We need to self-care it up my fellow Americans.
I’m afraid that, for a lot of folks, rebalancing after the pandemic is going to take some work and time. We are maybe just now realizing the physical and psychological toll it took, or may still be taking, on us. In addition to re-emergence anxiety, Americans really increased their drinking and their weight, not to mention that the overall death rate in 2020 was about 16% higher than in 2019.
Friends, it has been a rough time. Self-love is needed more than ever.
The American Psychological Association did two “Stress in America” surveys during the past year. One was done in the Fall of 2020 which predicted health and social consequences from the pandemic for years to come. The second survey which was done in March of 2021 started to shed some light on this future. Key findings include that a majority of adults (61%) reported experiencing undesired weight changes with more than 2 in 5 (42%) saying that they gained more weight than they intended. Of this group, adults reported gaining an average of 29 pounds (with a typical weight gain of 15 pounds, which is the median). Nearly 1 in 4 adults (23%) reported drinking more alcohol to cope with their stress during the pandemic. Nearly half of Americans (47%) said they delayed or canceled health care services since March of 2020. Plus, a lot of us, weren’t sleeping well or were sleeping too much.
So, as you take advantage of summer and its sunshine and outdoor possibilities, below are some ideas to get you re-balancing:
1. Get back to your regularly scheduled dental and physical check-ups. It might take longer to get in to see your health care provider so call today. You’ll be glad that you did, and they will be happy to see you and help you establish and meet your wellness goals.
2. If you are looking to lose weight, I’ve become a fan of programs that focus on behavioral and psychological strategies rather than depravation. There are some that even integrate cognitive-behavioral therapy and are specially designed by psychologists!
3. One way to get rid of some calories is to cut back on your alcohol consumption. Maybe see if you can reduce your intake by a third from where you were in the spring. If you need help with your alcohol use, there are lots of great resources out there. One of my favorites is firstcallkc.org
4. As promised in my recent sleep blog, I want to also highlight NAPS!! Again, this info comes from Dr. James Maas.
a. Your nap needs to be either 15-20 minutes or 90 minutes. You never want to go for an hour nap as, by that time, you will have entered deep sleep and you’ll be groggy when you wake up. 15-20 minutes will help you get through that mid-day dip in energy and alertness but won’t interfere with your night sleep. The best time for a nap is between 1-3p in the afternoon.
b. I think it is worth mentioning again: People who take a “power nap” have a 35% less risk of heart attack or stroke than those who don’t nap. So, bring on the nap!!
c. Napping during the day consolidates memory, so whatever you are doing that you want to remember during the day can be better remembered after a nap!
d. You can also just benefit from quiet time to relax.
It is never too late to make even small changes to your lifestyle that can have big positive benefits.