• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Login/ Register
  • Editorial Team
  • Get Involved

Exeposé Online

Making the headlines since 1987

Exeposé Online
  • Home
  • News
      • Local
      • COVID-19
      • University News
  • Comment
  • Features
      • National
      • Worldwide
      • Politics
      • Interviews
  • Science
      • News
      • Lite Science
      • Common Misconceptions
      • Environment
      • Health
      • Technology
  • Sport
  • Lifestyle
      • Fashion and Beauty
      • Features
      • Food
      • Wellbeing
      • Sustainability
  • Music
      • Interviews
      • Features
      • Live Reviews
      • Album Reviews
      • Single Reviews
  • Screen
      • Reviews
      • Features
      • Interviews
      • Festivals and Awards
  • Arts + Lit
      • Interviews
      • Features
      • Reviews
      • Creative Writing
  • Amplify
  • International
  • Multilingual
  • News
  • Comment
  • Features
  • Science
  • Sport
  • Lifestyle
  • Music
  • Screen
  • Arts + Lit
  • Amplify
  • International
  • Multilingual
Home / Science / Health

Quarantine that stress: Keeping well during COVID-19

Quarantine that stress: Keeping well during COVID-19

Image: Carl Barcelo

Apr 26, 2020 – by Sophie Woolcock

Sophie Woolcock shares how we can look after our mental health whilst staying well in isolation

In a time where next to every news piece is reporting on the uncertain, unstable world around us it’s easy to feel out of control and overwhelmed. With screen time up by almost a half as lockdown boredom has us flipping from computer, to phone, to TV, over stimulating media is ripe for overindulgence. Whilst some might feel relieved to have broken the relentless cycle of library – pub – repeat and taken this time to slow down, most will be experiencing a rising level of anxiety as our lives turn digital.  

Stress relieving activities – namely a spontaneous trip to the pub or a jog – have been replaced with a computer screen and an atypical, not so sticky pint glass as we zoom into each other’s living rooms. The digital switch has also changed the way we experience sports and fitness as it provides scope for replacing the endorphin rush with cortisol, as pressure to ‘get fit’ and ‘be healthy’ during isolation is plastered across Instagram with the latest fitness trends such as the t-shirt challenge (which involves getting a t-shirt on upside down whilst balancing on a wall) and the run for heroes 5km (which involves running 5km, donating 5 pounds towards supporting the NHS and nominating 5 friends to do the same)– which as admirable as they are, aren’t going to make or break your fitness goals.

Keeping well rather than keeping fit is a priority in these turbulent times and we must remind ourselves to treat our mental and physical health with equal importance.

Detaching yourself from that perfectly toned online fitness guru; as beautiful and alluring as they may be, might help prevent the sub-conscience comparison to others that can so easily manifest itself. Making your daily dose of exercise truly YOURS and not his or hers is an important step to living a sustainable healthy lifestyle, not only during this period of isolation but far beyond it.

Getting outside and alternating between strength and cardio workouts will bring variation to your fitness routine and engage parts of your body that are being used less due to a reduction in weight bearing activities. Also including heart opening and shoulder compressing exercises will help correct posture as now – more than ever – we’re spending more time stuck in a slouch.

Setting yourself a circuit of simple exercises like crunches, squats and sit-ups will do, but if you feel like getting creative why not design a personalised workout? With more time on our hands the weekend brings an opportunity to try out new workouts as well as explore your neighbourhood. If you are short of ideas for new moves, pick a handful of online influencers and compile a series of new exercises that you think will work for you. This might help you side step any negative thoughts and allow you to focus on building an achievable and maintainable routine that will benefit both your physical and mental health, so that you can look back at COVID-19 as being the period where, despite the odds, you became stronger, more confident and ready to take on whatever lay on the other side.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Related

Apr 26, 2020 By Sophie Woolcock Filed Under: Health, Lifestyle, Fitness, Wellbeing Tagged With: wellbeing, mental wellbeing, fitness motivation, health and fitness, coronavirus, lockdown

Reader Interactions

Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

exeposelstyle

To help brighten up these cold winter days, Lifest To help brighten up these cold winter days, Lifestyle writers and editors are going to be bringing you some of their favourite winter warmers. Today Bridie brings us the recipe for her Nutella got chocolate - a perfectly decadent treat!

Ingredients:
- 1 tsp cocoa powder
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp nutella
- A mug of milk
- Whipped cream

Method:
Simply heat the Nutella, cocoa powder, sugar and milk in a saucepan, stirring frequently until warmed through, then pour into a mug and top with whipped cream. Mix another 2tsp of Nutella with 2 tsp water and drizzle on top of the cream for decoration.

Enjoy!❤️
With a second lockdown beginning on Thursday, we h With a second lockdown beginning on Thursday, we hope everyone is coping ok with this strange time to be a student at uni. Mental health is always a tricky space to navigate, and never more so than right now. If getting out of the house is key to remaining positive - then don’t forget campus study spaces and cafes will remain open. And if anyone is struggling with their mental health, reach out to others for help and support. You’re never going it alone!
⭐Introducing the Editors⭐ Hi, I'm Elinor and ⭐Introducing the Editors⭐ 

Hi, I'm Elinor and I'm the second half of the Online Lifestyle Team.

Being part of the Exeposé team is such a wonderful thing and I am so excited to see where the publication goes over the next year, with fabulous content, great writers and a superb team of editors. 

Head to our story to see what I get up to today! X
⭐️Introducing the editors⭐️ Hi guys! I’m ⭐️Introducing the editors⭐️
Hi guys! I’m Georgia and I’m the other half of the Print Lifestyle team! I’ll be sharing my day with you all! If you have any questions then don’t hesitate to send a DM 😊
⭐️Introducing the editors⭐️ Hi, my names F ⭐️Introducing the editors⭐️
Hi, my names Freya and I’m the joint Online Lifestyle Editor! I’ll be taking over the Instagram today, which incidentally coincides with my first day on uni Zooms! I can’t wait to read all the articles you guys will be submitting this year, and super excited to meet all our new writers.
⭐️Introducing the editors ⭐️ Hi everyone! ⭐️Introducing the editors ⭐️
Hi everyone! I’m one half of the lifestyle print team and today I have been running the Instagram stories! I’m so excited to start working with everyone - make sure to keep an eye out for our content call coming this week (it can be found on the lifestyle writers Facebook page)
Hi everyone, after a couple of weeks of finding my Hi everyone, after a couple of weeks of finding my feet as online lifestyle editor - I’m pleased to say the first article of my time at Exeposé is up on the website! Elinor Jones talks us through the dilemmas of long distance dating - swipe across for a sneak preview but head to the Exeposé website for the full article✨
💜 Check out the first edition of @exepose of 20 💜 Check out the first edition of @exepose of 2020! Available on campus now 💜
@rosiejohnsonillustrates are showcasing their prin @rosiejohnsonillustrates are showcasing their prints at the Slow Fashion Show 💕 held by @wowsancho and @in_exeter
Load More… Follow on Instagram
Tweets by Exeposé Lifestyle

Contact Us: editors@exepose.com

Since 1987, Exeposé has given a voice to Exeter students. Over the years, the determination and political fervour exhibited by students through Exeposé have helped shape the University we study at today. We have received national recognition for our award-winning campaigns, investigations and surveys, and always strive to provide students with high-quality news, comment and features.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in articles and comments do not reflect the views of Exeposé Online or the University of Exeter Student's Guild.

        


© 2021
Website design: Harry Caton and Ellie Cook
Webdesign & development: Harry Caton