7 Tips On How To Improve During The COVID-19 Pandemic

As we go through this unprecedented time in history, there are many unknowns, but one thing is for certain: Your mindset matters now more than ever.

After this passes, and it will, there are going to be two groups of people:

Group 1: Those who remember spending weeks watching Netflix, TikTok, copious amounts of TV, and eating and drinking whatever they want.

Group 2: Those who embraced the situation and pushed themselves to do and be more than they ever imagined.

Regardless of the group you currently fall under, here is how you can become part of Group 2:

1. Stay Organized and Disciplined.
Do your best to plan out your day the night before. It will motivate you and help you accomplish more. I personally like to write my daily plan in the “notes” section on my iPhone, but others like to actually write it out. It totally depends on how you like to work! Here is an actual example of how I plan out my day. When I sit down for the allotted time, I then write down bullet points of what I need to get done.

2. Workout or Move Daily.
For many athletes, you are being sent workouts to do from coaches and trainers. But for those who have the freedom to workout on your own, now is an awesome time to embrace the thought of cross training! Here are my go-to workouts right now:

•CorePower Yoga (FREE yoga classes) – Yoga is something that I took up during college, and have a deep love and appreciation for it. If you’ve never tried it, I encourage you to do so. Yes, the first class is going to feel weird, different and uncomfortable, but stick with it! There are so many benefits that come from yoga, and I personally loved the way it complemented my workout schedule in college.  https://www.corepoweryogaondemand.com/keep-up-your-practice?utm_source=igs&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=keep-up-practice-yod-march-2020

• YouTube “Barre” workouts – The movements seem simple, but I promise they burn and you work muscles you never knew you had!
A couple of my favorites:

30 minute Barre Workout: https://youtu.be/rPsPy_7zl0Q
Barre Arm Workout: https://youtu.be/iZzm_4mbJ_c
10 minute Arm Workout: https://youtu.be/4pcaD3wInqM 

• Peloton App (FREE for the first 90 days) – Download in the App Store – There are TONS of different workouts in this app! I’ve done a number of the “strength” workouts as well as a few of the “bootcamp” workouts. These are perfect if you don’t have too much time but still want to get in a workout.

• Running – I’ve always been a big fan of getting outside and hitting the pavement. Depending on your current training schedule, I encourage you to incorporate running (or walking) into your weekly workout routine. The Peloton app has a “Running” section, I haven’t tried it, but I’ve heard that it’s great! If you try it, make sure and let me know how it is!

3. Incorporate Mindfulness Into Your Daily Routine.
During this time, it’s completely normal to feel a number of emotions, but it’s important to do your best to incorporate mindfulness techniques into your everyday routine. For some, breathing, meditation, and visualization is already a part of your life, but for others, it’s “weird,” “hard,” or you may feel as if it’s not necessary. If you are new to it, just start by taking 1-3 deep breaths (6 second inhale, 3 second hold, 6 second exhale).

For athletes, there are plenty of physical at home drills that you can do for your sport, but I encourage you to also take this time to work on the mental part of your game. How does that look?

• Spend 5-10 minutes a day just simply breathing with your eyes closed
• Try out some apps specifically for meditation and mindfulness (Calm, Headspace, Peloton)
• For those who have worked with HA, you can either do your Body Scan or you can visualize yourself in a specific drill that you have physically done before.
• If you are new to sport visualizing and breathing exercises, I want you to sit or lay down, take a couple of deep breaths, close your eyes and simply visualize yourself playing your sport. Really making a point to think about the noises that you hear, the smell of the gym or outdoors, and the teammates that are around you. The more of your senses that you use during your visualization, the more you will get out of it.

4. Put Your Phone Down And Read A Book.
I’m sure that you have reading for school (or work) that needs to get done, but I encourage you to read a book just for fun, even if it’s just for 10-20 minutes a day. If you’re not a big reader, just give it a shot! It’s so good for you. A few of my favorite books:

• Mind Gym: https://www.amazon.com/Mind-Gym-Athletes-Guide-Excellence-ebook/dp/B006B7LP1O
• Legacy: https://www.amazon.com/Legacy-James-Kerr-ebook/dp/B00OGUP7RQ/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=legacy&qid=1585777392&s=digital-text&sr=1-3
• Chop Wood Carry Water: https://www.amazon.com/Chop-Wood-Carry-Water-Becoming-ebook/dp/B019YG5P3C/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1R1XA5AXSWY6Y&dchild=1&keywords=chop+wood+carry+water&qid=1585777414&s=digital-text&sprefix=chop+wood+%2Cdigital-text%2C203&sr=1-2
• Mindset: https://www.amazon.com/Mindset-Psychology-Carol-S-Dweck-ebook/dp/B000FCKPHG/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=mindset&qid=1585777438&s=digital-text&sr=1-2

5. Make Conscious Food Decisions.
Now more than ever before, it is important to be eating a nutrient rich diet so that you can stay healthy and keep your immune system up. Here are a few of my favorite foods, snacks, and vitamins:

Foods:
• Chicken
• Salads
• TONS of veggies
• Berries
• Apples
• Quinoa
• Brown rice

Snacks:
• Red apple with crunchy peanut butter
• Celery
• Hard boiled eggs (learning how to like these)
• Blended cucumber, lime juice and water (my sister is making us drink this, and I actually like it)
• Green Tea
• Lots of water!

Vitamins + Supplements 
• Vitamin D3
• Elderberry: https://www.amazon.com/Sambucus-Elderberry-Supplements-Vegetarian-Packaging/dp/B00MJ7VL1O/ref=sr_1_5?crid=1C71RVLR5GD9B&dchild=1&keywords=sambuccol+black+elderberry&qid=1585778719&sprefix=smbucc%2Caps%2C199&sr=8-5
• Turmeric: https://www.amazon.com/Qunol-Turmeric-Absorption-Anti-Inflammatory-Supplement/dp/B07QF8RGXH/ref=sr_1_5?crid=3Q3FVFDIIBMSN&dchild=1&keywords=tumeric+powder+bulk&qid=1585778597&s=digital-text&sprefix=tumeric+powd%2Cdigital-text%2C179&sr=8-5
• Daily multivitamin

6.Write A Letter To A Family Member or Friend.
Social distancing is hard. I feel ya. But it is important to stay connected with friends and family! Everyone can call, text, or FaceTime so I challenge you to be different… write a letter! If you think it’s “weird,” or aren’t sure where to start, just write from your heart! If that’s hard for you, there are plenty of templates online that can guide you.

If you already love to write letters and have an appreciation for pretty stationery, here are some of my favorite places to buy stationery from:

• Kelly Kay Paper Co.: https://kellykay.com/collections/stationery
• tinyprints: https://www.tinyprints.com/adult–personalized-stationery

7. Make An Effort To Be More Helpful Around The House.
Since we are all spending more time at home, that means you have time to help out more than you usually do. Some of you don’t “have to,” but you should. Small things add up! Here are some examples of things you can do to make others lives easier at home:

• Make your bed every day
• Wash the dishes, and put them away
• Put your laundry away, and do a load
• Put your laundry away when it’s clean
• Turn off the lights when you leave the room
• Put your shoes in your room when you take them off
• Volunteer to make dinner one night – there are plenty of easy recipes online that you can follow!
• Clean up the table after dinner without being asked
• Offer to help with projects around the house

•••

As I mentioned in the first sentence of this blog, your mindset matters now more than ever! Everyone has a decision to make, are you going to use this time to take 10 steps back both physically and mentally, OR are you going to embrace the situation and take 10 steps forward. 

The decision is yours to make so choose wisely.

-AH