REAL LIFE - REACH & RECOVER #7 - STAY HEALTHY DURING LATEST LOCKDOWN

With the road incident I was involved in and the recovery time spent in a hospital bed for a year, I was pretty much in isolation most of the time with only a few visitors and it taught me so many life-skills that I have been able to use in these lockdowns.

With this new chapter of lockdown, I am using some of the same methods from my experience in the hospital. I feel so happy to get a chance to share these methods with you on this blog. There have been ups and downs along the way during these lockdowns, like us all, and the more I share with others, sadly it seems we all have had difficult moments dealing with these uncharted waters. Yet, what has been so powerful is staying motivated and having a plan.

Here some helpful ways to navigate through this new lockdown:

PLAN 1:

I like to structure my mornings with a workout to ensure I have the time to burn off some lockdown energy and, with this, I find it easier to focus on my daughter, my work and having time together as a family. I sneak in a second workout in the afternoon or just before dinner time, which is around 4 pm for me.

I commit to a half workout: like everyone, we are all trying to balance the work and fitness routines at home, while maintaining to stay connected with our family. I have discovered turning my 1-hour workout into 30min blasts has been super successful. I am not skipping my routine. I am shortening the reps yet keeping the set the same with 3 of each. By shortening my workout, I am better focused on each one.

For instance:
• 5.30 am - I do a 30min core workout with stretches and a warm-up session to get the body awake for the day and I listen to a positive podcast or comedy.

• Around 12 pm or 3 pm, depending on how busy I get with work or life goals, I ensure I do HITT or cardio workout 15mins & weights for the other 15mins.

The afternoon workout sessions are a great way to mix up the day, especially when working from home and another special reason I love these afternoon workouts is my toddler joins in with me! It is important for my daughter to see me exercise and enjoy it. Children learn from what they see and for her to see this and find it funny when I do the wrong workout move is so powerful and inspiring. It is a lot of fun for me to see my little lady act out my fitness routine - I can see her determination to make sure she completes the session. Who said workouts at home have to be boring!

PLAN 2.

This lockdown I will use some of the same methods to stay organised and stay healthy. I tend to switch on how I stay organised with a paper diary versus electronic diary. I like to plan my workouts using Google calendar on my laptop and sync the diary to my android phone to stay organised with my workouts, work, brand collaborations, family activities and everyday activities.

For instance, I use colour code themes to match my activities:
• Pink - for workouts
• Green - The Reinvention team meetings, course content, client calls to working in partnership with other companies and collaborations with businesses
• Red - YouTube planning
• Blue - Twitter planning
• Purple - Instagram planning
• Yellow - family time & playdates
• Orange - home admin, dentist, food shop
Having a colour code system allows me to quickly assess what projects I need to stay on course with.

PLAN 3.
Under this new lockdown, I try to reframe the reasons for my fitness and get organised for this new chapter. Fitness workouts are not only super amazing for our physical health, but it also supports our wellbeing with patience and understanding of our new work routine and having a better relationship with our family and friends. Changing the framework of your thinking and staying motivated to work out by’ telling yourself ‘’I will be a better partner and parent, this will make me feel good for the rest of the day.” can support your positive mindset and help stay motivated during this lockdown. Giving yourself a bigger reason to stay on track is a powerful way to stay motivated.

PLAN 4.
I organise my notes and tasks on my Note-Taker on my laptop. I sub-head all the topics for all my work and health projects. Add taking away each completed project is really satisfying. Using a Reminder App on my laptop and syncing up to my phone and my lists with my Reminders app ensures I can see what I have to complete for the week and month ahead.

PLAN 5.
Don’t be too hard on yourself and what you can do. I have learned this one the hard way. Trying to get too much done in one day and overwhelm me. To stop this, I prioritise fitness and tasks in order, only giving a set amount of time on each task to smash my goals as fast as possible. With doing short burst workouts and set periods of time to complete tasks feels good and gives accomplishment to your day. Also, make sure, after a busy day or week, that I schedule downtime for a spa night at home or make quality time for friends on Zoom or relaxing with family. Looking after your wellbeing after a tough workout or busy workday is vitally important for your overall well being.

I hope you have found these motivational tips helpful in staying healthy during the lockdown.

Let’s share this blog and help as many people as possible during these challenging times.

Can't wait to see you in the next blog.

Love Angela x