How to break bad health habits post COVID-19
By Cheryl Jansen van Vuuren — Head of HR Business Partnership at PPS , and a certified Health Coach .
People ’ s usual activities , routines or livelihoods were significantly impacted due to the COVID-19 lockdown which has resulted in increased levels of loneliness , depression , harmful substance use , and suicidal behaviour as noted by the South African Depression and Anxiety Group ( SADAG ).
As such , many are experiencing extremely high levels of psychological distress which can cause both binge eating disorders and the desire to overeat . We often use eating to deal with stress , cope with boredom and to suppress emotions like anger or sadness . This can lead to a vicious cycle of overeating , feeling guilty for overeating , purging and then eating again . All of this just increases our levels of stress .
This has also been exacerbated by a more sedentary lifestyle during the lockdown and the inability to exercise , especially levels five and four . But it is not all negative . It is possible to break these bad health habits and build new , sustainable ones .
The sooner one starts , the better as every part of the body , especially the immune system functions better when applying healthy-living strategies . The key is to strike a balance in three areas : sustainable eating habits , movement and self-care .
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