Virtual wellness

It is easy to forget about wellness when you are at a desk in front of computer. It is important to take care of our bodies and minds now more than ever. Practicing self-care every day includes relaxing, getting the appropriate amount of sleep, exercising when possible and staying connected with our communities.  

Here are six quick tips for self-care:

1. Connect with community: Take time everyday to connect with your community. This can mean friends, family, or peers. Pick three people a day to check in with. Social distancing does not mean isolation, so find creative ways to stay connected.
2. Take a break and relax everyday: take breaks and make a point of relaxing and doing things you enjoy everyday.
3. Limit information intake: checking the news constantly leads to unnecessary stress and anxiety. You can stay informed by checking reputable news sources occasionally, not constantly.
4. Practice gratitude: Taking time out of every day, even in difficult times, to practice gratitude can help us persist through challenges. What are you grateful for today? Take two minutes every day to make a list.
5. Sleep: Sleep helps your body recharge and your brain to consolidate learning. Aim for 7-8 hours every night.
6. Exercise: Even in close quarters you can find creative ways to exercise. UW Recreation offers live and pre-recorded fitness classes and more. 

There are a number of UW resources available online, including:

• The centralized wellness website, which includes self-help mindfulness resources.

• Sanvello is a mobile app that helps you monitor your wellbeing and teaches you coping strategies. It's premium content is currently free in response to additional stress related to COVID-19.

• UW Recreation is offering several Virtual Fitness and Virtual Mindfulness classes online.

• How to cope with COVID-related stress.