited by your imagination.
Here are a few that you can give a try…
Arts and Crafts
The possibilities for arts and crafts projects are endless. You could potentially have a different-themed project for just about every day. You can search the Internet and Image-based social media networks for excellent and innovative ideas.
Examples:
- Crochet and Knitting
- Scrapbooking
- Sewing
- Embroidery
- Needlepoint
- Greeting Card Making
- Soap Making / Soap Carving
- Candle Making
- Drawing
- Painting
- Learn Calligraphy
- Doll Making
- Holiday Decoration Making
Music
Who doesn’t like music? If you’ve been wanting to learn how to play an instrument, now is the time. If you have children, why not introduce them to various instruments to see what their interest levels are?
Most children love music, and you can keep them happy by letting them make their own. You could create a family band at home and have fun learning how to play your favorite tunes.
There are many instruments to choose from, so here are a few examples:
- Clarinet
- Harp
- Saxophone
- Violin
- Piano
- Cello
- Drums (May drive you nuts)
- Guitar
- Flute
Pretend Time
Whether it's playing house, doctor, or school, kids love to pretend. Help them use their imaginations by setting up a space to look like a kitchen or schoolhouse and playing along.
Indoor Camping
One of the most fun ways to play pretend is to go camping indoors. Whether it's in a child's room or the living room, pitch a tent or build a fort.
You can add to this experience with some simple crafty additions, such as pretending to go fishing in the bathtub and building a “fire” with cardboard tubes and some colored paper.
When it starts to get dark, hand your kids a flashlight and listen to them tell you spooky stories.
Gardening
Not everyone may have a green thumb but it’s good to give gardening a try. It’s very pleasing to see all the fruits and vegetables you’ve grown on your own.
Not to mention, you get fresh fruits and vegetables right out of your own home-grown garden! How cool would that be to reap the rewards from the fruits of your labor (no pun intended)?
Another great thing you can plant is flowers. Flowers brighten up your yard, making you feel a sense of peace.
Related Article: Organic Gardening Tips For Beginners
Bird Watching
Many people have the same wish: for life to slow down. Watching the birds fly above them, seemingly having no care in the world brings people a sense of peace, curiosity, and anticipation for the upcoming events.
You’ll increase your chances of seeing a bigger variety of birds if you go to a park that has lots of trees.
Cloud Watching
Looking at the clouds above us stimulates our imagination. It’s always so much fun trying to decide if a cloud looks like a dog, pig, or penguin riding a bicycle. There’s no age limit to this hobby; children and adults can both equally enjoy this classic activity.
Learn to Cook
Getting stuck indoors is a great opportunity to get a little help in the kitchen. Let your kids help you bake a loaf of bread, decorate cookies, or get vegetables ready for soup.
This might also be a great way to encourage your kids to eat things they ordinarily wouldn't.
With all of this free time, you could learn how to cook different types of foods from other cultures.
This would benefit the whole family from a standpoint of not having to eat the same old boring meals over and over.
Games
Whether you are playing board games, hide-and-seek, or making up games of your own, you can pass a lot of time just simply playing games with your kids.
You might be surprised how much fun a simple game of “Simon Says” can be. There is no shortage of the number of games that you can play at home.
Examples:
- Chess
- Darts
- Checkers
- Jigsaw Puzzles
- Various Board Games
- Dominoes
- Card Games
- Volleyball
- Badminton
- Frisbee Throwing
- Baseball
- Football
- Basketball
- Soccer
- Swimming
- Air Hockey
- Table Tennis
- Pool
- Horseshoes
- Backyard Miniature Golf / Putting
- Video Games
Astronomy
Looking above into the unknown brings calmness to some people. The peace and quiet of the night provide you the opportunity to be alone with your thoughts and de-stress from the day’s activities.
Invest in a good telescope and have fun learning about the solar system. As a matter of fact, make it a family affair if you have kids.
You can turn your stargazing into a fun game by quizzing your children on the different names of the stars.
Collecting Hobbies
People collect objects for different reasons. Either they have an interest in that certain object or it means something to them. Whatever the reason, people consider this hobby to be fun, and it gives them pleasure.
Here are five of the most popular objects that people collect for a hobby. Keep in mind that you can collect whatever items that interest you the most.
