By Pauline Abigail Mandalupe
A routine of taking care of yourself is very important nowadays, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic is very dangerous and deadly that it can kill you if you don’t know how to take care of yourself. By having a healthy routine, you do not only protect yourself but many others too.
Eating a healthy meal, like fruits and vegetables, drinking vitamins, and having a healthy diet are important in your life. An unhealthy diet is a major risk for obesity, heart disease, stroke, and deficits in brain function. Every day, we need to eat, especially breakfast, since it is a very important meal in a day. No matter how busy or late you are, you shouldn’t skip breakfast. Eating a healthy meal improves your energy level and ability to concentrate. Always remember that the food we eat has a potential to keep us healthy and helps our immune system to stay strong.
Engage in exercises by walking, jogging or biking, if you can’t go out because of the pandemic right now, and the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ). You need to help yourself by exercising everyday, doing cardio exercises and muscular endurance exercises at home to stay fit. Not getting enough physical activity can lead to heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, a flabby body, little energy and stiff joints. Make it a daily routine to exercise regularly. We all know how good it is for our body and brain. It can help you both physically and mentally, boosting your mood and reducing stress and anxiety.
By drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day, you can already help your body be healthy. Failing to drink enough can cause dehydration and adverse symptoms, including fatigue, headache, dry skin and weakened immunity. Your body uses water in all its cells, tissues and organs, that’s why it’s very important to drink enough water every day, since water helps in carrying nutrients and oxygen to your cells, flushing bacteria from your bladder to prevent constipation, and normalizing blood pressure. Water also helps to regulate body temperature.
Getting enough sleep is a powerful force that can dispense a multitude of life-changing benefits, from making ourselves more productive to prolonging our lives, because sleep can have a huge effect on how you feel either in your emotional and physical health. Not getting enough sleep can cause major health issues. With an adequate amount of sleep, 8-10 hours of sleep every night, you can control your negative thoughts, and increase your productivity. Most importantly, practicing good hygiene can prevent you from developing painful diseases and infection. When you don’t practice good hygiene, your body can accumulate bacteria that may lead to diseases and can also cause parasites to live and multiply in your body. Practicing good hygiene requires you to discipline yourself to perform basic personal hygiene habits on a regular basis. Wash your hands every time before eating or preparing food, after coming from restrooms and after coughing or sneezing. Wash your body and hair often. Brush your teeth after every meal or at least twice a day. Trim your fingernails and toenails regularly. Overall good hygiene will help you stay healthy and ward off illnesses.
Take care of yourself by getting organized. Allow yourself to figure out exactly what you need to do. Always prepare ahead of time in school, do your activities, assignments, submit them before the time limit in every subject, enter your classes 5 minutes before the time and study before you sleep. Being disorganized can hinder your ability to get where you want and can even be bad for your physical and mental health. For learners, being organized is particularly important since it helps them learn how to prioritize activities, set and achieve goals, and reduce stress. Having good organizational skills helps increase productivity and efficiency.
But what more can I do to take care of myself? Our online class has just started last year but it is still going on until now! This COVID-19 pandemic has given us a large increase in screen time, using phones and computers for everyday classes, playing video games, watching TV, because everything we do now needs screen time. Practicing self-awareness and self-management can help, bringing your books when you leave the house, and even better, reading books. You might be amazed at the difference it can make when you stop and slow down instead of always looking at your phone. Not only can it help improve your mood, but it can also help you to stay more present and mindful. Finally, I encourage everyone to practice a routine of having a healthy lifestyle and happier life.
In conclusion, a healthy routine and lifestyle are essential needs for us. It is very important to have self-discipline in life.