The impact of COVID-19 on our eating habits has been massive. The closing of restaurants, the increased time spent at home and the difficulty in getting hold of some ingredients has changed things dramatically.
This is a particularly interesting subject for me having been a healthy lifestyle blogger for 10 years. You can check out my blogs at www.healthylifestylesliving.com.
From a health perspective, things haven’t just been about the dangers of Covid-19. After all 48 percent of people say they have put on weight during lockdown in a new survey. Comfort eating is a lot to blame as is the closures of all the gyms and leisure centres. Alas this could not be avoided in the fight against Covid-1 9.
There are many factors going on here:
• Comfort eating
• Drinking more alcohol
• Exercising less
• Eating foods you wouldn’t normally consume
• Being bored
• Lack of routine
• Feeling stressed or anxious
• Not being able to go to the gym
• Not being able to maintain a weight loss plan as easily
• A lack of contact with others
Weight gain isn’t the only problem. There has been a rise in anxiety and depression in many people. Stuck in their homes, unable to see friends or loved ones, a social life completely messed up. No entertainment outside, with cinemas, theaters, pubs and restaurants all closed down. Maybe living with a spouse or partner, children, together 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with many not been able to go to work. It is suspected the number of divorces and pregnancies resulting from this lockdown could be sky high.
We have learnt recently that people’s mental health is quite precarious, and the impact of this lockdown suddenly thrust upon people, totally unplanned, has impacted many people very negatively. It can be scary too. I know how worried I was for my daughter. She was truly on the frontline. Working on ICU at St. Thomas Hospital. You probably heard of it because it’s the hospital and the ward our Prime Minister Boris Johnson was on fighting for his life on against Covid-19. Every evening when she arrived back at the hotel that she was forced to live in for 8 weeks she’d record a one-minute WhatsApp audio just letting us know she was OK. Yes it was scary a time.
During lockdown, which seems now to be coming to a slow end although not there completely yet, people’s anxiety and stress levels have undoubtedly been extremely high, and they haven’t had access to things that would usually help. I got my new German Shepherd Puppy just before lockdown. We had to wait a long time before we could get his final injections. Until this the poor little thing was stuck indoors with me unable to go for a walk or meet other dogs. Thankfully the vets were able to get this done and now my favourite part of the day is taking him out.
Everything during this period became quite a struggle for many people. Shopping, empty shelves, queues at every supermarket, many of our favourite shops closed.
When I got the news about lockdown I thought, ‘I’m never going to be able to work from home. I was used to doing 2 days in the office and 3 days on the road travelling all over the North East of England, and now I was stuck indoors. I couldn’t keep my business going surely. Yet again after a week I settled in converted a spare room to a study/office and learned how to communicate with Zoom, using the phone and email. And the money I saved on petrol has been considerable.
Then there was not being able to go to the gym. I bet many of you tried to get some cardio equipment like a bike or treadmill just like me. Everywhere was sold out. I also only had very basic weights and bench at home. So, no way could I train properly was what I told myself. While the first week was a struggle, I soon found my feet and worked out what type of training I was going to do, and now I feel like I’m really in a rhythm. Mind you I still cant wait to get back to the gym.
I’ll be honest, I also enjoyed spending time cooking since the restrictions began. I got quite adventurous experiment with new recipes and generally trying to improve my cooking skills. There is still some room for improvement.
If you have been affected negatively by Covid-19 you are one of many. Hopefully your coping mechanism have kicked in and you’re learning to cope. You I’m sure will soon be back to normal. Seeing your friends and family. I know how difficult its been not seeing my grandkids. Since mine were born I have seen them every single week without fail, and now I’ve gone 9 weeks without seeing them. That part I probably hated the most about this.
Working with so many Public Houses as I do, this lockdown has been really tough for them. On Saturday 20th March, pubs, restaurants, cafes and clubs were told to shut down by the government to fight against the spread of Covid. Only those able to do takeaway could stay trading. So that’s 48,349 boozers across the county forced to shut. I know that many a publican has been crying into their punts. The rumours are circulating that they will be reopening in July some time.
Some rather than focusing on what they couldn’t do or have, focused on what they could add, in some cases volunteering to deliver food, help out at hospitals. In my case I helped companies stay trading by getting them chip and pin machines so they could take payments when using cash was frowned on for the dangers of passing on the virus. I was also able to help takeaways get their menu online and take payments through their website.
You have always got to try and find the positives.
On that note takeaways and butchers are reported to have benefited the most financially from this lockdown period. Hands up those of you that have increased their usage of takeaways. Yep I’m guilty of that particularly at the beginning when the supermarket shelves were virtually empty. So at least some have thrived through this. Where would we be without them, feeding us, keeping us sane, giving us a break from the monotony.
What a beautiful thing how we have all come together. What an amazing thing it has been standing outside our houses on a Thursday night giving thanks to the brave NHS workers.
Thank god things are slowly getting back to normal. Although we must fear it striking again and us all going back through this again. Let’s hope not, or at least be better prepared for it.
At least I know my business partner will be OK, as he has already contracted COvid-19 along with his girlfriend and children. She is another NHS staff member who on the frontline could not avoid the risk and paid the penalty. The good news is they’re all fine now.
Being a healthy lifestyle writer, to end on a positive note I would say that with lockdown coming to a conclusion now’s the time to think about changing your lifestyle, beginning to eat better, plan your meals better, exercise more and spend more fun time getting out and about with family and friends.
Also as a friend of mine advocates we all must learn to become more resilient. Taking steps to look after your wellbeing can help you deal with pressure, and reduce the impact that stress has on your life. This is sometimes called developing emotional resilience. Resilience is not just your ability to bounce back, but also your capacity to adapt in the face of challenging circumstances, whilst maintaining a stable mental wellbeing. Resilience needs you to master your emotions before they manage you. Resilient people have a positive outlook. They remind themselves that much of what they’re facing is temporary, and that they’ve overcome setbacks before and can do it again. Resilient people focus on what they can learn from the experience. So come out of this difficult period better a person than when you went into it. Check out this old article I wrote about resilience .
Thank you for reading this article, and remember to be kind to yourself during this challenging time and finding comfort in the fact that it will not last forever. We are all in this together.
This post was written by Larry Lewis, who is a Life Coach, and a specialist in the online business since 2010 providing products, coaching and membership programs in the personal development and health and wellness niches. And also a Merchant Service advisor specialising in the Hospitality Industry ensuring his clients have the best card payment systems for their business at clear, transparent prices.
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