I know so many of us, if not all of us can relate to what truly was a trauma, Covid. Many suffered with constant stress and anxiety that catapulted into loss of sleep, a more sedentary lifestyle weight gain, and an overall negative impact on total health and wellbeing.
In my personal experience, as well as the experience of my clients, I have seen three phases of Covid stress that heavily impacted women. You may find you had challenges during one or even all three phases.
Phase 1
Phase 1 was this initial shock of it all. Yes, we had heard about it on the news and from friends, but I do not think any of us was prepared for what was coming. The initial stress of not knowing how we really caught it or how we could protect ourselves and our families? The stress of standing in line at the grocery store for what seemed like eternity to find the basics like toilet paper, cleaning supplies, and even food gone. The stress of coming home and having to clean everything you purchased before you put it away. And what I considered to be the biggest stressor of them all, the death statistics on the side of the screen on all the news channels.
Phase 2
During phase 2 we found a certain level of acceptance. We understood we now had to stay home with family or isolated alone, but we knew we had to keep going.
This was the phase, Mom’s suddenly became working mom, day care, and teacher. One of my mom’s admitted to hiding in her closet to get some silence and alone time, so if you hid from your family, you are not alone.
For some singles and married alike, this would have been the time of financial loss. Businesses were shutting down and hours of work were being cut. On a lighter note, this was a time many amazing women pivoted their careers.
Phase 3
Phase 3 is fantastic in many ways. It almost feels like a pre-Covid world again. We are traveling and seeing friends and family. In some areas we are no longer wearing masks and can see others smiling faces. Kids are back or returning to schools in many areas. We can eat out and go to special events again.
But there are still stressors in this phase. The biggest one I hear is the stress of returning to a physical office. Some women are finding themselves in stressful commutes. This valuable time was once being used on self-care or family. Many also found their office attire no longer fitting. Which was very frustrating for many of my clients?
There were also a number of women that started eating healthy and exercising during stage 2 that now are reverting back to old unhealthy patterns, due to the loss of time.
Health & Wellbeing Now
So now, how do you overcome this and become your best and healthiest self-moving forward. Here are my top suggestions:
- Prioritize your time, there is no such thing as work life balance, you will have to prioritize your life by importance.
- Make eating healthy and exercising a priority, honor your exercise time like you would honor a doctor appointment. Both will help with stress reduction.
- Continue to sleep seven to eight hours a night. This is imperative to managing a healthy weight.
- Take time to journal to stay on track and connected with your innermost thoughts and feelings. Here are a few writing prompts to help you ensure you are taking care of yourself: Am I happy with my work? My company? Am I happy with my home situation? What do I feel I am missing in my life?
- Connect with friends.
And as a member of AWC, if you need more support, I would love to offer you a complimentary wellness reinvention session where:
- We will work together to create a crystal-clear vision of what your future would look like when you embrace putting your personal wellbeing first.
- We will uncover the hidden challenges that may be sabotaging your wellness and/or sustainable weight loss goals.
- And you will leave the session renewed, re-energized, and inspired to make your personal wellbeing the number one priority in your life.
About the Author
Karen Hummel is a holistic wellness and sustainable weight loss coach dedicated to helping others escape from marketing hype by sharing clear answers about health and nutrition.
She developed an interest in Preventative Health and Fitness at an early age due to personal and family weight problems. After years of perseverance and success in finally reaching her own fitness goals, Karen was seriously injured in an automobile accident and told prior to one of many surgeries that she would almost certainly be a paraplegic.
The avid health and fitness enthusiast refused to believe it and did indeed walk again. Her surgeons attributed her success to the muscles she had developed throughout her years of exercise.
Even after multiple surgeries and experiencing chronic pain, Karen has managed to live a life of health, well-being, and joy, and she helps her clients do the same.
Her formal education includes a Masters Degree in Health Services Management and a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition & Exercise Physiology. Karen is a Certified Coach and Personal Trainer with more than twenty-five years of experience.
Spending more than 15 years in the corporate world, she has extensive experience directing wellness programs for large international organizations like Johnson & Johnson and AT&T. In addition, Karen has led multidisciplinary teams from across the country to create system-wide nutrition programs for clients. The programs delivered improvements in employee health screenings and assessments year over year, coupled by the reduction in health claims for the employers. Some of the programs Karen has designed have won the coveted WELCOA Model Worksite Wellness Award.
To learn more about Karen’s services please visit karenhummel.com or contact her directly at [email protected].
