Hi Everyone,
With the information we are receiving on a daily basis regarding COVID-19, it seems like every day, our clinicians are finding new symptoms that they have not encountered in their years of experience in medicine. As the incoming data of symptomolgy is new, and as our clinicians are putting the pieces together, I have decided to switch gears and focus on ways to cope with the ongoing lock-down.
This month, as the lock-down continues, my concern has shifted to the mental health aspects that the isolation and seclusion can bring to all who are affected by this. This can be especially tough, even with access to social media. We are literally bombarded with news 24/7 and it is almost too much.
How does a person cope when there is nowhere to go?
Even when most places are closed, it is nice to be able to take a drive to a local community park, if it is open, find a nice spot and enjoy the scenery. If you have a camera, bring it, and hone your photography skills. I love being close by the water, and Mark has taken some pretty cool shots of nature.
We have made a new tradition to go through the drive through at Dairy Queen to satisfy our (my) new crazy obsession with cotton candy dipped ice cream cones, or a blizzard of the same flavor. Lactose intolerance be damned…It is a way of being kind and forgiving to yourself 😉
Sometimes I will go to the lake for walk just to get some fresh air. It is hard to enjoy the outdoors with a mask, but it beats the alternative.
Mark has been working on his music, painting, and also studying cooking videos.
I have also been researching DIY skin care…not the home remedies of sugar scrubs, but the actual peels, micro-needling, Innotox, and other techniques to obtain optimal skin care. This requires a lot of studying and searching for answers on the best approach, products, and learning a new skill. This may provide insight for another article if I decide to pursue it.
It has also been a time for self reflection. I have noticed that I have been missing my family in California more, and missing a couple of my brothers as well and our parents with a deeper intensity. This has been harder to deal with, as such. Because of my hearing loss, it is harder for me to participate on Skype, Ino, FaceTime, etc, because I rely on accurate captioning. It makes the isolation even more pointed. How do I cope? Truthfully, not very well. But I have learned to accept it.
Another thing to observe is our dreams. I think during times like this, it is normal to experience disturbing dreams in relation to this pandemic and the isolation we have been coping with. We have literally been thrust from a routine time change to daylight savings time and into the twilight zone faster than a blink of an eye. So I think it is very normal that our minds will be operating in a different level of reality as we adjust to what looks like a new ‘normal’ which entails of loss of income, social distancing when we venture outside, grocery shopping, and otherwise, maintaining some order to our disrupted lives.
For others, it has been an act of sheer bravery, our grocery workers, food service workers, medical personnel, law enforcement, and first-responders. They are putting their lives on the line every day as they report for duty. The impact on their psyche has been tremendous. Please remember they are being very unselfish with their time, and their lives, sacrificing their time away from their loved ones, family, as they are working to keep the threads of our society from unraveling completely.
The best coping mechanism I have found, is to be kind to yourself. Get extra sleep, enjoy the sunshine, fresh air. Take a moment to be thankful for the beauty that surrounds you in nature, the people you love, the food that you eat. Be thankful for your health, and concentrate on what you can do, not what you cannot do. It sounds very simple, I realize that, but some days, it is hard to reach deep into your mind to find that happy place. Just do it, and surround yourself with things that make you happy. This is the time to take advantage of the free time that has been given to us. You deserve it.
Until next time, stay well, be strong, and be true to yourselves.
Related Articles
- Learning About COVID-19
- Emotional Health is a Big Part of Wellness
- Staying Healthy During Stressful Times aka Quarantine
- Staying Well During COVID-19
- Conditioning a Valuable Component of Healthy Sports for Kids
Nancy Cho-Auvil is the author of From the Heart column for Wellness Works NW. Nancy is also a contributing author of Mixed Korean: Our Stories. Native to the Pacific Northwest, Nancy lives in Cowlitz County with her life partner and their cat, Keekers. Nancy enjoys working out with Karen G Clemenson. She also enjoys knitting. Check out Nancy’s personal blog at CrazyCozyChick.Blogspot.com. You can also find Nancy on Facebook. Nancy is a mom, a grandmother and a heart attack survivor so we know what she writes comes straight From the Heart…
