In a new study conducted by JuicePlus+, a health and wellbeing company, 39% of Americans admit that their health hasn’t improved since the pandemic started. 58% stated that the pandemic has inspired different outlooks and habits.
The study surveyed 2,000 Americans.
According to the study, 27% of people said that they’re watching a lot more TV. 28% were spending unproductive time scrolling through their mobile devices. 27% were sleeping in too late.
The lockdowns provided a number of people to become more self-aware and conscious of their decisions. It’s fair to say that we all at one point made a poor decision. However, more than one-third of the participants stated that they wanted to become a better person and embrace a healthier way of living.
Another recent study by United Talent Agency found that people plan on attending some form of live entertainment once it’s safe to do so.
Mental health is becoming a core focus.
35% stated that they’re going to put their mental health above all else. 30% will focus on eating a balanced diet. 32% are keen on cooking healthier meals and staying away from takeout or eating out.
19% of people will are focusing on getting more exercise and getting as much fresh air as possible.
“What many people don’t realize is that by taking a simple step like eating and drinking more healthily, we are affecting our own subconscious,” states Dr. Zelana in a press release. “In eating well and exercising more, we are telling our brain and body ‘I am worth it,’ which goes so far for affecting our moods positively and spurring us all on to keep up as many healthy habits as possible. We’re subconsciously reinforcing the positive feedback loop in our brain that builds self-worth when we’re careful about what we put into our bodies.”
The study also revealed that 54% of the participants are confident that they’ll be able to maintain the healthy habits they’ve developed. 46%, however, stated that they will struggle to keep them going.
Dr. Zelana’s tips to keep yourself on track and maintaining healthy habits
1. Don’t try to fake positivity – accept all your feelings, negative too. Once we’re able to acknowledge and be honest about what we’re going through, we give those negative emotions less power over us. Then we’re able to reframe our thoughts into more hopeful ones and take action to move forward.
2. Saying you want to stay active is great, but it requires actually building it into our calendar to carve out time like we do anything else that’s important. Staying active does wonders for our mental health. If you have a hard time staying motivated, partner up with a friend and hold each other accountable. Instead of meeting people for a coffee, meet up for a power walk and catch up while on the move – win win!
3. Mindfulness isn’t just limited to meditations, and while that can be really powerful, it’s also important to practice throughout the day to be fully present in whatever we’re doing. Research has shown being engaged in the moment increases our productivity and engagement immensely. Instead of bogging yourself down, create a habit and practice looking inward throughout the day, even create a timer on your phone for check-ins.
4. Edit your social media feeds and contact lists. The pandemic has hopefully helped us wean toxic relationships, and figure out who we can really live without. Tune into that and use it as a tool. When it comes to social media, it’s really hard to compare our behind the scenes with everyone’s edited highlight reels. Unfollow people who make you feel like you’re not doing enough, who you’re always comparing yourself to, or who make you feel bad about yourself.
5. Create a different space outside of work and home that is yours only – book club, painting studio, dance class, whatever it is that you enjoy. Make sure it’s a place or activity that you love so much that you forget where you are, so that you’re in the flow of that moment, and that it’s not related to your career or your family. This will nurture the child still in all of us, and develop all aspects of who you are. There’s so much joy when we are fully immersed in something we enjoy just as we once did as kids – and it’s an incredibly effective way to refresh the mind and spirit.
Since we’ve been stripped of our live shows, and now that events are beginning to happen again, everyone is excited to get back to normal. Festivals are for the most part in full swing.
What healthy habits have you picked up during the pandemic?