- Stamps
- Antiques
- Marbles
- Jewelry
- Badges
Radio Controlled Hobby
RC hobbies are popular all around the world. What could be more fun than a miniaturized version of a life-sized vehicle, which is fully functional and ready to drive, fly, or float?
It just takes a bit of very basic knowledge of the motors and radio equipment for you to enjoy this exciting pastime.
Examples:
- Vehicles
- Planes
- Helicopters
- Drones
- Boats
Miscellaneous Hobby Ideas
Hobbies are an excellent way to occupy your free time with activities you enjoy. When you’re engaged in what you love, you are mentally in your own little world.
They are great stress and anxiety relievers, to say the least.
A hobby could be whatever you want from building model planes to collecting rare coins.
Examples:
- Build Model Vehicles, Boats, Ships, Planes, Etc.
- Candle Making
- Scrapbooking
- Collecting Items
- Digital Photography
- Painting
- Drawing
- Learning Foreign Languages
- Writing
- Cooking
- Container Gardening
- Jewelry Making
- Playing Instruments
- Sports
- Building Computers
- Dancing
We haven’t scratched the surface of the thousands of hobbies that you could get involved with. You have to decide for yourself what hobbies interest you the most, explore them, make a decision, and then go from there.
The good news is that you’re not obligated to stick with anyone's hobby, if you don’t enjoy it, then try another one.
Get A Pet
People love their animals so much that, they consider them to be part of the family. Pets are great for companionship and teach you how to be responsible.
Caring for a pet is a lot of work and you must be prepared to handle every aspect of the process.
Getting a pet for your children is a terrific way to teach them how to handle responsibility.
They’ll learn that owning a pet is not just about petting and cuddling up and that there’s a price to pay for having that privilege.
Related Article: 6 Ways a Therapy Pet Can Help Children
Miscellaneous Activity Ideas
- Learn How To Dance (e.g. ballet, hip-hop, modern, jazz, etc.)
- Make Paper Airplanes With The Kids
- Kite Flying
- Learn How To Perform Magic Tricks
- Reading
- Journal/Diary Writing
- Robot Making
- Create An Aquarium
- Restoration Projects (e.g. Furniture, Classic Cars, Antiques, etc.)
- And The List Goes On.
We just presented you with a small list of potential activities that you can use to help spark ideas of your own.
These activity ideas can help you prevent boredom caused by cabin fever as a result of being stuck inside during this Coronavirus Pandemic.
Managing Stress and Anxiety
The negative impact of this pandemic is causing people to experience high levels of stress and anxiety.
The most common reasons are what we’ve been talking about in this guide such as; Economic Worries, Keeping The Family Safe, Schooling Options, and Boredom.
All of those aspects of our lives affect each other and create a Domino Effect, either positively or negatively.
Since there’s no running away from this situation, we have to deal with it.
And the only way to handle challenges and roadblocks in life is to face them straight-on.
There’s no way to completely eliminate stress, therefore it has to be reduced and managed.
The more relaxed that you become, the clearer you’ll think and the more resourceful you’ll be.
Tips To Help Reduce Stress
Tip 1: Make a To-Do List
Everything in life that requires a series of steps can have a to-do list created to help manage the process.
A to-do list keeps you focused and allows you to prioritize the most important tasks that must get completed first.
Not only that, a to-do list is a great tool for brainstorming all the things that need to be done, which is a great way to not forget any important tasks.
This level of prioritization and extreme focus is what can reduce your stress levels drastically because you’ll get your work done faster with a huge reduction in errors.
Related Article: Secrets To Living A Stress-Free Life
Tip 2: Set Achievable Daily Goals To Help Manage Time
You’ve most likely heard the old saying that goes, “Don’t Bite Off More Than You Can Chew.”
Creating your To-Do List helps you to identify which task that needs to be completed first, it’s just that simple.
If you finish a task ahead of schedule, you can decide whether or not to start the next, but stick to a definite cut-off time each day.
If you follow the methodology of working on priority tasks first, you’ll naturally achieve your daily goals with less stress.
Related Article: 13 Ways To Master Time Management
Tip 3: Organizing and Simplifying Your Life
If one of your main sources of stress is the sheer number of things that need to be done, getting organized should help you feel more at peace.
