21 Healthy Habits for Quarantine Time

1. Practice deep breathing. 
   Focusing on your breathing and practicing deep breathing exercises helps relieve tension and built up stress. Here is a simple everyday exercise which lasts a few minutes. Either alternate nasal breathing or ‘Bramari’.
2. Meditate. 
   Meditation improves your ability to focus. It has a calming effect on the mind, releases stress and offers calmness to the mind. Chanting “Aum” will clear out your thoughts and will help you to connect with yourself better. Take a few minutes to practice this exercise, or try learning from free online teachers.
3. Practice Yoga. 
   Yoga makes your body feel good and improves body balance, flexibility of the joints and muscles. It also relaxes stiff and tight muscles. Yoga also relieves stress, makes you more “mindful” and aware, helps improve concentration, and helps you feel more peaceful and calm.
4. Take up a hobby 
   Treat yourself to an activity you enjoy or to an online education class. It can be satisfying to learn something new and to spend time on something that engages you. It can also be a way to take your mind off worries.
5. Have meals together as a family. 
   Having meals together is good for families. A study from the University of Michigan found that the meal time at home was the single strongest predictor of better achievement scores and fewer behavioural problems in children. Mealtime was far more powerful than time spent in school, studying, worshipping, playing sports or art activities. 
   It can be hard to find time for regular meals together as a family. But NOW is the right time, especially with all the family members at home.
6. Listen to music and relax. 
   Music can entertain us, distract us from our worries, stimulate our brains, and help us relax. Figure out the kind of music that relaxes you and use it to reduce anxiety. Listen to music or assemble your own “feel good” playlist and listen to it when you need a lift or distraction.
7. Lose weight if you know you need to. 
   If you want to lose weight, then commit to losing your weight through a diet program that includes portion control, exercise, or even fasting .
8. Fast (Upavasa) Occasionally 
   Fasting is the process of abstaining from some or all food, drink, or both, for a certain period of time. In Sanskrit ‘Upavasa’ means ‘near to God’. A fast may be of several kinds; juice fasts, water fast or intermittent as to the period of fasting. Fasting is an important treatment modality for health preservation.
9.  Laugh 
   Laughing is a great way to release tension and shake off a bad mood. It can also make the day more fun in the time of crisis.
10. Work out at home
    Exercise daily using workout apps or online coaching. This promotes kids to do the same from yoga, in place jogging, skipping rope, weight training exercises or any activities which can be done at home.
11. Exercise your brain. 
    Exercising your brain can improve memory and reduce the risk of dementia, according to medical studies. Challenge your brain by trying out old routines in new ways. Brush your teeth with your non-dominant hand. Try sudoku puzzles, learn a new language or learn a new computer program.
12. Drink Healthy Smoothies 
    Amla with curry leaves and ginger/cucumber, lemon & spinach/pineapple, ginger, turmeric, lemon.
    Benefits: Purifies blood, increases metabolic activity, prevents constipation, promotes hair growth, good for the heart, liver, bone, eye, skin & hair.
13. Oil Pulling 
    Use sesame oil or coconut oil to gargle your mouth. It strengthens the jaw, and helps in teeth sensitivity. It prevents dryness of mouth and cracking of lips. Gargling can be done with decorations or hot salt water and so on, for oral care.
14. Nasal care 
    Application of Nasal drops. Put 2 drops each of sesame oil or ghee or milk into each nostril in the morning and proceed to gargle with warm water. This helps lubricate the nose, clear your sinuses, improves vision.
15. Oil application 
    Oil your scalp and hair, feet and palms. Ayurveda suggests daily abhyanga (oil massage) with sesame oil to improve circulation, reduce pain to nourish your skin and hair.
16.  Drink Turmeric Milk 
    Take half a spoon of turmeric, milk, sugar (optional) and water and boil to prepare the best healthy drink. This drink has strong anti-inflammatory properties, loaded with antioxidants. One can also add ginger and cinnamon.
17. Evacuation: Bowel Habits 
    Drinking 1-2 glasses of warm water helps in the elimination. Empty your bowels without straining. Keep a good habit of elimination daily.
18. Practice Good Sleep Pattern 
    Having a good pattern of sleep is essential to keep your body and mind healthy. It generally takes 21 days to form a habit and it is ideal to start now for a proper 6-8 hours of sleep.
19. Healthy diet 
    Maintain a good habit of eating food on time. Healthy breakfast, followed by your lunch and dinner around 7pm. Avoid going to bed immediately after dinner. One must eat fresh fruits and vegetables, and well balanced food.
20. Make the most of your Quarantine time. 
    Use this testing  time to relax, feel good, and transform your body and mind with healthy practices. Read books, share your childhood memories, look at old pictures and so on and use this time in a positive way.
    TEAM SHATHAYU AYURVEDA requests you all to be safe and practice social distancing and same time use this time for your Health benefit.
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