Boom……. it just happened out of the blue. I came back from a beautiful vacation on February 1st. I did hear the word Corona Virus and Covid in the news somewhere. I remember laughing to myself and saying that it’s just another flu outbreak. And of course I thought that living in a developed country like Canada made me and my surroundings totally invincible to any kind of diseases.
All through February and until the first week of March, I went about my regular life. And suddenly on the 13th of March, we were told at work that our shifts for the next 2 weeks were being cancelled due to COVID. After I got “temporarily” laid off for an uncertain period of time, the shit really hit the ceiling and the truth began hitting home that this COVID mess wasn’t just another flu.
The thought of staying home and with extremely limited social contact was not agreeing with me at all. The whole idea of hoarding some priceless fruits and frozen vegetables seemed unthinkable. I was kind of stressed but still trying to stay safe and sane.
Just decided to sit down today and pen a few thoughts about this whole scenario.
-The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may be stressful for people. Fear and anxiety about a disease can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions in adults and children alike.Coping with stress will make you, the people you care about, and your community stronger.
-Stress during an infectious disease outbreak can include Fear and worry about your own health and the health of your loved ones.
-Making up or creating imaginary ill health symptoms everyday.
-Changes in sleep or eating patterns.
-Difficulty sleeping or concentrating.
-Worsening of chronic health problems.
-Worsening of mental health conditions.
-Increased use of alcohol, tobacco etc.
I also realized that everyone reacts differently to stressful situations.
People who may respond more strongly to the stress of a crisis include Older people and people with chronic diseases.Children and teens. People who are helping with the response to COVID-19, like doctors, other health care providers, and first responders. People who have mental health conditions including problems with substance use.
Taking care of yourself, your friends, and your family can help you cope with stress. Helping others cope with their stress can also make your community stronger.
I’ve devised my own ways to cope with stress related to this Pandemic.
-I take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories, including social media. Hearing about the pandemic repeatedly can be upsetting.
-I’m trying to take care of my body.
-Taking deep breaths for 5-7 minutes few times a day really helps.
-I am trying to eat healthy and well balanced meals. Goodbye Bagel with cream cheese and Shawarma and my beloved French fries.
-I am exercising regularly and doing both indoor and outdoor walks( Thanks Leslie Sansone) I have to admit that I go for my outdoor walks looking like a Mutant Ninja.
-I would like to say that I have avoided alcohol but that would be a lie. I have my friends Smirnoff and Merlot to blame for that.
-I’m trying to make time to unwind. I actually did activities that I used to enjoy. I rediscovered my love of jigsaw puzzles and online word games.
-I’m trying to find the humour in everything and find myself laughing out loud at stupid jokes and funny memes.Connect with others.
-Talk with people you trust about your concerns however stupid or irrelevant they might seem.
-Check in with your loved ones often. Virtual communication can help you and your loved ones feel less lonely and isolated.
-Consider connecting with loved ones by Telephone,Email,Mailing letters or cards,Text messages,Video chat and Social media.
-Check in with your loved ones often. Virtual communication can help you and your loved ones feel less lonely and isolated.
These are definitely difficult and trying times, not just for you and me but for the entire human race. These troubled times will pass, there will be a new dawn, a new day. Maybe we all will emerge out of all this as better, wiser, kinder and more caring individuals. And maybe the day will come when we will not worry about the last bit of paper towel, sharing that squirt of hand sanitizer and not give a crap about our dwindling supply of toilet paper!!!
Anuradha's Weblog 