Organization equals efficiency, which reduces that debilitating feeling of overwhelm.
A simple way to get organized is to create a master list of all the things that take up the bulk of your time, and then prioritize them based upon the ones that you’d like to simplify first, create individual projects, then work on one project at a time until it’s completed.
Pick the next project, then start the same process over again.
If you do this with each project that you have on your list, before you know it, they’ll all be completed.
You’ll then have an organized and simplified life, and less stress!
Tip 4: Work At Being Cheerful and Optimistic
Having a good attitude goes a long way toward stress reduction, and must be a conscious decision on your part.
We know that being in a good mood can sometimes be challenging depending on what you’re going through in your life.
However, if you want to reduce your stress levels, you must be proactive by doing things that put you in a good mood, because it won’t happen automatically.
For example; let’s say that you’re at work and you’re dealing with a stressful situation, you could watch a comedy show on your smartphone during a break to help put you in a positive mood.
You could also reminisce about fun vacations or times that you’ve spent with loved ones in vivid detail, which will allow you to use all 5 senses.
It’ll feel as if you’re reliving those events all over again.
Remember, our minds can’t distinguish between what’s real and what’s imagined, which is why you must control your own thought process.
The big takeaway is that you must command control over your feelings and not let them control you.
Tip 5: Take a Daily Timeout
Try to take time every day to slow down and do something you enjoy, even if it is just for a few minutes.
For example; you could read a magazine, play with your dog, listen to music, read a book, or do any other activity that helps you forget the stresses of your day can calm your nerves, and help you remember what is important.
Tips To Help Reduce Anxiety
Tip 1: Make Sure To Get Enough Sleep
When you lack enough sleep over a prolonged period of time, you become even more prone to develop anxiety disorders.
Sleep is required to help your body rest so that it can recharge enough to sustain the workload of the next day.
As a rule of thumb, you should get at least 7 hours of sleep per night.
Related Article: Natural Sleep Remedies That Work
Tip 2: Maintain a Regular Exercise Routine
Exercise has a lot of positive effects on the body. It does not only make you more fit, but it is also an effective therapy for anxiety conditions.
Apart from regular exercises; cardio, yoga, and stretching are some great options that can be used as therapies to treat anxiety.
Related Article: Top 20 Exercise Tips For Beginners
Tip 3: Eat Healthy Meals and Snacks
A diet rich in healthy nutrients is one that helps to boost your immune system, which in turn wards off diseases and helps to fight stress.
Be certain to eat small nutritious meals every 2 to 2 ½ hours. Each meal should contain complex carbs, protein, and healthy fats.
Drink water 45 minutes before and after each meal in order to remain hydrated and flush out toxins.
Related Article: Benefits Of Good Nutrition
Tip 4: Limit Alcohol Use and Avoid Drugs
There are some people who think that alcohol and drugs can take away all their worries and problems.
In fact, these only worsen a person’s anxiety condition. Instead of freeing one from anxiety, too much alcohol consumption will most likely lead to addiction.
Do we even have to talk about the devastating effects of drugs on the human body?
Anytime that you feel like reaching for the bottle, try your best to replace it with something else more positive such as working out.
Of course, we know that addiction isn’t easy to beat and you may need to seek professional help.
Tip 5: Seek Emotional Support from Family and Friends
Sometimes, the only thing that can free a person from too much anxiety is to be around people who can give strong emotional and spiritual support.
If a person has a strong social support system, they are less likely to develop anxiety disorder and stress. Why go it alone if you can get support?
Tip 6: Try Meditating
Many studies claim that meditation is a great way of relieving one’s stress and anxieties.
Among the popular forms of meditation are walking meditation, transcendental meditation, and mindfulness. With the treatment’s ability to reduce anxiety, specialists recommend patients enroll or join meditation classes.
With the advent of the Internet, you don’t even have to leave your home, as you can take online classes and watch instructors teach you via live video streams or pre-recorded videos.
You can also purchase physical books, e-books, and audiobooks that provide you How-To instructions on meditation.
Related Article: Guided Meditation - 6 Steps For Relieving Stress
Tip 7: Try Practicing Relaxation Techniques
Another good technique for overcoming anxiety is to practice relaxation routines.
