The world is odd right now, & I’m here for you.
Whatever you are feeling at this time, understand that it’s all valid.
We are uncertain on how long this will last and how severe it may get. We only have certainty in how we respond to these situations.
Let’s make the best of this, together.
I know a lot of us are anxious with these times of uncertainty. I want you to realize that if you’re serious about your goals, you didn’t come this far to just come this far!
I can’t stress this next point enough, I always tell my clients “control the controllables.” You can control your health. Your health is a long term investment.
I don’t want you to stop now, it's true that we’re all gonna have to sacrifice some things for a bit but health should never be one of them. Now more than ever, you can not sacrifice exercise, nutrition, and your HEALTH. We are not hitting the pause button.
In a world where we are currently encouraged to socially distance, we need online community and connection more than ever. If you’re feeling a lack of connection and community right now, join in on the conversations in my private FB community and find a tribe of women all there to support each other.
So instead of wishful thinking, let’s talk about how to make the most out of the next 30-60 days.
time to limit stress
When we are stressed, the immune system’s ability to fight off antigens is reduced. With that, we are more susceptible to infections.
Stress can have an indirect effect on the immune system as well, because a person may use unhealthy coping strategies to reduce their stress. This blog post is intended to help you create your own emotional & physical “toolkit” to help navigate this rough time.
Combative Stress Techniques
Count backwards from 100 in 3’s or 7’s
Picture a stream and each leaf that falls from the tree is a thought floating away down the river
Name 5 things that you can see, 4 things you can hear, 3 things you can touch, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste
Take a walk (outside or inside), breathe deeply and pay close attention to the things you see
Use a guided meditation app like “Headspace” or “Calm”
Supporting Your Immune System
Health is collectively becoming our #1 priority. We know about the importance of a strong immune system, here are some things to keep in mind to support it best.
Eat plenty of fruits and veggies (frozen and powder can help too!)
Wash your hands (yes, duh!)
Aim for quality sleep (7-9 hours)
MOVE YOUR BODY (walking is better than nothing)
Drink plenty of water (100oz+ per day)
Dealing With Loneliness
Physical distancing (aka social distancing) is not a reason to be completely unsocial. We need each other now more than ever, and chances are you know someone who is suffering just as much, if not more, than you are. Give some of these a try if you’re feeling isolated.
Call someone who is alone
Take a virtual class/course
Have a netflix watch party (google it)
Join a social zoom gathering or start your own
Schedule a zoom date with family or friends
Pick up a great fiction novel
Grocery shop for an elderly friend/family member/neighbor
Write handwritten notes or letters to your family/friends
Start group chats with like minded people/friends to stay connected
Enter a virtual game with a friend via iphone message or other apps
Plan the next year of your life & the goals you want to accomplish
How To Stay Active
We need to stay moving right now, not only for physical health but mental health!
Movement
Spring is here! Great time to implement daily walks. Aim for the same amount of movement (if not more) than you were getting before quarantine. If you have a step counter, challenge yourself to get more steps everyday until you get up to 8-10k/day regularly.
Exercise At Home
SURPRISE!
I have a FREE home workout guide for you! DEMO VIDEOS INCLUDED!!
Click to download Fit To Thrive 1.0
These are accessible workouts that all experience levels can do right now, no crazy “plyometric” or “hiit” workouts with high risk for injury. This free guide is back to basics because BASICS WORK!
This was the first version I threw together a few weeks ago when gyms closed down. It has some bodyweight workouts, and some optional dumbbell/resistance band workouts as well.
Fit To Thrive 2.0 is releasing later this week, join my email list here & don’t miss it!
Side note: in addition to these free workout guides, you can still grab my Free Protein Power Guide if you haven’t already! This will definitely come in handy for those of you really using this time to nail down your nutrition.
…did I mention, they are all $FREE.99???🤑
Staying Fit Without The Variety Of The Gym
No equipment? No problem! YouTube has ENDLESS bodyweight workout videos that you can use for FREE!
