Crazy Coronavirus Times — Some Effective Ways We Can Stay Positive
Crazy Coronavirus Times – Some Effective Ways We Can Stay Positive
I don’t know about you, but life has felt very discombobulated lately. A girlfriend & I went to Palm Springs last Tuesday, heading for the PARIBAS Indian Wells Tennis Tournament and a few hours after our airplane touched down, the tournament was canceled, and the coronavirus had become a pandemic. At that point… here we were in paradise with the question every hour…Should we stay?… Should we go?
The overall coronavirus case numbers reported in Italy, Spain, Iran and all of Western Europe and then in North America seemed to multiply by the day. And then we were faced with the vexing question of actually getting home…
Well, I can tell you, after 3 days home, there truly is no better feeling than being home sweet home. And although I am now in two-week self-isolation coming back from the U.S., I can still go for a walk in our neighborhood with my husband Joe. It feels so freeing and so ‘normal’ to go for a run in the woods as well. To some extent, I am actually really enjoying the sense that life has completely slowed right down. Although admittedly I am not looking forward to my grey hair showing up… and I sadly wish corona still referred to my favorite cold beer… I am choosing to take this time to re-evaluate life.
In accordance with public health protocols of social distancing, I am seeing my clients on Zoom and Skype… which is really wonderful. They are in the comfort of their own home… and I am in my home office here.
My husband & I are reading books… by the way, American Dirt, by Jeanine Cummins is a fantastical page-turner! We watched Tom Hanks’ movie “Mr. Roger’s” last night … which is a heart-warming two thumbs up. And the night before we watched “Ford Versus Ferrari” which is also fabulous and also another true story!!
There are times this virus pandemic is bound to create a little anxiety. It is normal to have some fear. Here are some tips that will help you get through anxiety challenges:
- Control what you control. This includes controlling what you watch and listen to. It’s not healthy to subject yourself to a constant stream of stress with news reports on the ‘latest’ numbers on corona infection rates and deaths. Choose a time of day to check out the news streams you prefer and trust. For the rest of the day, no peeking, no researching… it’s just adding trauma to things you can’t control… and baby that amygdala just can’t take it!!
- Control what you choose to do. Getting outside for a walk in nature has huge benefits to your nervous system….just stay two meters apart from others… but get in close to the trees. Research shows that just standing by a tree, you lower your cortisol levels. And bonus that we have been having so much sun in Vancouver lately…Sun is a great source of Vitamin D which is SO good for you.
If the weather is off, try an on-line exercise class. Or put on some music and dance in your living room. Just shaking up your body, increases blood circulation and has been shown to improve your health, immune response, metabolism, and brain function. It also increases your happiness hormones which will keep you positive through these times.
- Control what you eat and drink. Water flushes cortisol out of your body through your kidneys. The intermittent fasting program has been shown to boost your immune system. You may want to consider fasting until noon if you want to give it a try. (Ask your physician about the benefits of intermittent fasting.) Zinc and Micronized Mushrooms have also been shown to help boost our human immune system.
- Control how much contact you have with others by working from home if possible; by social distancing (staying home); by diligently washing your hands. By the way, you can make your own sterilizing formula with 60% rubbing alcohol, 40% aloe vera, and add your favorite cream or oil for the smell.
- Communicate … having family check-ins at dinner can really help to keep stress down. Let each member of the family share how they are feeling and what they have learned about the coronavirus… it is so important to download what our children are uploading on social media channels. What you talk about, you can deal with. What you don’t talk about, turns into anxiety!!
- Consider ordering your groceries online so they can be delivered right to your door and again you save yourself unnecessary contact and risk.
- Come together as a family … make your kitchen a place of play, dance, music, games, food, and fun. Apple I-tunes has many different fun compilations under “Feeling Happy”.. music can be a great way to relieve stress and keep the vibes positive in your home.
There is some hope that a vaccine has been discovered in a lab in Paris. It has been proven to abate the virus when tested on mice. Fingers crossed; we are getting closer to defeating COVID-19 Coronavirus.
In the meantime, let’s starve it… please do your best to stay home.
Great advice/ ideas for staying healthy mentally and physically.
My 2 daughters will be home from university and I feel empowered.
Thank you!
Thanks Deb! And thanks for reading my blog!! In times like this it feels so good to have family close. I am so happy my children are here too!.. relieved to know that we will all get through this together. I’m finding there may be some up sides to the chaos and challenges right now as I simplify life and feel grateful for every day and every one.. including YOU!
Hello-JoAnne
Such a great message. Thank you for your continued uplifting “voice”….from 38 years ago at Highlands United Church gym until now, you have always been one that can see the sunny side of things.
Stay healthy my friend!
You are so welcome Kerry! Thank you for your positive feedback. It makes me feel close and connected to write these blogs… I feel so reminded that we are all in this together… and together we will prevail. Love rules!! Be well and be safe. Amazing how much time has gone by since the Mom & Me Network in Edgement Village. I loved teaching those classes… again it was and is all about a loving community and shared caring. We are all so much stronger because of each other. It’s heart warming to hear from you Kerry. xo Jo-Anne
Thanks Jo I always love your blog! We just had a friendly sunset wine impromptu with our neighbours on our driveway practicing our social distancing! Being creative makes room for still socializing with friends.
