You’ve heard it all: Covid is waning in your area but breaking out like crazy in many parts the country. Flying is safe, but is it if the wrong person gets on the plane? Wear a mask, keep socially distant, wash your hands, stay inside if you’re older or have secondary conditions, go to work, work from home, send the kids to school, keep them home - the list is endlessly filled with contradictions. This raises the level of anxiety and begs the question - who is in charge and do they know what they are doing?
The answer may be that no one knows enough about this virus to truly be in charge, which leaves each of us to make the best decisions for ourselves, given the information we have. I think another part of the answer is unless we are in a position of authority we best stop telling other people what they should or should not do.
Strange thinking
I’ve personally had situations, as have my friends, where younger people tell us to stay away from outdoor restaurants, hotels, sharing a vacation house with others who have been equally careful, where these younger people may be making decisions about their children’s camp or schooling that we might not. But we don’t tell them how we feel because it’s not our place.
What’s It All About?
If I could say it all in one word, the word would be STRESS. We’ve been under it since late February. The United States has experienced the worst economic and life loss of all developed nations. It’s been going on for 5 months with no seeming end to it. With this kind of stress leaning on everyone, young and old, it’s no wonder people are judging other’s decisions that ramp up more stress. But there are solutions.
What We Can Do to Ease Covid Stress
Listen only to what you believe is a reliable news source. Rule out any and all sensational news outlets, and that includes social media. Sensationalism scares us, and fear activates your stress hormones. Do your best to stay true to this first step.
Create a daily routine that works for you. Take time for prayer or meditation, regularly; find an exercise you enjoy, get enough sleep, and refrain from telling others close to you what they should do, unless you are their parents!
Rely less on the idea of a vaccine being the answer to everything, and take steps in your home and community to make it a cleaner world and a more humane world for animals. We can’t think finding a vaccine will fix everything; it’s being developed for a single pandemic. If we don’t correct the direction the world is headed, there will surely be new ones.
Be pro-active in your health choices. It frustrates me as a wellness coach that authorities say nothing about the power of a strong immune system and a healthy whole foods based diet, yet these are the two most powerful tools any of us have to stay well during this time. Follow this link if you need help figuring out how to eat healthy. Stop feeling helpless in the face of this virus; be pro-active, take care of yourself to the best of your ability, and make decisions for yourself that are based on credible information and your own thoughtful process.