One of the most commonly practiced relaxation routines is visualization and breathing. These practices really help in reducing and even eliminating the feeling of anxiety.
Just like with meditation, you have the option of having an instructor teach you over the Internet or buying books in various formats to help you learn relaxation techniques.
Staying Fit and Healthy
Without good health, the quality of your life will be absolutely miserable because you’ll most likely be in pain a great deal of the time.
Most of the population has some type of health issue that they’re dealing with, some more severe than others.
Regardless of your level of health, you can always take steps to improve it.
For those of you that have gym memberships, up until recently when they were temporarily closed, you had to find alternative methods to stay in shape, especially if you didn’t have a home gym established.
You perform better in all areas of your life when you are in peak mental and physical shape.
Getting into the best shape of your life during the pandemic is one of the best moves that you can make, as this will help you to weather this unwanted storm of Covid-19.
We understand that not everybody is able to afford an expensive gym membership with all the bells and whistles.
For many folks, after working all day and carrying out family obligations, even with pristine finances, going back out to drive to a gym is difficult.
That is where creativity in life comes into the picture. If you have a packed schedule, then finding fun ways to get fit at home is a great option for you and the entire family.
Fun Ways to Get Fit at Home
Cycling
If you do not have a bicycle, maybe it is time to invest in one. Bicycling can be fun and at the same time, it eases your mind and gets you outdoors.
Even if you only ride for 15 minutes a day or for a longer excursion during the weekend, you will see how much fun it is to ride a bicycle again.
In addition, of course, you have the opportunity to make it a family affair if you have children. Bicycling is a fantastic way to put the fun back into fitness and get the family out of the house.
Break Out the Roller Skates
Roller skating is back with a vengeance. Men and women all over the country are heading outdoors again to rollerblade with enthusiasm.
If you never learned how to roller skate when you were a kid, there are many groups to join for newcomers, beginners, and more advanced skaters as well.
Skating burns a lot of calories, which makes this fun activity great for losing weight and getting into shape.
Jump Roping and Jumping Jacks
These two classic exercises are not just for children. They make for a great cardio activity and burn loads of calories, which can help to melt those extra pounds right off of your body.
Jump ropes are extremely inexpensive even for the best quality brands.
The best part about jumping jacks is that they don’t require any special equipment.
Break out the Technology
With the advancements in technology, there are no excuses for not being able to get into shape in the comforts of your home.
There’s a wide range of fitness programs to choose from that ranging from dance routines to fitness games that can be played on gaming consoles.
Every option from yoga to bowling is available for your fun and enjoyment.
If you do have the budget to invest in advanced home fitness equipment, by all means do so, because many manufacturers are building computer monitors into them, which allows you to take live fitness classes led by certified trainers.
The best part is that you get to enjoy time with family and friends while working out and not even know that you are burning calories.
Dance Contests
You don’t have to be a professional dancer in order to bust a move and besides, you’ll be at home anyway.
If you have a family, why not put on some high-energy music and then have a dance contest, where the winner gets a healthy prize such as a gift card to a juice bar?
Remember, putting your favorite music on and dancing up a storm is a great way to exercise and have fun, especially when no one outside the family is looking.
General Weight Loss Tips
People are beginning to realize that most of the outrageous claims made by the companies that sell weight-loss products and exercise contraptions are mostly hype designed to separate you from your money.
The truth of the matter is that almost anyone can lose a respectable amount of weight by putting forth the effort and using their common sense.
In this section, we will share with you a hand full of action items that you could apply to your body that will go a long way towards shedding those extra pounds in a natural way instead of using potentially harmful diet supplements.
Related Article: 17 Weight Loss Rules For Beginners
Increase Protein Consumption
Since your muscles are made up of mostly protein and water it’s a good idea to consume enough of it on a daily basis in order to maintain the proper levels.
Another good reason to consume enough protein on a daily basis is that protein is not stored in the body as a reserve or backup supply that could be called upon when your body is running low.
For example, carbohydrates are stored in your body for backup energy when your body’s blood sugar levels get low. Protein doesn’t work like that in the body. If you over-consume more protein than your body requires, it will store the excess in the form of fat.
Protein also repairs and rebuilds your muscle fibers, especially after a strenuous workout.
