I am no different to you. The first few weeks of lockdown were novel and adjustments were made, cupboards were cleaned, finances were checked. Now I’m getting to the point where I just want to move on but we’re not quite sure what we’re moving on to or when.
It’s second nature to want to control or steer our destiny but trying to make plans for things that are still unknown just causes stress. Stress is counter-productive.
Right now you need your immune system to be firing on all cylinders. Please understand that stress, conscious or otherwise, turns your immune system off - no ifs or buts!
You may not “feel” stressed compared to a time/s when you did acknowledge “socially acceptable” stress but trust me in this current environment your body is undoubtedly stressed - it’s not a normal situation to have restricted movement, to not be able to see loved ones or loose work and not be able to get more.
Please acknowledge signs that you might be experiencing, are yours body’s way of telling you - its stressed e.g
an upset stomach when you’ve been eating similar things;
injury or excess inflammation in joints that is not usual;
putting your back / neck out doing normal tasks;
Unrestful sleep or having trouble getting to sleep or waking early;
headaches, cold sores etc etc.
These are all signs from your body that it’s out of sorts, so please pay attention. Don’t shoot the messenger by taking painkillers - the message still remains the same!
So what can you do about it / what certainty can you create ?:
Acknowledge the pain or discomfort and listen to it. Make adjustments e.g drink extra water, reduce caffeine (yes that includes tea), cut down sugar and processed foods for a few day’s. Wheat and dairy are big causes of inflammation for me. Go to bed earlier and read;
Make a list of all of the things you need to do when lockdown is lifted - keep adding to the list and leave it there - no point stressing about it;
Avoid the news for a few days or leave it to catch up on the weekend. Daily doom and gloom is not helping me at the moment. Unfortunately fear mongering is necessary for those who cannot follow instructions or can’t put cultural or family protection first! Just my opinion of course. News flashes pop up on my phone and can be swiped away as quickly as they arrive - that’s all I need;
Focus on your physical health - this is the best wake up call you will ever get. Most of them come too late. I’ve been so happy to see people out walking, biking, running, spending time with their families/ household and doing errands for neighbours. There is a noticeable increase in this (all within allowed daily limits of course) but it’s definitely a change for the better;
Focus on what you are eating - food effects your mood, sugars, caffeine, processed foods, anti inflammatories all add extra stress to your body - please consider moderation and your body will thank you. Remember it’s already suffering underlying stress - it’s giving you hints. Acknowledge them, feed it real food and move into a rest and digest state!
Treat this, if you will as a message from “Mother Nature” about our choices and what we can choose with certainty instead.
If your afraid to admit stress as I have been, then that’s ok but as I mentioned your body is going to tell you one way or another that it’s not happy - I got a cold sore and have pain / inflammation in my knees that I am still having trouble shifting.
Lastly viruses are ubiquitous. There is a high chance you will be exposed to it, just as you have to flu or chicken pox etc but how your body responds to it is in your hands ...clean hands. You can be 100% certain of that.
Please don’t ignore stress and /or turn against each other. Stress turns off your immunity, feed your immunity and take advantage of time out to rest and recoup.
This the point we can decide with certainty that a good offence (your health!) is a smart decision Vs a primary focus on scrambling to create a targeted defence!
My opinion and experience with respect as always.
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