Coronavirus, Social Distancing, Change, Anxiety, and Hope
I’ve been in self-quarantine since the end of January 2020.
My husband and I found out about the Coronavirus while we traveled through London to Portugal and Madrid. We were informed that it was spreading rather rapidly, I’m very immunosuppressed, so I knew I had to self-quarantine early on. My friends didn’t hear about the virus until about mid-February, especially because it wasn’t made a priority by the U.S. President, so even though I knew it was necessary to stay home, it was hard. I love people and do get a bit of FOMO.
Times are difficult and many of us don’t know what to do with ourselves. Our new norms change daily, our routines have been interrupted, and we’re all feeling lost due to so many reasons: sickness, the need to keep social distance, reports of hoarding/scarcity, reduced income, increased workloads, others losing their jobs, changing of plans, anxiety over how to make ends meet, & more. The Coronavirus is a serious pandemic that is sweeping the world but, if we all do our part and take the proper precautions, we will get through this together.
My best advice is to prepare the best ways you know how and take things day by day. Don’t overwhelm yourself with too much news as that may bring on anxiety. We are all in this together. Ensure your cupboard isn't empty and that you have the supplies and food you need to get by for about 2 weeks. Please don't hoard. Others need supplies to live, too. Food isn’t scarce. Stores have enough resources to be stocked. They just need to find the workforce to help with their efforts. There is enough for all of us.
Take care of yourself. ❤️ Get adequate sleep, hydrate, sit/meditate, listen to music, eat immunity-boosting foods (fruits, veggies, fermented foods like sauerkraut), do some spring cleaning, give yourself a homemade facial, read, catch up on your shows, breathe. We can only do what we can do for our own selves. When we take care of ourselves, others follow, and we lift each other up by serving as examples to one another.
Miss hanging out with others?
Go virtual! Have a dance-duet on TikTok, FaceTime, play online games or have a virtual karaoke sing-off, write letters (yep, snail mail!), have FaceTime meals together, et al. No FOMO right now… no one is going out and you’re not missing anything, I promise. I’ve been seeing lots of positive things come out of social media lately: people are connecting with one another like never before! Keep doing this! Share the love from a distance! The energy will be felt! :)
Worried about money/income?
As we speak, plans are being rolled out to help: supplemental checks to boost the economy, almost-no-interest financing on home mortgages, payment deference on credit cards and loans, filing/paying taxes at a later date, and more. Call your creditors to see what you can do. There are ways.
Seeing the news about medical/hospital shortages?
While there are currently shortages of the necessary masks and gowns that medical staff need to work, the government and companies are working together to provide much more to meet the current needs. If you have a bunch of surgical masks and gowns laying around, donate them to a local hospital. Otherwise, if you’re not a medical professional nor a manufacturer, do your part by staying home and encouraging others to do the same. Many doctors are now offering virtual visits! If you have symptoms of a cold or flu, call your doctor or local hospital to find out what to do.
Now is a GREAT time to do some spring cleaning, pick up on projects around the house that you haven’t been able to get to, organize your home so you feel it’s a feel-good area to live in, and develop yourself so much that you come out of this stronger. I’m doing this with you!
For the most accurate info on COVID-19, please visit the CDC (cdc.gov).
Please continue to follow federal, state, and local regulations to help reduce the risk of spreading this virus.
Sending so much love from the comfort of my little home! ❤️Xx
P.S. Please #stayhome and, when things start to seem like they are getting “better” and businesses start opening again, exercise caution. It’s not only the elderly and immunocompromised who are sick and dying. The Corona Virus does not pick and choose. Do your part so we can all thrive, too.