Staying Healthy, Happy and Connected in Uncertain Times

In the face of a global pandemic, our sense of normal has undeniably shifted. While staying home can create new challenges in our day-to-day lives, there are fortunately many great ways to minimize the negative impact of these changes.

Today, it’s easier than ever to stay connected with the important people in your life, and even set up virtual face-to-face interactions that can lessen the feelings of physical separation. Those with iPhones or other Apple devices may be familiar with FaceTime, but there are a whole host of other options that can also bring your friends and family closer together. Apps like Skype, Zoom, Google Duo and WhatsApp can be used on smartphones, tablets, and computers equipped with a camera and microphone.

Once you identify the platform that works best with your devices, you can use it as an opportunity to establish new remote get-togethers. Schedule time with friends to join in an online Happy Hour. Sit down at your dinner table and connect via video chat with your children’s families, as they do the same. Though we’re keeping our distance, it’s important to know that our communication with the people near and dear to us doesn’t have to be limited to simply a voice call or a text.

With many gyms and fitness centers closing and stay-at-home orders in place, getting regular exercise now requires more creative approaches. Making use of the equipment that’s readily available in your household, along with tapping into on-demand training options, can help you maintain a balanced physical wellness regimen.

Getting started can be as simple as finding a chair and running through Vive Health’s 18 Chair Exercises for seniors. Or if you’re looking to expand your repertoire, The National Institute on Aging’s Go4Life program has an expansive library of senior-friendly exercises to do at home and even instructor-led video workouts to help you find your rhythm. The YMCA’s YMCA 360 also offers a similar variety of online exercise classes with specific routines for active older adults. And if you have a smart Roku-enabled TV, you can tap into the Fit at Any Age channel for a wide variety of full-length fitness classes.

Beyond finding ways to stay physically active, building a routine that includes a focus on brain health and mental well-being can make our current situation much more tenable. Luckily, nurturing your connections with loved ones and carving out time for exercise are two things that already boost spirits and produce a meaningful impact on your mind. Other healthy, easy-to-embrace practices include reading, writing, puzzles, brain games, and even mindful meditation.

So in establishing a daily schedule that helps you manage the ups and downs of staying put, remember not to neglect the space between your ears. Make time for yourself. Take breaks from the constant news streams and seek out the positive reminders that we’re all here for each other.

Having more time at home also brings an opportunity to tackle projects that could prepare you for a more flexible future. Organizing, decluttering, and downsizing now could make the move to a community like The Buckingham all that much easier down the road.

Have you tried Marie Kondo’s KonMari method? The philosophy outlined by the expert, bestselling author, star of hit Netflix show, “Tidying Up With Marie Kondo,” is a simple one. In fact, millions of people have found success with her easy-to-follow method that focuses on tidying your home by category, not by location.

Another approach is to identify daily organization goals. Experts Joanna Teplin and Clea Shearer recently shared their top tips for this strategy with Good Morning America. At the core of each of their quarantine decluttering projects are 4 simple steps: Start small, edit, contain, and label.

In addition to relieving you of stress, these sort of tasks will likely leave you with items that can be donated to local organizations looking to help those in need during and after this trying time. So whatever path you take toward finding a bit more order in your space, know you could also end up delivering a bit of well-timed support to someone else.

Above it all, we here at The Buckingham hope, as always, to be a helpful resource for you in ways that reach beyond the search for a senior living community.