If you look around lately you will see mass hysteria.  Imagine waking up from a month long nap into our current world.  There’s no toilet paper, hand sanitizer, or easy days at the market.  In a matter of weeks we have watched our strength and normalcy dissolve into fear and uncertainty.   Want to hit your favorite restaurant? Only as takeout. It is a new world in a matter of days. The world has changed is not hyperbolic but actual fact.   

Here’s the thing though: as much as we are scared and uncertain.  The world is not really all that different. It has changed on the surface due to stress, fear, and health crisis.   The economy is different. Our day to day lives are different. But one thing has not changed. People. Us. America.  All the things that make us amazing. They still exist. We must not forget. We are still the greatest nation in the world.  I wouldn’t choose to be anything but an American. And as much as our current situation is scary we till must take care of our health.  Perhaps now, more than ever. I know you’ve heard all the big stuff: social distancing (seriously, stay home), wash your hands (weren’t you already), and  don’t touch your face (okay, way harder than I thought). But outside of these recommendations there are a couple ways you can manage your health.  

 Manage your stress. I know stuff is scary.  But stress is devastating to your health. So turn off the news and focus on what you can have some control over.  If you stress long term it has been linked to depression, sleep problems, autoimmune diseases, digestive problems, skin conditions,  heart disease, weight problems, reproductive problems, and memory issues. More important to our current world, stress can affect our immune system.  Stress produces cortisone, which can suppress the effectiveness of our immune systems. What a world! Everything is stressful right now. The economy is getting hit and we are in the midst of a pandemic, but the more you stress, the more you leave yourself open to issues.  So if we can’t change the world we will have to change ourselves.  

1. Go for a 10 minute walk.  Fresh air, movement, and the outdoors are all associated with decreased stress.
2. Get a plant.  Simple right? But research has shown that being around plants can induce relaxation.
3. Decrease  screen time. Okay, I know this is a hard one in an isolation period. But too much screen time has been associated with stress and depression. It also messes with your sleep.   So while you have extra time during isolation perhaps consider books, games, puzzles, art, crafts, etc instead of screens all day.
4. Meditate! Ok, I know a lot of people think this is just some hippy stuff. But hear me out. Sitting quietly and meditating has been associated with: reduced stress, less anxiety, improved sleep, and pain control.  If we are isolated anyway, might as well some of that alone time to our benefit.

All we can control is ourselves.  We can’t control our environment or our  stresses. But we can control how we react.  This whole experience has shown us how connected we all really are to each other.  As much as we all want to fend for ourselves, a pandemic teaches that we are linked more than we think.  But being linked makes us taking personal responsibility more important than ever. So protect your health and your mind.  Be patient and be kind to your neighbor. And please, save some toilet paper for the rest of us!