The Coronavirus pandemic is a real thing, affecting us on a global scale. A lot of people are understandably scared, overwhelmed, anxious, and confused.
I'm here to help you in any way I can. And I mean that from the bottom of my heart.
Wherever you are in the world, I hope you and your loved ones are safe, and taking the necessary precautions to remain safe. I am currently in isolation for 14 days, and am prepared and committed to doing anything I can do to reduce the risk to others and help my country 'flatten the curve'.
This post is here to provide you with the resources to lessen your panic and stress, make you feel strong, gain control, and to help you get through this time!
*Here's my special note: Remember, at any time, you gotta be on the defence when it comes to any illness so your immune system can be strong and fight for you! Don't just wait for it to happen, and then BAM, you're out of commission for a few weeks ... which no one likes being sick, am I right? Create an ongoing intention to support and prepare your body at all times to be strong and fight against sickness. And although, while sometimes we do prepare, it can still happen and we can get a cold or flu but your body will have the necessary mechanisms to get through it and bounce back!*
HOW TO MANAGE ANXIETY AND FEAR:
Stress can impact the immune system. While exercise can be an example of ‘good’ stress on the body, the stress that festers from our minds can be the ‘bad’ stress that weakens our immune system. It can even contribute to autoimmune disease. I highly recommend reading this book, Fear: Essential Wisdom for Getting Through the Storm by Thich Nhat Hanh.
Read other books that you like! It's good to take our eyes away from the computer screen, and reading can help reduce your anxiety and even help you fall asleep faster (if you've ever had the book hit your face while reading in bed, you know what I'm talking about).
Watch something FUNNY! Turn off the news and stop scrolling through social media for a bit, and watch a comedy show or movie that will make you laugh your ass off! They say laughter is the best medicine, and it DOES actually help.
Use an essential oil diffuser to help purify the air you're breathing. Some essential oils with anti-viral properties that I suggest using include eucalyptus, tea tree, peppermint, and thyme.
Meditate / journal / prayer. It’s a good way to quiet all the noise in your mind, focus, release your thoughts, and allow calm and peacefulness to flow into you. Here’s a link to meditation for beginners to help get you started: https://www.headspace.com/meditation/meditation-for-beginners
Keep a positive mindset! Mindset is everything. Being worried and manifesting the “what if?” factor of the worst possible situation can sometimes welcome that bad energy. Instead, tell yourself positive affirmations and mantras! Try some of these: “I am healthy”, “I am strong”, “I can overcome any obstacle life presents to me”, and my favourite one is “Everything is figureoutable”.
BEING PRODUCTIVE WHILE WORKING FROM HOME:
If your company is new to working-from-home, these companies are offering useful resources to get started, in light of the Coronavirus, so you can still connect with your team face-to-face or by audio while working remotely.
Zoom
GoToMeeting
STAYING ACTIVE WITHOUT GOING TO A GYM:
Yogi? Check out these free YouTube videos by Yoga with Adriene.
Need a quick workout? The Workout for Women app gives short workouts that don’t require any equipment.
Check your local fitness studio! Many gyms and fitness studios that have closed are offering virtual classes, so you can continue with your favourite workout at home.
Dance fitness? Check out my free YouTube videos on my channel, Green Soul Vibe! I created a Coronavirus Quarantine playlist to get your dance on, work up and sweat, and do a workout in less than an hour.
Go for a walk/jog. If you live in a quiet neighbourhood or in the suburbs, you may notice there’s not many people outside right now. Go for a walk. If you see others outside, keep your distance at about 6 feet.
STRESSED ABOUT WHAT TO EAT?
This is the perfect time to focus on your health through the healing powers of nutrition with food. If you ever needed a sign ... well, you got it now.
I know many of us want to eat toilet paper for breakfast but that might not be the best way to keep your immune system strong. Many canned goods are shelf stable but depending on the brand you're buying, the lining of the can might contain chemicals, like BPA, so I’d recommend not relying solely on canned goods as a food source.
Instead, load your grocery cart with a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables (there’s still an abundance of this in grocery stores). Plant-based foods contain such an array of micronutrients that can impact our cellular structure and work to protect us from toxins and harmful foreign invaders. If your grocery store is low on a particular fresh fruit or vegetable, buy them frozen! They're picked at their prime and flash frozen, for maximum freshness and nutrition.
If you can, order your groceries online from a grocery store where you can do parking lot pickup or have them delivered. They charge a small fee for this but it’s worth it during a time like this. Some examples of grocery delivery include: Grocery Gateway, Instacart, Metro, Loblaws, and even Costco.
Want pre-made meals or meal kits? Check out Fresh City Farms, Goodfood, or HelloFresh.
In the mood for take out? Since many restaurants and bars have temporarily stopped their dine-in options, take-out is still available at many establishments. You can order your favourite take-out from Skip The Dishes or Uber Eats.
