During the COVID-19 pandemic and the 'Stay Home, Stay Healthy' orders from Governor Inslee, how can you balance and support our emotional well-being?

What are you feeding yourself these days?

If you thought of food, that’s totally understandable. Health and fitness professionals love to sing the praises of a balanced diet full of fresh fruits and vegetables! We certainly need healthy food for our physical well-being. 

What are you doing to feed your emotional well-being during this time?

How can we add balance to the media we consume that ultimately affects our emotional well-being? What’s your media equivalent of whole food? Just because we can’t cheer on an underdog in a basketball tournament or watch a beloved baseball player hit a home run on opening day doesn’t mean we have to replace that score-keeping with infection number tallying.

Make sure to add balance to your media diet. Just as you might refrain from hovering over the snack table at a party to stick to your healthy eating goals, consider taking a quick bite of relevant news and stepping away from the endless loop of breaking headlines to support your emotional health.

What are some other things you can do to balance your emotions?

• Watch a favorite comedy
• Call a loved one 
• Send a funny meme
• Read that book collecting dust on your nightstand
• Physical Activity

Here’s a quick balance challenge called ‘The Tightrope’:

• Stand tall with tailbone slightly tucked under, chin up and shoulders back and relaxed, knees soft/slightly bent.
• Finding a spot on the floor just ahead of you.
• Place left foot in front of right foot so that the left heel is touching the right toe. Hold for up to 30 seconds.
• Then switch with right in front of left, right heel touching left toe. Hold for up to 30 seconds.
• Try not to wiggle side to side or lean forward or back. Keep head top of head pointed towards the ceiling.
• For more challenge try walking with one foot in front of the other like you are walking on a tight rope.
• If this is too challenging, stand slightly behind and beside a sturdy chair and hold onto chair for support. You can also place a hand on a kitchen counter for support.

The Y’s Healthy Living Room and Family Room are here to support you and your family in bringing balance to mind, body and spirit.