Stress is a normal part of life; however, the anxiety caused by Coronavirus may be a new level of stress, many of us have never dealt with before. We’re having to navigate life in a way in a completely new way; working from home, schooling from home, and isolating ourselves from one another. All while not knowing what a day, a month, or a year might bring.
Some of us are slowly figuring out the “new normal”, while others seem to be having a harder time figuring out how to adjust. Thankfully, there are some simple strategies you can use at home to relieve stress and help get you through these tough times.
Here are some easy ways you and your family can combat stress & anxiety caused by COVID-19.
Exercise
Exercise increases your body’s production of endorphins (those feel-good hormones that can improve your mood). Any kind of physical movement will work. Take a short walk, do some chores around the house, or pop on a workout video.
If you are looking for fun exercises for your kids to try, we have a guide here that is full of YouTube channels that will get your child up and moving!
Consume Healthy Foods
It’s no secret that eating well is hard to do when you’re stressed. When we get stressed, our bodies produce the hormone cortisol, which can cause us to crave fats and sugars. Try keeping a variety of fruits, veggies, and nuts at the ready in the event of a snack attack. The more nutritious the food, the more energy your body will receive and the better you will feel.
Take a Bath
Stress can cause tense muscles. A hot bath loosens muscles while also providing a relaxing atmosphere. Light a candle and pour some bubble bath and relax.
If baths aren’t your thing, consider deep stretching or a massage (ask someone you live with to help you with this one).
Stretch Your Funny Bone
Laughter is the best medicine. According to the Mayo Clinic, laughing can stimulate your organs, activate your stress relief response, and soothe tension. There is also evidence that laughter can improve your immune system, relieve pain, increase personal satisfaction, and improve your mood. So, what are you waiting for? Tell some cheesy jokes, watch a funny movie, have a family game night, or read a fun book.
Put it Down on Paper
Journaling your thoughts is cathartic. Let the juices flow, write whatever you are thinking, no need to worry about grammar or technical errors. When you’re done, you may choose to keep your writing to revisit later or toss it.
Many parents have also encouraged their children to keep daily journals during this time, so they can easily look back when they are older and remember how their day-to-day lives completely changed. When you read over their journal entries you can also get a better sense of how your child is coping.
Try Meditation
Create a sense of calm for your body and mind through meditation. There are many forms of mediation, like visualization, deep breathing, and even guided meditation. You can find a variety of free meditation apps, websites, and videos by just simply Googling, “Free Meditation”.
Get Your Beauty Rest
Loss of sleep causes stress on your body. Sleeping recharges your body and your brain. Stick to a consistent bedtime routine that helps you to wind down before slipping under the covers. No devices or caffeine before bed.
While it is important to rest, it is also just as important to not over-rest. To function at your best level, try and get 7-9 hours of sleep per night.
Stay Connected
Even in the midst of a global pandemic requiring many cities and states to enact stay-at-home orders, we can still connect with family and friends through technology. Using virtual meeting platforms and video chat apps, we can spend valuable face time with loved ones and friends thanks to technology like WhatsApp, Skype, Houseparty, Google Hangouts Meet, Zoom, FaceTime.
Talking on the phone and sending/receiving letters can also fulfill this need for human interaction.
Find a Hobby
Distract yourself with an enjoyable activity. Maybe you pick up a new hobby, or you rediscover a love for a hobby you once adored like, sewing, playing an instrument, jewelry making, painting, DIY projects, baking, making TikTok videos, reading, gardening, working out, or even adopting a shelter pet and training it.
Either way, keeping your mind occupied with something you love can keep the stress at bay. You might even consider sharing your hobby with a friend or loved one.
Seek Professional Help
If you’ve tried coping with stress on your own, but are still having trouble kicking stress to the curb, it might be time to seek the help of a professional.
Mental health professionals can help you determine what triggers your stress. They can also assist you in developing a plan for coping by providing you with tools to fit your needs.
This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and nurses. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or www.calcas.com.
Food is life. It’s something we think about all day, we scroll through pictures of it, we even host social gatherings with it front and center; but if we aren’t consistently putting the right food into our bodies, it can cut our lives short. Obesity and heart disease account for nearly 22 million deaths worldwide every year.
How do we prevent this from happening to us? By changing our diet.
When we are consistently eating out and ordering fried foods, it takes a toll on our bodies. Not only does it make us sluggish and cause weight gain, but on the inside, it causes blood pressure and cholesterol levels to rise, and this puts us at a very high risk to develop heart disease or have a heart attack.