That’s awesome Heidi. What a great idea and way to stay connected with your neighbors so no one is feeling isolated or alone. I was reading that apparently in Venice, the canals that were once so polluted, are now clear waters filled with fish…. I think maybe the planet is healing herself. Just imagine the positive impacts right now with air traffic stopping.. our ozone layer can heal… and with less ocean traffic, our waters are clearing up. Maybe there is a reason for all of this.
Thank you for this. ❤️ We have been so blessed with the beautiful weather and our vast outdoor space. I like the idea of going into the forest and just standing beside a tree 🙂 great reminders to turn on music and fun times xo
Thanks Jenna. It’s a very powerful time when we all feel such a big range of emotion… sometimes I feel quite purposeful in the need to see the values and bigger picture… and other times I feel so frightened for everyone and for myself… I think this is so normal for all of us. Trees just feel like sentinels .. strong, present and somehow so caring… so wise. I try to go for a run in a local trail near where we live every day… just keeping a big distance between any other person who might be there too. I don’t know how long that will be possible for.. but it sure seems to create a small window of ‘normal’ for now. We will all get through this together. And I love sharing ideas through my blog… and when I get comments from people like you, it just motivates to keep these blogs coming. It is a creative outlet that feels so purposeful right now. Be well. Stay safe. warm cyber hugs, Jo-Anne
So inspiring my dear friend! You’re always full of playful ideas and joyful wisdom. You can lead us through anything!!
Isolating oneself is a big challenge for an extrovert like me, but walking on the seawall, feeling the warmth of the sun, smelling the roses and feeling all our senses will bring us through this crazy time.
So inspiring my dear friend! You’re always full of playful ideas and joyful wisdom. You can lead us through anything!!
Isolating oneself is a big challenge for an extrovert like me, but walking on the seawall, feeling the warmth of the sun, smelling the roses and feeling all our senses will bring us through this crazy time.
Thank you Julie!! I felt the same way on my run yesterday… just so grateful for this beautiful world and all the friendships in it..I’m running in the woods for the next two weeks though as it is less likely that I’ll bump into someone…So tough not to want to connect.. we are such social human beings. We will all be stronger because of this… so happy you are doing the social isolation for the two weeks after having been away… up close to nature and at a distance with others. Apparently we are already healing the ozone layers … maybe this all has a purpose!
Great message Mom. All great ideas to help us all get through this stronger! You are a hero!
Ah… I’m not a hero… just your Mom and a caring human like you Jus. You are right on the sense WE are all going to be stronger and better having gone through this. And our planet is going to be healthy again.
I say to myself… what do I want my future self to feel about who I have been through this challenging time two years from now when all of this tragedy and trauma is a story we all share?
Let’s do what we can do now to starve this virus and model integrity and caring for others. Love you. xoxo Mom
Hi Jo-Anne, thanks so much for the great tips for us to get through this difficult time! You can’t imagine how many people love you and adore you for your cheerful and positive attitude! I take this opportunity to thank you!!
My heart aches when I hear so many people suffering from the virus, loss of jobs and families. It is scary that healthy looking people might be carrying the virus and you might get infected from them if your immune systems is low. But at the same time, like you said, we are so fortunate that we are still able to enjoy this beautiful spring that has just started today in this part of the world. Yes, I’ve been enjoying the sun a lot:-)
I remember March 11th, 9 years ago when the unprecedented earthquake and tsunami hit northern part of Japan. They took people’s lives, houses, cars, and everything (literally everything) away in less than an hour! I was in Tokyo at that time and was so scared, since I had never felt such a monstrous earthquake in my whole life. I cried almost every day watching the news… one scene I can never forget is a girl walking on the beach, frantically looking for her parents, shouting and crying, “where are you, mommy and daddy?” The news reporter was also crying. The coronavirus is scary too but it can be controlled if we are careful, and we can still enjoy our everyday life if we stay healthy and positive. Hopefully it will come to an end soon!
Dear Kyoko, thank you SO much for your wisdom and generous spirit. You have been through a crisis with the earthquake in Japan… and you knew then and you know now, we will all get through this together. It is so sad to hear anyone feeling alone or lost through these traumatic times… and your story of the little girl walking on the beach makes me cry too. There is a part in all of us that feels like a little girl even now going through this coronavirus times… lost and unsure in this worldwide crisis. We have all had an earthquake to our souls… and what I am finding rebalancing, is the thought that the Earth is healing… that families are pulling together and finding beauty and support and love there. My hope is that even well beyond these devastating times, we make changes in our lives that ensure balance in a new way of living when the vaccine is found and available… when the virus is starved out because we are all staying home and not infecting each other. You are so strong Kyoko. You are so wise. You are so generous and lovely. Thank you for everything you do every day. Yes I know we will all come out of this… there is always a light at the end of every tunnel. Much love to you and your family. xo Jo-Anne
Very good article. I absolutely love this site. Thanks!
That is so nice to hear you have come across my site in Israel. You inspire me to keep writing.
Happy New Year! Jo-Anne