1. Revisit Your Goals

Your health goals may need to be adjusted to suit your new routine and the circumstances that come with physical distancing. So, you may need to get creative about how you plan to achieve them. Use the below guidelines when setting up your revised goals. For example, if your goal is to eat healthier, tailor it to your personal circumstances by addressing the following:

• Realistic: For example, will it be possible to cook your meals? Can you include healthy foods on your shopping list?
• Specific: What basic changes will you make to eat healthier? For example, you may decide that two meals of the day will be vegetable-based.
• Attainable: Start small so that you don’t set yourself up for failure
• Relevant: Does it make sense for you to work on this goal during lockdown?
• Time-bound: Be specific about the timeframe. For example, you may decide to eat two different vegetables, twice a day, for the next month.

3. Create a Plan

Healthy Eating:

• Keep a food diary. Write down what you eat – you could even include information about how food and eating affect your mental health. Use an online diary like MyFitnessPal to make it easier.
• Plan meals ahead of time, including snacks. You’ll be less likely to eat convenience meals. Make a commitment by putting your meal plan on your fridge, writing it down on a calendar or making a list on your smartphone.

Fitness:

• Make adjustments to your usual workouts to suit the circumstances of lockdown and physical distancing. Instead of lifting weights at the gym, you could get the same workout using water-filled bottles at home. Or, if you usually join fitness classes, watch a video or class online. If you’re used to exercising outside, work out in your backyard if you have one.
• Follow a routine, just as you would under normal circumstances. If you are still able to go to your job, and you had a routine pre-lockdown where you exercised before or after work, stick to that. If you’re working from home or aren’t working at the moment, adjust your hours, and stick to your new schedule.

Mental Health:

• Ask for support and encouragement from your healthcare professional to see how you’re getting along with your mental health goals. Schedule a video call if this is possible.
• Use a journal to keep track of your thoughts. Write down how you feel and what challenges you are experiencing. This will help you keep track of discussion points with your healthcare provider. You could also use a mental health tracking app such as Moods or Mood Tracker if you don’t enjoy journaling.