COVID-19: Four Things Your Can Do To Empower Yourself Now

Like many of you I find myself living in uncertainty. Without going into the details about the situation I find myself currently in, it has an unknown health outcome. I have been feeling helpless, and yes scared, because I cannot control what is happening to my body.

Many of you have been affected one way or another by our current global and national situation. Yes that word, COVID-19. I know of to many people that are unsure about the future. Whether it is the global situation or their own personal situation.

Many people are unemployed due to closure of businesses. I know some of my friends who have pumped tons of money into their new businesses who are now looking at a financial Armageddon. Many of you are dealing with heavy responsibilities and heavy burdens.

Many of us have never experienced in our lifetime a complete shuttering of a nation. Our once bustling streets look like ghost towns now. It would seem that the only ones having fun outside are wild animals who once scurried into hiding but are now out and about in our deserted streets.

All seems dark. We cannot force the government to lift mandatory isolation. We cannot force businesses to reopen. No matter how much we may beg and plead, demonstrate or riot the current situation is at a standstill. It would seem that we are indeed powerless and victims of some insidious invisible enemy. Or are we?

I have reflected on my years of training, what I had learned and how it could help my own situation. So instead of feeling powerless I began to lean on what I do know. It was then that a little flicker of light passed through my mind piercing the darkness.

Being as I have no control over the situation itself, I thought: “What can I do positively to help myself?” At that moment I smiled, I started to put together a game plan that I could use to help me in the situation I now find myself in. I am not powerless and neither are you.

The areas I knew I could concentrate on and have a positive impact on my well being were: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. I would like to apply these aspects to the situation we now find ourselves in now . Namely COVID-19. Let’s look at some of the positive things we have control over to help us in this situation as well as others.

I won’t be discussing social distancing, proper hand washing, or any of that. I think we have been bombarded with that mantra enough.

Let Food Be Thy Medicine

The actual quote penned by Hippocrates was, “Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.” The first thing we often do when we find ourselves in a stressful situation is often the worst we can do for ourselves. Yes, comfort food. One of the important things we can do right now to boost our immune system and give our bodies the tools necessary for fighting sickness is fueling it with proper nutrition. I understand that, “Ben & Jerrie’s Double Fudge Chocolate Brownie” ice cream is amazing, sorry Nancy, but maybe it is not what we need right now.

How important is nutrition in maintaining great health, lowering blood pressure and lowering stress? Very! In January of this year I shared an article I had written entitled, “How The Nutritarian Lifestyle Lowers Your Blood Pressure”. In the article we provided medical and clinical support showing how healthy eating lowers blood pressure, stress, and blood sugar levels. By eating a healthy diet we provide our bodies with nutritional support to combat various ailments and physical stressors. So the first thing we have power over is what we put into our bodies.

Your Mind Can Be Your Best Friend Or…

“What we are today comes from the thoughts of yesterday and our present thoughts build our life tomorrow: Our life is the creation of our Mind” The Dhammanpada.

“Start each day with a positive thought and a grateful heart.” Roy T Bennett. I am not talking about the power of positive thinking, I understand that many people find that well a little unrealistic in bad situations. But it really isn’t. I have learned in my years of practicing as a nurse and from lectures from physicians that, “Your Mind Is The Most Powerful Pharmacological System” there is.

You can have the best medical care, and the best medicine. But if you give up in your mind, now matter how fantastic the care may be, your body will give up too.

The mind body connection is extremely powerful! This means that our thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and attitudes can positively or negatively affect our biological functioning. In other words, our minds can affect how healthy our bodies are!

The mind body connection is so important that the University of Massachusetts Medical Center teaches MBSR (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction). This was started with the help of John Kabat Zin an MIT trained scientist. He teaches about mindfulness and the importance and the power of the breath as a tool.

The mind body connection, when used positively, dramatically helps in decreasing stress, high blood pressure, and pain. Three things that we need to keep under control especially now.

I would also like to suggest that you read the book, “Mind Over Medicine” by Lissa Rankin M.D. In her book, based on her research, she found that the mind is a powerful ally in keeping you healthy.

So we need to be careful what we feed our minds.

Your Emotional Well-Being Is Relevant

When was the last time you laughed? I mean the kind of laughter that makes your belly hurt, and tears stream down your face as you are trying to catch your breath.

Mark Twain stated, “Humanity has unquestionably one really effective weapon—laughter. Power, money, persuasion, supplication, persecution, these can lift at a colossal humbug, push it a little, weaken it a little, century by century, but only laughter can blow it to rags and atoms at a blast. Against the assault of laughter nothing can stand.”

Again when I was a nurse working in oncology we had a laughter cart. Patients were to select a comedy to watch, a joke book to read, just something to make them laugh and get the endorphins flowing. Laughter is a powerful medicine for the body, spirit and soul.

Instead of watching the news and getting depressed I chose instead to watch a comedy and just laugh. And laugh I did! It is amazing how laughter can elevate your mood.

More than just a respite from sadness and pain, laughter gives you the courage and strength to find new sources of meaning and hope. Even in the most difficult of times, a laugh–or even simply a smile–can go a long way toward making you feel better. And laughter really is contagious. Just hearing laughter primes your brain and readies you to smile and join in the fun.

What Are You Connected To?

Finally I want to touch on the spiritual. According to research there is strong clinical evidence that does support that those who have a strong spiritual life appear to have better outcomes in times of crisis.

Religion and spirituality are among the most important cultural factors that give structure and meaning to human values, behaviors, and experiences. In fact, most people report having a spiritual life. Surveys of the general population and of patients have consistently found that more than 90% of people believe in a Higher Being. Another survey found that 94% of patients regard their spiritual health and their physical health as equally important.

“More than 3,000 studies indicate that spirituality has a potentially beneficial effect on health”, said speaker Neal Krause of the University of Michigan School of Public Health.

In her book, “Mind Over Medicine” Dr Rannkin observed the following: “You may not consider belonging to a spiritual community ie. Church, Mosque, or synagogue a health inducing behavior but it is. A study conducted by the California Public Health Foundation which was published in the “American Journal of Public health”, found a strong association and a lower mortality rate over a 28 year period.It was composed of 5,286 Alameda County residents. This is just one study in thousands done across the U.S.

Again if you believe that your body has the power to heal itself I highly recommend this book.

A Final Thought

Finally I want you to know that though my situation may be different from yours I understand the scary feelings of uncertainty. Each one of us has our own story. Today it may be one thing. Tomorrow another. But we are not helpless! There are tools we can use moment by moment to get through to the next minute.

We have tools to help us cope with the stress that comes with uncertainty. Tools to help us stay healthy physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Tools to keep our stress levels down and our hopes high.

But a tool box full of tools will not help us if we keep the tool box closed. We have to open it, and pull the tools out and use them. It is my hope for all of you that in these times of uncertainty that you will find a measure of peace, happiness and health. And also that these tools I have shared with you will benefit you and strengthen you.

“It is suppose to be a professional secret, but I’ll tell you anyway. We doctors do nothing. We only help and encourage the doctor within.”Albert Schweitzer M.D