As a general rule of thumb, you should consume 1 gram of protein for every lean pound of muscle mass.
Related Article: Nutrients Simplified - What Is Protein?
Workout 3-5 Times Per Week
At this stage in health and fitness, we all know the many positive benefits of exercising on a regular basis, both mentally and physically.
That’s why it’s recommended that you should exercise at least 3 times per week because some of the benefits include increased energy levels, a boost in metabolism, stress relief, body shaping, fat loss, the strength of the heart, etc.
It doesn’t matter what type of exercise you choose to use to get into shape, what is important is that you must enjoy it and remain consistent. If you don’t enjoy your workouts then you will not remain consistent.
Increase Water Consumption
We know that you’ve been told over and over about how important it is to drink 8 glasses of water per day.
That is a very generalized statement, but the fact of the matter is that you should consume enough water on a daily basis to ensure that all of your bodily functions operate correctly.
Water is responsible for just about every function and process that takes place within your body.
Water is responsible for eliminating waste, sweat, digestion, keeping your eyeballs moist, transporting nutrients throughout your body, etc.…
Water Intake Guideline: As a general rule, you should consume between 1/2 to 1 ounce of water per pound of body weight per day.
For example, let's say you weigh 130 pounds, you'd consume between 65 to 130 ounces of water per day.
You also have to factor in your climate (hot or cold) because warm climates cause you to sweat which leads to water loss that must be replaced.
Another thing to consider is what your level of activity is on any given day.
For example; let’s say that you deliver packages; this means that you’ll have to consume enough water to replace the loss due to the physical nature of the job.
On the other hand, if you sit behind a desk in an air-conditioned building, your water requirements will be less than that of a person who does manual labor.
Tip: Drink your water either 45 minutes before or after you consume foods so that you don’t wash away the digestive enzymes secreted by your stomach used to digest your food.
Related Article: Nutrients Simplified - Water Demystified
Increase Consumption of Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and veggies are very important in the body because they provide essential vitamins and minerals that we need to stay healthy.
Fruits provide energy because of the natural sugars that they contain and they also provide us with water.
Fruits and veggies naturally provide vitamins and minerals that are responsible for healthy hair, skin, eyesight, strong teeth/bones, digestion, metabolism, etc.
Decrease Consumption Of Starchy Foods
Overconsumption of starchy carbohydrates is one of the biggest reasons for the obesity problem that we are facing today.
One of the reasons that we overconsume carbs is because there is an overabundance of them.
Another reason is that they are inexpensive.
But the biggest reason we overindulge is that they taste so good! If you think about it, most of the world’s favorite dishes use starchy carbs as their main ingredient.
Take pizza, for example, its main ingredient is a starchy crust or a good old-fashioned meat and potatoes (starchy) meal.
We’re not saying that you should eliminate starchy foods from your diet completely, just consume them in moderation because they contain a lot of empty calories.
Periodically if you insist on over-consuming carbohydrates, substitute the starchy empty carbs for nutrient-dense carbs.
For example, substitute white potatoes with yams or white bread with whole-grain bread, etc.
Those are just some of the natural ways to lose fat naturally. Please be very careful when you see and hear about those so-called weight-loss miracle products because what they fail to tell you is that there are no magic bullets or formulas only good science and effort.
Get The Pandemic Survival Guide!
Conclusion
The whole point of the Coronavirus Survival Guide was to acknowledge some of the biggest challenges that you may be facing during this pandemic and to provide you with some solutions to help ease the pain.
None of us asked for this interruption of our everyday normal lifestyles, but nonetheless, we must deal with the impact.
This outbreak has forced us to adapt to this New Normal, which happens to be extremely frustrating.
People are losing their jobs left and right and filing for unemployment by the millions not being able to cover their monthly overhead; such as the mortgage, utilities, car payments, groceries, etc.
These are some trying times, to say the least.
Regardless of being in the midst of a pandemic that’s wreaking havoc on our economy, we still have to continue surviving the best way that we can.
Giving up means automatic failure and we hope that we’ve given you some rocket fuel that will persuade you to continue fighting for your lively hood.
We don’t expect you to implement all of the information at once, simply select the information that’s most relevant, and then act upon it.
Take baby steps to avoid overwhelm.
Good luck and keep fighting for your livelihood!