Find Equipment:
Many online stores and amazon are all very low in stock for affordable, small home equipment right now. Some of the best luck I’ve had and my clients have had at finding equipment:
Facebook marketplace
Craigslist (for sale section, free section, post an “in search of” if you want to go all out)
Offerup
Put out an “in search of” post on social media
Send a mass text message to all friends/family asking if they have anything you can borrow, or if they know anyone who has anything you can borrow
My recommendations for finding dumbbells and any resistance band sets right now:
Check Amazon daily for restocks (bands are starting to pop up again, most kits that come with handles and such are around $30)
Check Dick’s Sporting Goods for stores near you to be restocking equipment
Keep checking target/walmart regularly for restocks
Other places to purchase
Other ways to get AMAZING workouts in with community:
Hyperdrive Home Workouts via zoom from Team Mihaly
Live workouts via IG live with Des Pfiefer (@desb__)
Cardio & Fun Ways To Move
Are you worried you’re still not active enough, or just can’t get yourself to move that much at home? Try these!
Tik tok dance tutorials
Youtube hip hop dance videos
***don’t knock either of these until you try it! Good for the soul, too!
Get Creative!
This is the one time I will say those words about your workout structure, it’s time to get creative in figuring out how to challenge yourself at home!
I have a ton of examples & ideas on how to make the most out of your home workout setup in my highlight on Instagram.
If all you have is bodyweight and household items, you can still get a great lift in! Check out some more examples below of how you can get some heavier lifting in!
Your couch
Heavy furniture
Handles/bottles of liquor
Buckets or baskets with weight
Heavy books
Change jars
Paint cans
Bags of pet food
Heavy bags of bulk food (rice, oats, etc)
Laundry baskets with weight
Backpacks with weight
PVC pipe or broom handles with hanging weight or resistance bands
Luggage/briefcases filled with weight
Feeling Out of Routine
Maybe you’re struggling because you have a problem with being out of your routine. OR… Maybe the problem is you never had one to begin with, or now you’re having to face that your previous routine wasn’t serving you. *mic drop*
In addition to that, everyone around you is out of THEIR routine, adding to the lack of structure and chaos you’re feeling.
Routine comes down to one thing: habits.
When we’re too tired to think or make decisions, we default to our habits. These habits might be showing up for you in the form of procrastination, anxiety, getting hyper emotional or stressing yourself out, avoidance, disassociating, or grabbing that wine bottle too often.
Our current reality is not our permanent reality. But what if you could use this time to solidify habits that will help you LEVEL UP in your life, from here on out?
Fix Feeling Out Of Routine - Make One Now!
If you are an average adult with average responsibilities, operating day to day without a routine is NO DOUBT causing you more stress. I promise when you create one, you will not feel like you have “more responsibilities” - instead you’ll feel mental clarity and space to get things done; and you’ll stop stressing about everything on your mental to do list.
Start with the “bookends” of your day, an AM and PM routine (wake up time & bed time should stay within 1-2 hours of each other, you should have a PM ‘wind down’ routine to get you in rest mode. Examples will follow this.)
Brain dump your daily tasks and weekly tasks into two columns. Create a weekly outline of Sunday-Saturday and give each day a “theme” if you can (cleaning day, errands day, working/project day, relaxing day, etc). Once you have a rough weekly outline, you’ll notice you have more time in your day to day schedule.
If you aren’t using a planner of any kind, now is the perfect time to start! You can also use google calendar if you prefer digital.
Morning Routines
Pick 3-5 from these ideas for your morning routine. Keep in mind these are just ideas and you can come up with your own. Your routine can change day to day, sometimes mine is 3 minutes - sometimes it’s an hour! Listen to what your soul needs that day.
Spend 1-10 minutes in still meditation
No phone time for the first 1-2 hours
Set your environment (music, candles, blankets, etc)
Journal/List what you're grateful for. Check out these 100 Journal Prompts for inspiration.
Walk outside / walk the dog
Take your daily supplements
Write your top 3 must do’s for the day
Stretch your body or do a yoga flow
Drink 2 big glasses of water
Read for 10-30 minutes
Spend 5 minutes planning macros for day
Nighttime Routines
Pick 3-5 from these ideas for your nighttime routine. Keep in mind these are just ideas and you can come up with your own. Your routine can change day to day. Listen to what your soul needs that night.
