Using five S’s to cope with COVID-19
Tips to optimise your lifestyle and behaviour while at home during the South Africa national lockdown.
Staying at home is a great way to practice social distancing in the context of COVID-19. During this time, we should also be cognisant of our lifestyle and healthy behaviours.
Pay attention to the following 5 S’s while at home:
- Sedentary Behaviour and physical inactivity are among the leading modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality. This involves activities such as reading, computer usage, watching television, office work, prolonged sitting time and cell phone usage (or lately known as screen time). Greater efforts at preventing sedentary behaviour and physical inactivity while promoting physical activity, exercise, and cardiorespiratory fitness (especially since COVID-19 attacks the respiratory system) are needed throughout the healthcare system, in which the burden of cardiometabolic diseases remains extremely high.
Due to being at home, our physical activity can decrease while our sitting time may increase. The concept of N.E.A.T. (non-exercise physical activity thermogenesis) involves activities such as washing, ironing, sweeping, etc. Following or watching exercise videos online are helpful. In addition, also take advantage of some home-based workouts. If being active indoors is not enough, daily chores around the house, or standing while working, can reduce sedentary behaviour and increase oxygen to the brain for sustained energy.
READ MORE: How to stay fit and active at home during the coronavirus self-isolation
- Stress– While we need to take our precautions and keep up to date with the news, managing our stress levels at this time has never been more important. Meditation and breathing activities such as Yoga or Tai Chi can be beneficial. Try and also embrace more laughter during this period.
Stress has also been shown to be a silent time bomb for one’s health. There is an overwhelming amount of evidence supporting the debilitating effects of stress on one’s immunity, your heart health and the vulnerability and resilience factors that play a role in amplifying such effects. Constant stress has been linked to higher activity in an area of the brain linked to processing emotions, and an increased likelihood of developing a low immunity.
Don’t stress, READ MORE: 5 ways to manage stress during the coronavirus outbreak
- Sleep– many would like to play “catch-up” during this time for one of their favourite activities – sleep. That’s great! We should be sleeping for at least 7 hours per day. However, we should also be cautious of not sleeping too much (perhaps > 9 hours) as this can either cause a dull ache headache or the feeling of lethargy or dullness, which may prevent us from being productive while working from home.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), adults who sleep less than 7 hours each night are more likely to say they have had health problems, including heart attack, asthma, depression and a low immunity – which can also contribute to the risk of developing any form of viral diseases, including COVID-19. In their review, Nagai et al. (2010) confirmed that sleep deprivation is also associated with hypertension, coronary heart disease (CHD), and type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Increased sympathetic nervous system activity has considered to serve as a common pathophysiology in sleep deprivation in relation to these diseases. Persons with sleep apnea have been found to be at an increased risk for a number of cardiovascular diseases and low immunity, and have been found to be more common among those with disordered sleep than their peers without sleep abnormalities.
It would be wrong to think that getting less than 7 hours of sleep makes one a warrior. Power naps (where possible) of up to an hour, can fill the void of less sleep during the night. Taking breaks or a nap is ok! Adequate sleep time is especially a challenge for mothers. It is suggested that mothers plan their schedules accordingly to counteract their sleep deficit as best as possible. In the current fourth industrial revolution (4IR), one way would be to do voice dictation (voice notes) when communicating, or automate, delegate and outsource certain tasks online. In addition, mothers can even include kids in their work (if possible). Similarly, most Dads will be at home during this period and can also help around the house.
- Smoking and Sugar Consumption – staying indoors in the comfort of your own home may provide a further inclination to consume cigarettes or comfort foods filled with sugar. Especially during stressful events, many rely on sugary foods to curb anxiety. Occupying yourself with your work, daily chores or home-based workouts, and staying away from the kitchen most of the time, can reduce those cravings and temptations. Pay attention to these habits, as it may cause one to reduce their productivity while working, but also increase weight.
READ MORE: Eat right to avoid getting sick
Summary
Based on the above five tips, one can see that they are all inter-related. A culmination of the above with good hygiene practices, coupled with social distancing, would improve our immunity. As such, we should take the necessary steps in guiding each other on abstaining from the above collectively (added sugar intake, chronic stress, smoking, sleep decline or deprivation, and prolonged sitting time). Indeed, individual variations exist along with a few factors (such as genetics). With the evolvement of modern-day living, technological advances and the fourth industrial revolution (4IR), now is a better time as ever to enhance our awareness and education surrounding the 5 S’s that can optimise our lifestyle and behavioural choices while at home during the pandemic.
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