4 Ways Covid-19 Could Help Your Health
Most people don’t see a silver lining to a health pandemic, and rightly so. With a second wave imminent (or already here?), it looks as if Christmas will be cancelled and Britain will be spending the holidays locked down once again. Surely there is nothing good to come from the scenario. Right?
On its face, it’s a pretty bad position to be in, even if everyone else is in the same boat. However, while it might not feel like it currently, the crisis has done a lot of good for people around the UK, and you might be one of them.
The key is to watch out for the obvious signs – the ones you find below – and take the necessary credit. Alternatively, you can evaluate if a bad habit applies to you and attempt to eliminate it entirely. Life is weird at the moment, with no indicators it will go back to normal soon, so you should take the wins where you can.
Here are three victories you can claim during Covid that you might not even realise until now. Of course, if they aren’t, there’s nothing stopping you from seizing the opportunities!
Weight Loss
The weight has been dropping off people left, right, and centre. You only have to look to your family and friends to see how well they’ve been adhering to the government’s advice. Even the Prime Minister has been attempting to shift some pounds in the fight against obesity!
Of course, it’s easier to see the results on other people than it is yourself. This is because you rarely look in a full-length mirror or hop on the scales. The latter is very scary! Still, this doesn’t mean you’re not part of the population who has improved their immune system by losing weight, regardless of how much according to The Mirror.
If you’re exercising regularly, whether it’s a 10k run or long walks in the countryside, and eating healthier meals, you’re probably in better condition than pre-lockdown. A straightforward way to tell is to wear an old pair of jeans or a t-shirt and see if it fits. Remember that it’s not always about the anecdotes and soundbites, either.
Yes, telling people you’ve lost a stone is impressive; however, changing your lifestyle by emphasising healthy living is also very awe-inspiring. After all, they are features that will continue well into the future, whether the virus is around or not!
Digitised Health
Digital health is a concept that is pretty new to 2020. It was creeping into peoples’ lives, yet the introduction of the Coronavirus means it is well and truly here, which is a good thing. Firstly, it’s not as exclusive or inaccessible as it sounds. For example, the NHS has an app almost anybody can download and use to chat with advisors or book appointments with doctors and nurses.
For those who can’t, the traditional ways of working continue to exist. Secondly, digital health tactics encourage more people to speak to a medical professional about their fears and apprehensions. In particular, working-class people are notorious for adopting a calm exterior and carrying on regardless as they don’t want to bother a doctor over something insignificant.
Unfortunately, this attitude leads to people losing their lives as there’s no way to tell what’s going on under the hood. Thankfully, the introduction of digitised health is beginning to offer regular people the chance to quickly and anonymously talk about their issues without the need to book time off work or go to a health centre or clinic.
As a result, AccuRx, a text-messaging service that connects GPs with patients, reports its software is used in 35,000 consultations a day.
Bad Habits
Covid-19 has put the effect of bad habits in the limelight. Previously, there wasn’t much on the line when people heard smoking or drinking might harm their wellbeing. Everything in moderation, people. Sadly, the virus impacted people due to routine, run of the mill issues, from being overweight to being a smoker.
The result – the BBC said in June that smokers have quit in their highest numbers in a decade. Infact, over one million people have given up since the pandemic hit in late March to early April. 41% of quitters admitted it was due to the health crisis.
The figures show the pandemic encourages people to be healthier in several ways, from seeing a doctor more often to losing weight and being active, yet it’s the emphasis on habits such as smoking where the real results are impressive.
If you’re a smoker, this is the best time to focus your energy on giving up for the sake of your health and bank balance. The same goes for different habits, too, such as binge drinking and screen time. The stats prove you can drop them if you concentrate hard enough!
Introspection
There’s been a lot of talk about mental health during the lockdown, which is only a positive sign. After all, it’s been a taboo topic for a long while, and people who needed help haven’t received it due to the public perception. Everybody is aware of the need for robust mental wellbeing, something the health crisis has pushed.
Still, most people think about other people instead of looking inwards. With more and more men and women highlighting their struggles, the lockdown has been an excellent period to analyse mental health introspectively.
Although the figures for mental health have risen – the ONS points out that 20% of people admit to an issue compared to 10% in 2019 – the positive to take for this is that the country is opening up to the idea of speaking out. The UK is great at bottling up its emotions, which is unhealthy in the long run.
Hopefully, even when everyone isn’t locked down, this will still be the case since mental health issues won’t disappear with the virus. There is no vaccine other than support. Plus don’t forger you can still get your hands on covid testing kits such as these covid testing kits canada which can help you know if you are suffering from covid.
Lockdown has been hard, and it could get tougher, yet there are silver linings for your physical and mental wellbeing.
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