How are you managing your health – all aspects – during this COVID pandemic?

How are you here in COVID times?  How are you managing your day, your thoughts, your diet, your exercise, your responsibilities?  I admit, I just ‘did’ these things as I was caught up in the busy-ness of ‘life before’.  I remember oh-so-many-times thinking, ‘If I only had a couple of unstructured days, I could get caught up.’

Well, now I’ve lost count of the number of unstructured COVID days I’ve had, and I’m NOT caught up.  Rather, sometimes I feel like I’m in the dryer being tossed around and unable to get my feet solidly under me.

Can you relate?

I propose, even those who are carrying on as if nothing unusual is happening are processing all of this at some level.  They might be the ones who crash the hardest when faced with the realities of this pandemic in their own family.

I know, especially during the night, I get these waves of anxiety, what-ifs, grief, panic that try to overtake me.

What do you do when these thoughts creep in (or hit you like an avalanche)?  [We will come back to this question soon.]

Health at all times, including during COVID-19

Health is multifaceted, and to be truly healthy, each area needs some attention.

  • Physical health – This includes your diagnoses, your fitness, your strength, and your immune system.
  • Mental health – This includes diagnoses, anxiety, depression, and panic.
  • Emotional health – This includes your coping mechanisms, your reactions, your strategies to manage stress.
  • Spiritual health – This includes your source of hope, your views about a higher power, your connection with your spiritual side.
  • Social health – This includes your relationships, your support network, those you care for and those who care for you.

I encourage you to take an inventory.  In the past few days, how have you nurtured each of these areas of your health?  Which have you given the most attention?  Which have you ignored?  Which need the most attention today?

There are MANY well-designed studies that have demonstrated the importance of each of these aspects of health.  Especially now, during this pandemic, each part needs very deliberate strategies.

Attitude and Health

These studies have repeatedly demonstrated the negative health effects of negativity – fear, holding grudges, blame (conspiracy theories), isolation (huge right now), oppression, resentment, self-pity, rejection, and holding on to negative bad assumptions.  There are TOO MANY negative messages in our society right now.  Letting these rule your thoughts and emotions is directly damaging to your immune system and your physical health.  It’s also damaging to your relationships (social health), spiritual health, and mental health.

In comparison, staying engaged, caring for other people, optimism (which is a choice), having supportive friends/family, maintaining an ability to bounce back (takes some real purposeful effort), learning good conflict management skills, and belief in a higher power or other source of hope are all linked to a healthier immune system, overall well-being, better health, and even longer life.

So, how can you use this knowledge to make a plan for when the waves of COVID anxiety, grief, and worry hit you?

Want to talk more?  Please contact me at michelle@retirewellness.com or 410-472-5078.  You can schedule a free introductory call here.