STAYING CONNECTED WITH OTHERS WHILE SOCIAL DISTANCING:
It sounds obvious … like really obvious. FaceTime and Skype or even simply messaging or calling your loved ones is the way to go right now.
Are you isolated in the house with others? This is the perfect time to dust off your board games, books, movies, and video games and appreciate the time to do family activities together.
There are many tourist attractions like museums and historical buildings offering virtual tours! You can check this out through Google Arts & Culture. This is a great time to take advantage of this!
Follow your local event organizers or club DJ's, so you can take part in virtual events, if that's your thing!
Watch movies with your loved ones through Netflix Party, using Google Chrome.
WORRIED ABOUT FINANCES?
This is applicable to Canadians (and possibly Americans) but the government has changed legislation to provide financial aid to all Canadians during this time.
A Canadian employer CANNOT terminate you if you HAVE to go into isolation. You may not receive your regular salary but you may be able to make a claim through your employer's sick-leave or disability policy. If you don't have those employer benefits, you are entitled to Employment Insurance ("EI").
If you work for a business that has laid off employees, you are eligible for EI without the delayed wait time.
If you experience a temporary lay off, you are entitled to EI, while your employer benefits might still be active.
If your hours or wages have been reduced, you do have a case to claim for damages or severance while looking for another job. However, you'd have to leave that job. Due to the current economic situation and potential difficulties in getting a new job right now, many people are choosing to accept the reduction in wages.
Families with children will receive a higher amount of money in their monthly child benefit payment, to help with the costs of childcare.
Have mortgage payments or rent payments? The government is working with the banks to temporarily defer mortgage payments for up to six months, so that there is no penalization for being unable to meet the payment due date. Depending on where you live, your local government may be working with residents to help defer rent due dates. The provincial government of Ontario has placed a temporary moratorium on evictions.
What about bills? In the city of Toronto, property tax and bill payments can be deferred for two months without penalty.
HOW TO SUPPORT THE ECONOMY:
It’s evident that the economy will go through financial turmoil. Big box retailers have the ability to bounce back from financial loss during times like these. Our local businesses are really struggling right now, especially if they have been forced to close. Let’s offer all the help that we can!
Keep paying for the staff or services that you use. If you have a nanny or house cleaner, can you afford to still pay them (even a small amount)? Can you continue to work with your personal trainer or fitness studio, since many of them are offering virtual services
Do you have the financial means to donate to a food bank? Their shelves are running low on food, especially right now since there has been a lot of panic buying and hoarding. Anything you can give can go a long way.
Buy gift cards from your favourite local businesses, like speciality retailers, coffee shops, restaurants, nail salons, hair salons, and wellness clinics.
Offer to help those at risk. See if you can pick up something for a neighbour or friend and drop it off outside their door. Or in the meantime, can you apply and work for a restaurant or grocery delivery service to help with the overflow of food orders? It's also a great way to earn some extra cash, if your regular work hours have been reduced.
If we all pull together as a global community, we can get through this! Yes, I'm not even going to lie ... it has been scary and there's been a lot of uncertainty. There’s been panic, negativity, and tragedy surrounding this global pandemic but there’s also been realizations.
It's a realization of how much we take for granted in our daily lives.
More people are at home and now have an opportunity to spend valuable time with their spouse or children.
It's an opportunity to realize what really matters in the world, when we're often so consumed with dumb sh*t ... seriously, I'm saying it. Over-consuming and creating waste from things we don't need, gang violence, youths getting bullied, judging/gossiping/being envious of others, or just getting upset about minor things that don't really matter in the grand scheme of our happiness in life. Too often as a society, we complain about paying high taxes or government policies but (in Canada) we're now dependent on those funds to help us get through this crisis, and we're so fortunate to have health care.
Mother Nature has taken control and is taking back her planet, in a sense. There's things happening to our planet that we haven't seen in a long time. The canals in Venice, Italy are flowing with clear water and fish instead of being murky with pollution from motorized boats! The cloud of smog and pollution hovering over China (where most of our goods are manufactured) has reduced significantly, which can be seen on satellite radar.
Communities are connecting and helping one another, allowing us to recognize that we're all in the same situation, and that humans, are all one in the same. Most of all, it's a life lesson for all of us, that it's time for us as an entire planet to take a stand and make positive changes.
If you’re thinking “Jasmin, what do you know about it?”, then know that I completely understand some of us are going through difficult situations with loved ones stuck in other countries or not having access to the same resources that we do in Canada. I'm at home, isolating for 14 days, since my dad (who was stranded in another country due to airline cancellations) came back from travelling abroad, so it's definitely been a bit stressful and I feel the effects of this but I am being socially responsible and determined to still do what I can to help others.
Please stay safe and as always, in best health!
If you're feeling like you need someone to say 'hi' to or talk to, drop me a line on Instagram @greensoulvibe.
Jasmin💕