We hope you have been enjoying our Healthy at Home series! Our last interview this month comes from Liz Haley, the Executive Assistant to our COO and President here at allsynx. Liz really enjoys cooking and baking, and her place is always the hub where her friends gather to eat and hangout together. She has such great advice for those who have found themselves with a little more free time and availability during the pandemic. We hope you enjoy hearing about her experience!
LEARNsynx:
What does a healthy lifestyle mean to you?
Liz H.:
To me it means that my mental health is most important. Especially with the pandemic, being under quarantine, and things still not being back to normal, I prioritize it more than anything. For me that means checking in with friends and family, getting 3 meals a day, and not losing track of time. It’s so easy to lose track of the days when you’re at home all the time. At the beginning I wasn’t really reaching out to people or doing much, but I found that I need to be talking to people more often and eating healthier meals. So yeah, basically just taking care of myself.
LEARNsynx:
How has social distancing and remote working affected your wellness and daily routine?
Liz H.:
It’s actually affected me in a positive way. I’ve lost some weight at home, not that weight is the only way to be healthy, but it was a personal goal for me. Every morning I try to do at least 10 minutes of yoga, and I get time to do that now since I don’t have to commute. I get to spend more time with my dog too, so we get to go on three walks a day instead of just two. She likes that! I’m also trying those at home meal kits like Blue Apron. It’s preportioned and gives me healthier choices. So definitely the extra time during the day has helped me make some healthy changes!
LEARNsynx:
If we made a favorites list for all things wellness related – healthy snack ideas, books, motivational people to follow on social media, fitness planning, at-home exercises – what two or three things would be at the top of your list?
Liz H.:
I’ve become a huge YouTube fanatic. There is so much out there that you can learn how to do: cooking recipes, work out routines, even videos about being at home during quarantine! It’s great.
Next, I would say find a self-care routine now that you are at home more. You hopefully have a little extra time to do a face mask or take a walk. You also have the freedom to try new things. If you want to dye your hair or cut bangs or something, go for it!
Last, find some hobbies that you enjoy. I’ve started to craft more. I’m cross stitching, crocheting a blanket, and even starting to paint again which is fun even though I’m not the best at it. My Switch was just collecting dust, but I bought Animal Crossing, a game I never thought I’d play, and I can connect with friends even if they live in other states. I’ve also started getting more plants which is great because I used to just have one cactus. It’s kept me busy and improved my mood.
LEARNsynx:
Lastly, what is one piece of advice you would give to someone reading this article and looking to commit to a more whole and healthy lifestyle?
Liz H.:
Honestly, now is the time to try new things! As you can tell, I’ve picked up a lot of new hobbies. I am an extrovert, so at the beginning of all of this, I was kind of struggling. But as I’ve been open to new ways to stay connected and trying something new, it has helped my mental and physical health a lot. That thing that you never had time to do before or were afraid to try, just go for it!
About: Healthy at Home is a series of short interviews to highlight different allsynx employees and their health and wellness experiences while working remotely and social distancing due to COVID-19. Each week this August, we’ll ask different employees the same four questions. We hope you can gain insight from their various responses to help promote your own physical, mental, and emotional wellness in whatever situation you currently find yourself because of the pandemic.