Anxiety and COVID: How To Create a Routine That Maintains Your Well Being
Tanner Mackenzie • April 10, 2020
Two Important Contributing Factors To Creating a Successful Routine
Part of adapting to a lifestyle that is aligned with social distancing is establishing a new routine. Oftentimes, with work disrupted and schedules in disarray, it is easy to fall into the trap of a dysregulated daily routine.
This can wreak havoc on our mental and physical well being. Two things I have noticed since practicing social distancing:
1) My eating schedule is thrown off.
2) My workout schedule is erratic.
You might say, "Well, you may gain/lose weight, and you may get a bit out of shape, but that's about it."
However, falling out of routine can have a much more far-reaching impact than just body composition and fitness.
I have an anxiety disorder that is improved by lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise, so when these are not maintained, my mental and physical well being are affected. We could all put in a bit of extra effort to keep up with working out and eating on time, but this is easier said than done.
Two important contributing factors that have been important to my well being at this time are
1) Framing
2) Progression
Say you have been used to working out twice a week at Nova, twice a week at home, and a weekend day of sports (curling, swimming). Well, all public facilities are closed, and you might not be motivated to work out alone at home in addition to your Virtual 1-On-1 Training with us.
So, your new routine might be: Twice a week Virtual 1-On-1 Training, and once a week walking the dog outside. In comparison with your previous routine, this may seem lazy or regressive. It is important to FRAME
your new routine correctly, by understanding that your old routine has little bearing on what you are currently able to execute. This will remove any shame or negative emotions from your thought pattern around your QR (Quarantine Routine).
In order to avoid the opposite end of the spectrum, which represents stagnation and true regression, the second contributing factor, PROGRESSION, must be addressed.
I implement this with all my Virtual Training sessions in the following fashion:
Edward usually trains bench press at Nova. He is comfortable at 100 lbs for 10 reps for 3 sets. Now Edward trains at home and does push-ups. Rather than trying to compare push-ups with bench press, we set a NEW standard of 20 reps of push-ups for 3 sets. Next week we attempt 22 reps of push-ups for 3 sets, and we will continue the progression each week.
Introducing Progression into your routine, training or otherwise, will ensure you find purpose and satisfaction in your QR. This can be applied to any piece of your routine:
Last week Mary walked Roscoe 2km and threw the ball for him 20 times. This week she walked him 2.5km and threw the ball for him 25 times. Roscoe is now a tired puppy.
I hope this helps you in establishing your new 'Quarantine Routine', and that you are able to use Framing and Progression effectively. If you have any questions or need help, reach out to me or your Lead Coach and we will be more than happy to chat!
-Tanner Mckenzie
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