10 common mistakes that damage your health these days at home

Why are we kidding ourselves, it's not easy at all to spend the day at home without falling into apathy. However, we must force ourselves to maintain a routine and avoid certain habits that can be harmful to our health. These are some of the mistakes that we are making during the confinement and that we must avoid if we want to return to normalcy in full physical and mental faculties. Don't make these mistakes if you want to get out of quarantine!

Neglect you

A lot of washing our hands during seclusion, but some people are forgetting to shower once a day and, more importantly, brush their teeth after the main meals. Dr. Iván Malagón warns of the importance of oral cleaning to avoid suffering dental and gastrointestinal problems during quarantine: “We must take care of the teeth and the entire structure that surrounds them by performing proper hygiene, brushing the surface of all teeth well, providing attention to the gums and tongue and flossing at least once a day ”, he declares.

Neglecting the skin or doing it excessively

As always, in any situation of uncertainty, extreme positions are dangerous. Leo Cerrud , an expert in Aesthetic Medicine, observes two common mistakes during confinement: “There are two opposing situations that are just as damaging. On the one hand we find the cosmetic overdose: how I get bored,And they have also told me that I must continue to use cosmetics, I wear everything, even those creams that I have stored for months. Error! There is a condition called 'cosmetic overdose', which is produced by saturation of the skin and manifests itself with an evident increase in the production of sebum (pores, thick skin, etc.) and can lead to acne breakouts and hypersensitivity. The 'I put it all on' is not a good way to go ”–he explains and continues- “ At the opposite extreme is the cosmetic abandonment.Between teleworking, children, washing machines, meals, clapping at 8:00 p.m. and the children again … Error again! We must, in the face of chaos, maintain a minimum of cosmetic routine (gel, soap or foam for cleaning; moisturizers with depigmenting at night, for example) so that the skin does not become another of the great harmed by the quarantine "

Lying down with wet hair

Laziness means that many days we end up getting into the shower shortly before going to sleep and going to bed with wet hair or traces of moisture. This is not only harmful to our hair and scalp, but also to our body, since we can cool down during the night and wake up with a very careful cold. The renowned stylist Noelia Jiménez advises against this practice: “With the schedules and routine changed, you can adopt this habit that is very harmful to your hair. The scalp suffers with a long period of humidity and little by little it loses strength. On the other hand, when you wake up, you may find yourself out of temper and with your hair frizzy and full of knots ”.

Spend the day in your pajamas

Not taking off your pajamas all day is fine from time to time, but doing it regularly can have dire consequences for our personal development. Different studies show that the clothes we wear every day, even to be at home, have a great impact on our mood and our attitude. Wearing the right clothes motivates us and helps us focus on our tasks. You don't have to put on your jacket to work from home; resort to comfortable clothes, but with which you look good. It also doesn't hurt to dress up a bit and put on makeup from time to time. It doesn't matter if you can't go out… it will lift your spirits a lot and improve your self-esteem!

Have you seen our ideas for looks to be at home beautiful and comfortable?

Work in bed or on the couch

How many days have you worked in bed or on the couch since the state of emergency was decreed? Enabling a suitable area at home to work is essential to ensure good body hygiene and increase concentration and performance. Alejandro Sanz Castel-Ruiz, physiotherapist, osteopath and director of the Somos Fisioterapia clinics, warns of the dangers of not sitting properly: “Poor posture derived from poor ergonomics due to teleworking can trigger low back pain due to the lack of permanent back support. They can also cause neck discomfort or headaches since, without realizing it, we move our neck forward to bring it closer to the screen. In addition, if you tend to cross or intertwine your legs and keep them in that position for a long time, there is a decrease in the return blood circulation of the legs and can cause a sensation of squatting or loss of sensation. This sensation is temporary and is restored as soon as you uncross your legs, but if it is maintained regularly over time, it is the main cause of varicose veins ”.

Eating bad

Boredom, anxiety, stress … many times lead us to eat more than necessary, snack more between meals, skip meals, not drink enough water, indulge in vices … With confinement, the consumption of chocolate has increased considerably , sweets, tobacco and alcoholic beverages. We must control these habits if we want to flee from being overweight and from some ailments such as cholesterol and diabetes. The doctor in Pharmacy and nutritionist Amil López Viéitez, from the Coherent Diet platform, encourages us not to include 'dangerous foods' in the shopping list: “Be smarter than hunger and avoid having temptations at home. Ultra-processed foods and fast food activate the reward and pleasure areas of the brain, causing you to eat excessively and generating addiction ”–declares Amil and adds-“ To avoid eating more than necessary or committing excesses that could end up taking a toll on your health, you should learn to identify physical hunger and emotional hunger. Write down during the next days what you eat, when you do it, how you feel… This will help you to recognize if you really are physically hungry and you will be able to anticipate situations of certain lack of control ”.

Trick! The expert recommends adding cinnamon to yogurts and infusions to fill yourself up earlier. The temperature of food also influences satiety: it is preferable to take it warm than fresh from the fridge.

Not respecting routines or sleep schedules

The current situation is greatly disrupting our schedules and our habits. Most experts agree on the importance of establishing certain routines within our possibilities, but the truth is that we go to bed later, sleep late, etc.This, as Dr. Jhoan Silva, director of Elma's medical team, warns, “being in bed longer than necessary or doing activities in it other than those inherent to night rest can cause the appearance of transitory insomnia, since we send two opposite messages that can confuse our brain. Not having a daily routine set out with details of the activities to be carried out by hourly segments can lead to the appearance of sleep disorders and also a reduction in productivity and concentration in our day-to-day life ”.

Head over to our section to sleep better and take note.

Too much information

Spending the day reading, watching or listening to information about the coronavirus, far from being useful, can end up being harmful to our mental health, causing discomfort, anxiety, nervousness or depression. According to the expert sociologist in neurolinguistics Alicia Aradilla, we must avoid this informational hypercosumism: “Being overexposed to information can create a distressing emotional state. It is preferable to select channels and inquire only once a day. If you are 'hooked' on these channels, try to direct the information towards humor or towards inspiration (art, documentaries, series, etc.) ”. Creative activities like painting mandalas, for example, can also help.

Fall into a sedentary lifestyle

Although in social networks we do not stop seeing how people presume to be doing sports at home and taking advantage of this parenthesis to get in shape, the truth is that there is a lot of “social posturing”. A high percentage of the population admits showing certain laziness and declares that they spend the day from bed to sofa and from sofa to bed, only making strategic trips to the kitchen to open the refrigerator. “Being enclosed within four walls, we don't move half as much as we do under normal circumstances. We should try to do some sport to counteract the slowdown. Practicing some exercise will keep your heart active and help you burn off the excesses of the day.You don't need to beat yourself up every day; It would be enough to alternate upper and lower body work with some cardiovascular activity to maintain good physical shape, ” says personal trainer @nenamamifit.

Our weekly plan with exercises for all levels will help you stay in shape.

Abusing bleach

As recommended by the WHO and the Ministry of Health, we must take extreme measures of personal hygiene by washing our hands frequently with soap and water and disinfecting the surfaces of our home to end the coronavirus. Both organisms explain that the virus loses its infectivity after being exposed to commonly used general disinfectants and cleaning products, such as bleach. Now, be very careful with using more concentration of bleach than recommended,as reported by the National Institute of Toxicology and Forensic Sciences, telephone consultations for poisonings related to the mixture of cleaning products in homes have increased considerably. To avoid this type of incident we must read the indications of each product well before using it.