Make your to-do list and plan for the next day
Blue light blocking glasses go on after 5pm (helps your body regulate normal sleeping hormones/circadian rhythm patterns for better sleep)
Drink 2 big glasses of water
No screen time for 1-2 hours before bed (laptop, phone)
Nighttime journaling - how did you do today? What are you proud of? What would you change? Where can you improve? Check out these 100 Journal Prompts for inspiration.
Self care hour: nails, face mask, wash hair, apply self tanner, bubble baths, clean up your space; whatever fills your cup
Reading before bed, fiction is helpful to “turn off” (another way to limit screen time and reset brain)
Walk outside / walk the dog
Stretch your body or do a yoga flow
Indulge in netflix as a reward for crushing the day! (or just because you deserve some netflix & chill)
Work From Home Tips
I’ve been doing this WFH thing for years, so I know a thing or two about the struggle to stay productive and on task! My best productivity hacks & tips for staying focused are below.
Brain dump every morning. Whether it’s on a document or a piece of paper or in your planner, write down everything on your mind occupying space. Things as small as “wash hair, walk dog” - anything on your mind that you want/need to do today.
Create a timely schedule - time block things down to :15-:30 minute increments. I even schedule in “scroll time” throughout my day to keep me on task better!
Put your phone on airplane mode or DND, or at least logout of apps that constantly send push notifications and distract you all day.
Pomodoro timer technique. I use this Mac desktop app to stay focused and crank out “units” of work one after another. Each 25 minute session is “1 unit” of work, followed by a 5 min walk, eat, and chill break. I do these intervals with my phone on “do not disturb” and get 2-3 hours of work done so much more efficiently. You can also do this manually with your alarm app.
Sometimes background noise is distracting. Try Alpha Waves Music, aka “concentration music” - which is ideal background music to help you to study, concentrate, focus and work more effectively.
Workout first if it’s on the schedule that day! Much more likely to get done considering the following tip...
Give yourself deadlines. A project can take one hour or all day depending on how YOU decide to use your time!
Tips to Stay Sane [so you can] Keep Habits + Routine in Check:
Upgrade your environment - don’t sit in the dark in your PJ’s all day. Open the windows and get ready!
Start with a healthy breakfast - nutrition is KEY right now to beat brain fog and stress fatigue.
Meditate - press the pause button and let yourself be present. Try out something new, like breathwork!
Watch something mood changing - having a hard time? Funny pet videos will turn it around.
Gratitude - it’s impossible to feel shitty when you start with gratitude. I dare you to list 20-30 things you’re grateful for right NOW.
Set goals & events to look forward to - there is always a light at the end of the tunnel.
Find ways to interpret the negative as positive (perspective shift) - retrain your brain to be optimistic during even the most stressful of times & you’ll benefit for the rest of your life.
Do something creative - read, write, color, draw, paint, design, take photographs, rearrange or re-decorate your space.
Break up your “work” day. It’s easy to find ourselves sitting for 6-8 hours straight. Make sure you’re taking breaks to recharge and refuel!
Habits That Serve You in Every Season of Life:
Keeping your promises to yourself (start small, what better time than now?)
Learning about human behavior/psychology (you must UNDERSTAND why you do the things you do if you want to change them)
Checking in with yourself & what you want (journaling & meditating)
Setting SPECIFIC goals with dates, timelines or deadlines, and action steps for every part of the process (without a plan, a goal is just a wish!)
Final thoughts… Can you imagine how great it will feel to come out of this feeling “ahead” instead of behind?
Refreshed instead of drained?
Ready to crush your goals instead of dwelling on what could have been?
We always talk about slowing down to speed up.
Consider this; maybe this was the pause we all needed IN ORDER to push.
Before I go…
Before I wrap this up, I want to let you know that I’ve marked down my E-book “How Much Do I Eat?!” to 50% off for the time being. It’s only $25 if you want to learn everything you need to know about calculating your own macros, adjusting them, food and meal plan examples, ideas, and MORE!
Click here to download instantly & start nailing your nutrition!
STAY HEALTHY, STAY HOME, and STAY POSITIVE!
We will get through this hard time together and come out stronger than before. I am here for any of you that need me for anything. Send me a DM on instagram if you need support.
Xo, Laura
