As anyone with autoimmune illness knows managing your health and living well can be a challenge at the best of times but add in a pandemic and things can get a lot more challenging.
Covid-19 has certainly been a trip, and not the kind where you get to pack your favourite swimsuit and go to the spa. I’m talking about the trip that has a new challenge around every corner that forces you to scramble so you’re not stuck overnight at the train station with no cell service and no money.
It has certainly brought new challenges to my life and people I’ve heard from have expressed a variety of worries and added stresses that I am sure you can relate to. From worrying about exposure to the virus because you’re in the ‘higher’ risk category, or worrying about your parents, children and loved ones getting sick.
To dealing with the strange new routine of avoiding hugging people and shaking hands, staying 6 feet apart from people, to wearing masks and sanitizing all the surfaces around us. Basically, just all around avoiding human contact, which can feel pretty weird at times.
A lot of folks are worried about money and maybe you’ve been off work for a while or not sure what the future holds for it. If you have kids at home you are navigating what the new school year will look like and how your kids are being kept safe. Then there is the restriction of movement and the lack of ease when doing things. Coronavirus adds a layer of extra effort that can be exhausting.
It’s a lot and you deserve a pat on the back for dealing with it all, no seriously give yourself a little pat. Pandemics are stressful and there’s no personal handbook on how to handle them. So that’s why I made my own handbook for myself from lessons I have learned over the last 5 months.
Here are my 5 lessons I learned from the pandemic that will help you to continue to take care of yourself or improve your self-care as this pandemic goes on.
Sorting Through the Information Fog & Handling the Crazy Online
There can be a lot of conflicting and confusing information when it comes to health issues. Unfortunately, Coronavirus has this in spades. Part of this is understandable because the virus is new and it takes time to research and so as more information is gathered what we know changes as do the guidelines for it.
The difficult thing that is that there is so much false information and downright outlandish theories about it.
This is why it is so crucial to educate yourself about what is going on, talk to your primary health provider and know the steps you need to take to stay healthy and safe. Find sources you trust that have quality information, research and data.
Once you have the information you need and the sources you trust, shut off all the rest of it. The constant flow of articles can be tiring and overwhelming so shut it off and move on. Updates can easily be looked up but you don’t need to consume everything.
This means you may have to shut off notifications, unfollow a few people on social media and turn off the news. I know I have found it necessary to shut off the news and unfollow a few people on social media. I found that some people have views that are… well let’s say not based in facts but are conspiracy theories. Their posts just brought me down and I don’t need to waste my time on any of that.
Boundaries are really important and refining what you consume will help maintain them.
Prioritize Self-Care & Find your Joy
Living through a pandemic adds a whole new layer (it’s really multilayers) of stress to one’s life so it’s important to prioritize your self-care and joy in your life. This means the usual self-care of eating well, getting enough sleep, rest and moving your body. But it also means taking care of your emotional and mental health.
What gives you joy and pleasure? Is it staying connected with people you love, taking online classes, getting outside, gardening or maybe it’s getting a coach that will help you move through difficult times and discover your joy. Whatever you need to do to stay happy and healthy make sure you prioritize it and add it into your daily or weekly routine.
Be Creative
There have been a lot of creative solutions to problems or limitations that have come from preventing exposure to the virus. Many people are working from home, doing virtual runs; in my community, there is now outdoor theatre with physical distancing seating.
There are any number of creative solutions to create or maintain the life you want. If you’re stuck for ideas you can ask friends, Google it or connect with Facebook groups. Don’t be afraid to research the solutions you need and keep looking until you find it.
Compassion & Patience
It can be pretty easy to be hard on yourself when you feel like you haven’t been doing what you ‘should’ so this is a time to give yourself some extra compassion and patience. I know I have fallen into the trap of feeling super frustrated with myself that I haven’t accomplished more during the last five months but when I actually looked back on the time I know a lot has been going on and I need to be patient with myself.
So, go easy on yourself, if you really want to be doing more set yourself little goals and go from there. You don’t need to be fluent in a new language but you can get started with learning the basics. Take the pressure off and do what feels right not what you think you should be doing or what social media memes tell you to do.
Look for the opportunities
This is a time that could be highlighting what you are not happy with in your life and that is an opportunity for change.
What do you want your life to look like? While there are a lot of difficult aspects to the pandemic the drastic change in routine has created a rare opportunity to examine your life and routine.
Do you love working from home? Do you enjoy having a less busy routine? Would you like to change your job? Have you been eating healthier and want to continue it when life gets busier?
Are there aspects of your pandemic life that you love and don’t want to go away? Or are there things that you really miss that you know is a must for you going forward even if that looks a little different for a while?
What are the lessons and medicine in all of this for you?
There are so many opportunities to make changes and shifts in your life to have what you desire. While Coronavirus is difficult it doesn’t mean your life has to be difficult.
Now I want to hear from you, what is in your pandemic handbook? What creative things have you done to make life a little easier and more joyful?
Please post in the comments below, the more we help each other out the easier all of this will be on everyone.
Stay safe and healthy!
Kyla
