This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Viactiv Calcium Soft Chews. All opinions are 100% mine.
2020 has required each of us to be strong in so many ways. Even if you don’t feel like it, I KNOW you’ve demonstrated so much strength this year! We’ve pivoted plans, adapted our work, made hard choices about how to spend time, and dealt with a mountain of uncertainty. It’s easy to get caught up in everything that feels lost right now with so many months of plans flipped upside down, but the fact that we’re still here is a triumph.
Heading into 2020, I, like many of you, had hopes that it would be a great year. Achievements! Personal growth! Goals smashed! Life had other plans for all of us.
As the year has gone on, I’ve worked on keeping myself as healthy as possible, both mentally and physically. This meant the obvious guidance such as wearing a mask, social distancing, and limiting my interactions with people outside of my household. When I realized this was going to go longer than any of us imagined, I worked to make sure I was taking care of myself as best as I could while at home, where work/life balance has always long an issue. A few of the steps to stay strong included:
Exercise: Knowing I wasn’t going to go to a gym anytime soon, and that my at-home workouts on my own were pretty much non-existent, I got my Peloton bike and have really enjoyed working out in a fun way. I’ve also increased the amount of meditation I do, which has helped particularly in times of overwhelm – of which there have been many! When everything else feels slightly out-of-control, getting on the bike always helps release the endorphins!
Sleep: As a long-time insomniac, sleep has been one of the most difficult health puzzles to solve. Even though it feels like we’re not doing anything since we’re always home, we ARE being tested through all of the changes and uncertainty. Anyone else lay in bed and have their mind travel into a maze of worst-case-scenarios or to-do lists for the next year?! Taking a few steps like meditation before bed, putting down the phone earlier in the night, and even having my lights on timers so I get a harsh reminder that it’s time to shut down have been helpful. I’ve also embraced that I’m a night owl, and made sure to move important Zoom calls until after 10am. This means I’m not scrambling to get up early in the morning after going to bed late.
Wellness: As someone who takes medication for an autoimmune disorder and for my mental health, making sure to keep on a strict schedule with my medicine is important. I also added some additional supplements to my routine to make sure I was getting the nutrients that might be lacking from my diet. This included adding Viactiv Calcium Soft Chews to the mix. Calcium isn’t manufactured in the body, so it must be introduced by outside sources like your diet. I’m not great about that, so it’s nice to grab two chews to get 100% of my daily recommended calcium. Viactiv also contains vitamin D and vitamin K, both of which help regulate calcium absorption in the body. I have a vitamin D deficiency, so I take the 500 IUs of vitamin D in every chew into account while doing the rest of my vitamin D supplementation. Viactiv Calcium Soft Chews are available in milk chocolate or caramel flavors are are individually wrapped, so I can keep a few in my purse if I happen to be out. Viactiv* is available in-store at major retailers or buy online from the comfort of your home at Walmart, Target, or Amazon.
Limiting social media: Social media can be such a downer, and in 2020 that has definitely been the case. As someone who owns a digital marketing consultancy, social media is unavoidable. That doesn’t mean that I need to go down the doomscrolling path every time I log on. I’ve worked to reduce the amount of time I personally spend scrolling Twitter and Facebook. I’ve liberally blocked or muted people, and turned off many notifications. Mental health is precious, and gaining some of that time back has helped reduce some anxiety.
As I shared in an earlier post, I unfortunately didn’t escape COVID-19 – it’s truly everywhere and can affect anyone – but I am very thankful to have made it through without a hospital stay or more severe complications. It was a very sobering reminder of how important these self-care steps are as we move into the winter and hopefully into a less stressful 2021.
What are some ways you’re trying to stay strong in 2020?
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
