Taking Care Of Yourself: Global Pandemic Edition

Who among us hasn’t felt the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic?

I think that even those who normally stay calm, cool, and collected would admit that the last few weeks have been a whirlwind of information overload, resulting in a wide spectrum of emotions.

Sitting quietly with this continually evolving situation has reminded me that there is always so much that is outside of our control, but usually we have so much external distraction that we can pretend like we have our hand on every detail.

With so much being outside of our control at the moment, we can choose to positively influence the factors we can influence, and attempt to release the rest.

Here’s what my clients and I are doing right now to ride out the novel coronavirus storm. I hope this perspective and the resources linked below will help you through this time as well:

LOOK FOR THE FACTS

Follow the CDC, state, and local guidelines for hygiene, self-isolation/social distancing, and how to proceed if you are feeling physically unwell.

We are being asked to do these things for reasons that are based on scientific fact, so let’s start there and let the experts in those fields guide us from there.

MAINTAIN (SOME SORT OF) ROUTINE

Do what you can to continue your self-care routine, quarantine-edition.

If you’re someone who thrives in group fitness or the gym, try a home workout (there are endless choices right now, free or paid). Get more sleep than you normally would if that’s an area you struggle with, but try to keep some semblance of “normal” hours. Embrace the flexibility of working from home, if that’s your situation, and also remember that you still get to “leave the office” when the day is over.

REFRAME YOUR THOUGHTS

“I have to stay inside.” vs. “I get to be safe inside.”

One of those is an imposition and the other is a gift, right?

Many people are struggling right now with a negative inner monologue. There’s a constant overflow of sad and scary news, financial worries, and concerns about the future, so it is natural to hear those things reflected in our speech and thoughts.

One small thing we can do that has a big impact on how we feel overall is to be mindful of how we are speaking to ourselves (and others), giving the opportunity to reframe and rephrase to be more helpful than harmful.

STAY AGILE

We are weeks into this situation and things are still frequently shifting, which means we need to be flexible with our response.

If you normally eat a certain way but have been struggling to find the foods you rely on, allow some room for alternative items. Maybe your normal walking trail is now full of people, making it hard to keep six feet away from others, so you need to find a new way to get your steps in by finding another route or walking the perimeter of your living space.

While it is common to be rigid in response to major, unexpected changes, staying agile and practicing non-attachment allows us to roll along with a fluid situation.

HELP WHERE YOU CAN

For most people, if you want to help, the best thing you can do is to stay home.

If you are someone who can’t stay home because you are providing an essential service to help take care of our communities, we thank you for helping by doing your job.

If you are someone who can make masks, find out the local needs in your area and contribute in that way. If you have the means to give financially to assist those affected by COVID-19, that is always an option. If you are tired of cooking and feel comfortable ordering delivery or take out from a local business, your patronage will help those business owners and their employees.

Reach out to friends and family and let them know you are here and thinking of them during this time. Not everyone may feel up for talking (and that’s okay), but it’s always nice to know someone is thinking of you.

KNOW WHERE TO GO FOR SUPPORT

You may need more support than what you are used to right now. These are trying times for everyone; you are not alone.

Don’t hesitate to ask for what you need, whether it’s some shelf-stable ingredient recipes and help staying on track with taking care of yourself (I’ve got you!), more information to help you sort through the news on social media (vet those sources), or assistance with other issues that are coming up in your life due to coronavirus.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) has a COVID-19 guide that addresses mental health concerns and their helpline is available to answer questions and provide practical next steps.

If you are a person living with diabetes (or a person who loves someone with diabetes), visit the Diabetes Disaster Response Coalition for more information about riding out this wave while contending with diabetes-related questions and/or challenges. This site has compiled responses and resources from several major diabetes advocacy organizations and device/medication manufacturers that you may find helpful (including legal advocacy information specific to the current public health crisis from the American Diabetes Association).

GIVE YOURSELF GRACE

It is okay to feel like the world is upside down right now, to stray from your normal routine, to feel like your bandwidth is less than you wish it would be.

If you lash out towards loved ones, try to understand why your message is coming out in that form. Allow space for forgiveness to build bridges with others. Don’t forget to extend that kindness towards yourself. Find the moments of joy hidden in plain sight throughout these weeks of discomfort.

If you can channel the energy you have into accomplishing a goal or learning a new skill, that’s great. If you need to channel all of energy into getting through the day, that’s fine too.

Take care of yourself, take care of each other, and hold yourself to a standard of grace, not perfection (paraphrased from a quote by Emily Ley).