It has almost been two years since the global lockdown started in March 2020, and if you are one of those professionals who started working from home since then, you have probably changed so much now. You just didn’t know it. When was the last time you opened your wardrobe and dressed up? When was the last time you made an appointment with your psychotherapist? When was the last time you made virtual plans with your friends?
This article will discuss these little things that are doing more harm than good for your overall health. Here are the telltale signs that you are more than just embodying the introvert in you this quarantine. Honey, you need to stop.
You are missing out on your health appointments
Due to the lockdown restrictions implemented to control the virus’ spread, many establishments closed for a while. It is only understandable that you tended to miss out on your regular facial cleansing or even your salon appointments during the early stages of lockdown last year. Things that make you feel good and confident but are not essential services. But missing appointments concerning your health? For instance, it’s not good to miss out on physiotherapy sessions prescribed for your scoliosis. It is a sign that you are neglecting your health. Especially when you’re now prone to spending long hours sitting down working or binging on Grey’s Anatomy. Mer wouldn’t be proud.
You are canceling virtual plans to do nothing
Were you ever invited by your water-rising friends to a game night or a Zoom party, and you declined only to find yourself binging on Twilight Saga after work? Well, as much as we would want to consider that a healthy personal time, in retrospect, that could be a sign of isolating yourself from others. In this trying time, people are all trying to be okay using different coping mechanisms, and if things haven’t been looking up lately, surrounding yourself with friends would help. You probably don’t feel like talking right now, but at least try. Jacob’s six-pack could be eye-candy, but it cannot provide you with the affirmative words you need to keep going.
You have a relationship with your bed and your couch
During the first few months of quarantine last year, working from home may have sounded good. At last! Oh, sweet rest and sleep! You probably have forgotten what it was like to sleep in and work without restricting clothes or shoes. However, a year and a half after, how’s your routine going? Has your bedroom become your new workstation? Chances are that you work a lot on your bed, and you go to the couch for Netflix breaks (or vice versa). While it is quite challenging to establish a healthy routine during this pandemic, it is still important to get moving.
Those few steps transferring to the couch or your office chair from your bed don’t count. Even without risking your health outside, you could throw down a yoga mat and do some stretches. Ten to fifteen minutes would be good for starters.
You haven’t learned anything new
There’s nothing wrong with just existing from time to time, but to promote wellness and positivity, we need to call out bad and unhealthy habits. The underrated truth is that the quarantine provided us with a lot of free time on our hands. So take a hard look in a mirror. What did you do with this time? Some people used it to invest in new businesses; others took extra online courses. Many even tried TikTok out of curiosity.
May it be for entertainment or to nurture knowledge and passion, doing nothing fulfilling is quite sad. If you haven’t tried something new during this lockdown, that could be a sign of extreme burnt-out. You need to hit the reset button, honey, and you will certainly find that flow state soon. Just look at Taylor Swift, producing two golden albums during the lockdown. Talk about flow state and momentum!
Final Thoughts
No one can be exempt from the changes brought about by the long period of quarantine, and we are not talking about that quarantine weight everybody has probably gained. One way or another, there would be some changes in your life, may that be with your daily routine, fitness, working habits, social life, and even your preferences in food. The funniest part is that these are unnoticeable until we hit the 1-year mark of lockdown.
Although we all long for how things were before, there is only one way forward. Some industry experts say that the new normal is here to stay. So, as for you, it is not yet too late. It is about time you break these bad quarantine habits and live a healthier post-Covid life!
