A practical guide to sanity in troubled times
Hey, girlfriend. I know things feel overwhelming right now. On top of the normal stuff, like having to carry the weight of the world and doing all the stuff to keep everyone else going, we are now contending with plague and war. (Or the coronavirus and the American election and general political landscape. )
The worse part might be that those of us who are feeling a bit unnerved or concerned about coronavirus are being chastised for “panicking.” Because someone somewhere decided that you either don’t give a shit about it and go about as if it doesn’t exist, or you are panicking. Those are, according to many people, your options.
As an example, the other day, I was driving my younger daughter to the train station. She is 25, and was on her way to New York City for the weekend. Maggie was saying that all the people panicking about coronavirus and buying up supplies are “crazy,” and that “the whole thing is stupid.” When I mentioned the statistics on it, she noted that it’s nothing when compared to Ebola, which . . . I mean, she’s right? It’s statistics are closer to that of the flu. But still, this virus is nothing to sneeze at. (Pun acknowledged, but unintended.)
When I reminded her that I’m technically at risk because my immune system is suppressed due to my rheumatoid arthritis treatment, she acknowledged that okay, maybe I should avoid crowds some. When I told her that we’d purchased a lot of pantry goods ten days ago, shortly after cases were confirmed on the west coast, so we could avoid spending too much time in the grocery store for a while, she thought that was a good idea, too. I told her we’d bought two packages of toilet paper, so I could use my coupon, which requires that you buy two, bringing us to a total of three unopened packages of toilet paper at home. She thought that was reasonable.
So what I discovered after pushing back, just a bit, based on my own situation, was that there is a third option, even for people who believe there are only panic or nothing: sensible preparation. My guess is that this third option is where most of my readers find themselves.
I was a Girl Scout growing up, and I was taught to follow the Girl Scout motto and “be prepared.”
With that in mind, here are some practical, reasonable tips for you.
Keep calm. Maybe don’t carry on quite the same as usual. Instead, add more hand-washing and less close contact with people outside your home. This is good whether your current issue is avoiding flu (Flu strain B has been particularly bad this year, and the flu shot for it hasn’t proven all that effective) or coronavirus. If your stress or anxiety levels are high, avoiding too many unnecessary social interactions and maintaining larger than usual personal space might just be good for helping you to keep calm, too.
Follow the Girl Scout motto and “be prepared.” This can mean having lots of pantry goods on hand so you don’t have to shop in a crowd as often, or making sure you have enough wine or chocolate to maintain your sanity. It probably also encompasses planning ahead for if schools get closed down (if you have kids at home) or for dealing with at-risk people in your inner circle if someone gets sick. I hope you don’t ever have to implement those plans, but being prepared is better than not, yes?
Image Copyright Kelly Ramsdell 2019
3. Take time for yourself. Do the things that will put your mind at ease, whatever those might be, even if your immediate family doesn’t get it or makes fun of you for it. It sucks that people sometimes mock us for wanting to be prepared, but it happens. However, if you can help your personal state of mind by having provisions on hand, get those supplies. If you can make a plan for what to do if your work closes, or your kids have to stay home from school (including college), or if you have to self-quarantine for 14 days due to exposure to a person with coronavirus, it could set your mind at ease if it comes into being.
4. Turn off the news, and limit your time on social media. I’m not saying to ignore what’s happening in the world, or to avoid all news or social media. I’m saying that watching the news all day, or being on social media all day, in hopes of tracking the latest thing with the virus or political scene isn’t going to be good for your health. On the one hand, it gives you a shot of adrenaline or dopamine, on the other, it is a path into constant, chronic stress and it isn’t good for you, physically, mentally, or emotionally.
5. Consider picking up something non-digital to do instead. This past weekend, I finished knitting a scarf for my older daughter’s boyfriend, baked cookie bars for Devon (our neighbor who is a college football player), cooked two bomb-ass meals for Morris and me, and baked Irish soda bread because YUM. Plus I’ve been reading a couple of good books—one is a romance novel, Hello Stranger by Lisa Kleypas, and the other is a work-related book, Stories that Stick by Kindra Hall.
6. Read this newsletter from mid-February, which contains Six Tips to Reduce Your Stress Levels. And hey . . .Sign up for the newsletter if you don’t already get it, because you get lots of extra content there!
7. Do the usual things you’d do to avoid getting or spreading illness. Wash your hands more often. Stay home if you don’t feel well. Hydrate. Remember to feed yourself nutritious things. Get enough sleep and rest.