So, let’s talk about our diets and where to start. It’s as easy as switching out one meal a day. Instead of stopping at the closest food truck or calling UberEats for lunch, try swapping it out for some of these heart-healthy foods:
Green-Leafy Vegetables are rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber, and are proven to reduce the risk of heart disease. Some great foods to try are:
Spinach
Kale
Romaine Lettuce
Collard Greens
Whole Grains not to be confused with refined grains, are high in fiber and reduce cholesterol, which leads to better heart health. Try eating:
Whole Wheat
Brown Rice
Oats
Quinoa
Fish is high in omega 3 fatty acids, which are essential nutrients that prevent and manage heart disease, lower blood pressure, and reduce the chance of heart attack and stroke. Try eating:
Salmon
Sardines
Tuna
Lake Trout
Berries are among the healthiest foods you can eat. They fight inflammation, are high in fiber, and have the highest antioxidant count among all fruit, next to pomegranates. Try eating:
Strawberries
Blueberries
Blackberries
Raspberries
Nuts are high in healthy fats, packed with vitamins and minerals, and are good sources of fiber and protein. Try eating:
Almonds
Pistachios
Walnuts
Cashews
Beans are a rich source of fiber and protein that have many other health benefits, like reducing cholesterol, decreasing blood sugar levels, and reducing the risk of heart disease. Try eating:
Chickpeas
Lentils
Black Beans
Kidney Beans
This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and nurses. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or www.calcas.com.
New Year, new you. Right? That’s what everyone says. Statistics say that 80% of resolutions fail by February. Remember, you can achieve what you put your mind to, you just have to stick to your goals!
Here are some simple steps to keep from feeling overwhelmed and help you keep your new year resolutions.
Keep it simple. If your plan is to lose weight, figure out how much you want to shred and then divide that into 11 months. This helps break down a long term goal to small accomplishable goals.
Accountability. You are more likely to keep at your resolution if your goal is reinforced and encouraged by others. Rely on your support system for the hard days when you’re tempted to give up.
Track Progress. Include an easy way to track your success to match your goal. A vision board or a journal are some great examples to use.
Celebrate the wins. Make sure positive recognition is a part of the process. Praise can go a long way.
Small stumbles will happen. It’s important to remember that bumps will come along the way. That doesn’t mean that you have failed. Write it down on your progress tracker and understand it as a learning lesson.
Change takes time and patience. Don’t give up!
This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and nurses. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or www.calcas.com.
Halloween is almost here and that means little superheroes, princesses, and ghosts will soon be roaming the streets in search of their favorite sugary treats. Halloween safety
As you spend time planning, decorating and carving pumpkins, remember that a safe Halloween is a Happy Halloween. Whether you’re headed out with the trick-or-treaters or manning the door to pass out candy at home, here are some Halloween safety tips to keep in mind:
Trick-or-Treating with Children:
Make sure all swords or similar costume accessories are soft, short, and flexible
Never let children trick-or-treat alone
Map out a safe route with your kids
Set a designated time for them to return home or check-in with you
Fasten reflective tape to costumes and bags to help drivers see trick-or-treaters
Attach your child’s name, address, and phone number somewhere inside their costume
Try to walk on the sidewalks as much as possible.
Carry a flashlight with you—and give one to each child–to help you and others see
Check to make sure kids are wearing well-fitted masks (or better yet- face paint!), costumes, and shoes to avoid tripping or blocking your vision
Check over treats before letting kids start eating them- check to make sure they are still commercially wrapped and not tampered with and that they do not present a choking hazard
Always test make-up in a small area first to check for allergies before applying it to large areas like the face. Be sure to remove all makeup before bedtime to prevent skin and eye irritation
Remind kids:
Walk from house to house, never run
Enter homes only if you are with a trusted adult
Only visit well-lit homes
Look both ways before crossing the street
Never accept rides from strangers
Never walk near lit candles or luminaries
Prepare Your Home for Trick-or-Treaters:
Make sure the outside areas of your home is well-lit and free of obstacles
Be sure to turn on all your exterior lights
Keep candle-lit jack-o-lanterns and luminaries away from doorsteps, walkways, landings, and curtains. Use battery-operated candles in any outdoor or child-accessible decorations
Keep pets away from the door so they don’t scare—or get scared by—trick-or-treaters
Report any suspicious or criminal activity to your local police department or sheriff’s office
Make sure you do not pass out candy that is a choking hazard to younger children
Have a safe and spooky Halloween!
This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and nurses. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or visit www.calcas.com.
It’s fall y’all! And that means it’s time to break out the crock-pot because it is the absolute BEST season to be in the kitchen whipping up cozy fall recipes.
Apples and pumpkins and stews, oh my! All of our favorite cozy fall crock-pot and dessert recipes can be found below and on our Pinterest board, “The BEST Fall Recipes”.Each recipe is linked for your convenience. 🙂
We could go on and on and on and on…. but we would need a lot more space! Do you have a favorite cozy fall recipe? What about a traditional family recipe you love to create when the weather cools down and the leaves start turning? We’d love for you to share it with is!
Be sure to check out our Pinterest for more fall recipes (including casseroles) and don’t forget to give us a follow at California Casualty to stay up to date on every new fall recipe we discover! Scan ourPincodewith your Pinterest camera to follow:
This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and nurses. California Casualty does not own any of the photos in this post, all are sources by to their original owners. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or www.calcas.com.
Fall is around the corner and with the changing of the seasons comes changing of mindset. September is Self Improvement Month, aka time to get back to the basics, set goals for yourself, and really focus on your well-being.
Whether you are caught up in your day-to-day work-home-sleep schedule and you want to make a major change, or you would simply like to drink more water throughout the day, we have a simple list of things that you can do during September to help you improve your mind and body.
1. Get Organized. Clean out all of the clutter, whether it be physical clutter that is piling up and causing you stress at home or work. Or, emotional clutter- negative thoughts that keep you from achieving your goals. A stress-free space promotes positivity and will make it easier for you to reach your mental and physical goals.
2. Be More Healthy. Create a meal plan that you will actually stick to. Only eat out once a week, cut down on the fried food, drink enough water, eat more fruits and vegetables, monitor your caffeine/sugar intake. All of these are easy goals that you can implement into your diet to help your body feel stronger and less sluggish.
3. Change Your Habits. Yup, way easier said than done. Current habits that make you feel less than your best didn’t become habits overnight. Start with one thing you can do differently that would make you feel better mentally or physically. If you tend to feel rushed or stressed in the mornings, spend 10-15 minutes prepping the night before. Find yourself plopping down on the couch immediately after work? Take a walk around your building or parking lot before getting in the car to head home. Always reaching for that soda or sugary snack at a certain time of day and feeling guilty afterward? Replace it one or two days a week with an alternative that doesn’t make you feel bad about yourself. Regardless of what habits you want to change, focus on how you feel when you make an adjustment. Harness the positive feelings from the changes you make to keep yourself on track.
4. Get Out and Go. Plan a vacation or stay-cation. You could go take a trip across the world or build a fort in the living room. Just unplug yourself for a weekend (or longer) and don’t do anything work-related. It will give your mind the time it needs to rest and recoup.
5. Start Saving. It’s simple; pay your bills/loans, set a budget, and check your financial accounts daily. You could even set up an additional account and set a goal amount to put in each month. Having financial freedom, or at least some financial wiggle room, will take a giant weight off of your shoulders.
6. Don’t Be Complacent. If you aren’t happy in your career or relationship, leave. It may be complicated and seem scary, but your happiness is suffering because you are doing or are with someone that is bringing you down physically and emotionally. Do something for yourself and get the courage to get out, there will always be another partner or career, you just have to go find them.
7. Relax. It may seem impossible to find free time in your hectic day/week. This is why you need to maketime to do something that relaxes you. It doesn’t have to be for a long period of time (but it certainly can be). Take ten minutes to do something that will put your mind in a positive place and get you ready to take the rest of the day or night. Some easy examples include taking breathing exercises, meditating, taking a short walk, listening to music or podcasts, getting a massage, or even just sitting with your eyes closed for a few minutes.
8. Challenge Yourself. Set attainable goals and create step-by-step plans to accomplish them. What do you want to do but always seem to find a reason not to? but you have yet to accomplish it make a goal for yourself to get it done within a certain time frame. The best way to keep the motivation to accomplish goals is to write them down physically and place them somewhere that you will see them often like the mirror or on the fridge. Write the end date on the bottom in big letters as a reminder of when you want them accomplished. Try and tell as many people as you can about your goals, so they can help hold you accountable.
It is important to remember that making changes to improve yourself may not happen overnight. There will be times you stumble. Eat ice cream three nights in a row and pass out watching Netflix? Spend a little too frivolously since last pay day? Don’t be too hard on yourself. Try to be more conscious of your decisions. Self-improvement is an investment in yourself! Take it one day at a time, keep your goals in mind, and never give up.
This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters and nurses. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or www.calcas.com.
