Taking Good Care – Important Resources in a COVID-19 World

This is a “put your oxygen mask on first” collection of resources, because I know you already care for plenty of others. It’s who you are, and you, perhaps too often, come last. That won’t do for the long run.

What is listed here is important for the ‘all COVID-19 all the time sort of world we currently live in,’ but will help when the acute phase is over, too.

Stress, whatever it is and whatever sources it comes from in your life, must be held to a minimum. Especially now – and going forward. There is a detrimental physical response to it – in the cascade of hormones, neurotransmitters and other internal chemistry that impact our health and vibrancy. We may not be able to eliminate outside stressors. But not addressing them can lead to “burn out” – a terrible place from which to make good decisions. Consequently, it is crucial to actively create internal responses, and preferably preventive practices (which take practicing) to make sure stressors do not negatively impact us.

While this post is for you to take care of you – which everything is below – I have to start by mentioning that complying with public health advisories, to stay well and not spread the virus, is THE best way you can care for the caregivers. As a former ICU nurse, I understand the front lines of this pandemic and empathize almost to my own PTSD experience watching what they are going through and knowing what it means. I have been reduced to tears by their stories. My experience compares poorly to theirs. It is rough, and crucial that we do as much as possible to support healthcare workers – check out this article on how to help the helper<<link here. Be as grateful and kind as possible, as well, to ALL the other essential workers out in the world who make sure we have food and fully functioning utilities and emergency medical care (in case you or someone you love may need it). PLAN to not need it, and protect them all by following the number 1 plea: to social distance and stay home as much as entirely possible.

Prevention IS the best medicine, especially now.

So here is the running list of suggestions to help you take good care – and to lead the way to empower others to do the same. If you have suggestions, please comment, and I can update the resources here periodically. Here is where you can track the spread of COVID-19 based on social distancing compliance<<link here in the U.S., and by state. It attempts to predict peak (health care) resource use.

The list is in alphabetical order not necessarily the order of importance. That said, the first one IS the most important one. Otherwise, this is a compilation of the most useful resources I have gathered so far, so they can all be in one place. At the end of the article are some posters that you can copy and print if you like.

About Prevention – to Stay Well

Okay, you know most of this. It is basic hygiene. But practice it more often and more effectively. That will serve you now and well into the future.

• Maintain social distancing – we all know now to do that, even if we haven’t been “ordered” to do it. Prevention is the best medicine. Please remind yourself and others. You can stop when it is no longer recommended, but you’ll likely never look at disease prevention or crowds quite the same way again…
• Self-quarantine, at home, and go out only into the marketplace to get groceries (try the order online and pick up services), go to the pharmacy, or pick up take out from a restaurant you enjoy (that is still open)
• Don’t touch your face. This is a hard one. We’ve been doing it since we were in utero. (This is one of the biggest benefits of wearing a mask and glasses in public where you may be touching lots of surfaces or things other people touched – or coughed on.)
• If you volunteer, God bless you – do all of the above, and especially what comes next if you go out into the world to do that great service work
• If you are well, stay that way, and make sure you behave like an asymptomatic carrier because you may well be one. How would you know if you haven’t been tested for the virus or its antibodies? Stay away from others so you don’t potentially infect them
• PRACTICE coughing into your shirt sleeve. Stop coughing into your hands (or worse yet, without covering your cough or sneeze with a sleeve or tissue). This may be a habit you need to develop – so actually practice doing it with ‘pretend coughs’ so you build the muscle memory to do it when your reflex cough or sneezing mechanisms pop up and catch you off guard. Otherwise, you will just continue with your old habit of using your hand, or heaven forbid, just coughing into the air.
• Keep tissues with you if you have a cough or are sneezing – use them and throw them away. Then wash your hands. Yes, every time.
• Wash your hands well and often (sing Happy Birthday twice while scrubbing in between fingers, under nails – don’t forget your thumb and the back of your hands) – use paper towels rather than air dryers (or air dry on your own) then use the paper to open the door
• Don’t touch anything (or anyone) you can avoid touching! Door handles, elevator buttons (why are you in a building with an elevator anyway…?) or gas pump handles or handrails or credit card terminals (and the like) – if you need to, wear gloves or use a sleeve end, or a piece of paper or an antiseptic wipe
• Sanitize your phone. Take it out of cover and wipe both of them down with alcohol or an antiseptic wipe. Every. Day.
• Keep hand sanitizer and antiseptic wipes in the car or your purse or pack for when you go out.
• Wash your reusable bags before you shop, wipe down what you buy, and wash those bags before you return to any stores (let’s protect the people who work there!) The be sure to wash your hands again.
• Wear a mask when you go anywhere that you might encounter other people. If nothing else, it will remind you not to touch your face. Make your own, don’t diminish the available supply needed by health care and other essential service workers. The COVID-19 virus is spread by teeny tiny particles from coughing or sneezing – or breathing too close to someone. But those particles, as droplets, hit surfaces and live there for a few hours or up to several days depending on the material. More about that<<link here.
  • • Here’s my favorite mask pattern and instructions if you sew: on YouTube<<link here  and
    • My favorite approach using a bandana (or other cloth) if you don’t sew<<link here  – make it wide enough to cover your nose and mouth. I’d add a little tape to hold it together lest you reach toward your face to adjust it…
    • And with either one you can add a disposable protective layer – blue shop towels are an excellent choice, but coffee filters and even panty liners are options (the latter have an adhesive to help them stick, but may not be as breathable…)
    • Be sure to wash them after each wear, and preferably dry outside in the sunshine if possible. Sunlight is a great sanitizer.
• If packages are delivered, leave them outside in the sun for awhile before bringing them into the house. Spray the boxes with antiseptic spray or wipe them down and let them sit for awhile before opening. Same with what’s inside. Then, wash your hands again.
• Don’t smoke, or vape. Protect your lungs. A viral pneumonia will be far worse if your lungs are compromised. Definition of pneumonia: lung inflammation caused by bacterial or viral infection, in which the air sacs fill with pus and may become solid. Solid – and unable to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide between the air and your body – that is not good.
• And honestly, this is just good oral hygiene, but brush your teeth – often. Inside your cheeks and your tongue as well. Use mouthwash. Oral health is not just for your teeth. It protects your heart and it may well help you prevent infection – there are lots of critters that live there and that come in through your mouth, not just the COVID-19 virus

Did I mention wash your hands? Also, get some hand lotion, by the way. With all the washing, you will need it.

Create Routine

Especially if your normal work routines are disrupted now because you are either not working or are working from home, or have kiddos at home and have to work and make sure they do their school work…

Develop a schedule for when you wake, mealtimes, when you work, when you exercise, when you relax and rejuvenate, when you play. It may seem regimented, and that actually might be a good thing. (This may actually serve you when you go back to an office environment).

Get up at a set time. Stretch. Shower or wash and brush your teeth. Comb or brush your hair – and get used to it growing out. Don’t be too self-conscious, everyone else is going through the same thing. Just smile – it brightens up any look.

Get dressed like you are going to work – especially if you have a video conference for remote work. Even if you are wearing sweatpants and slippers on the bottom half. Put on some make up or lipstick or lip balm (whatever grooming you do) even if you aren’t going anywhere. It makes a difference how you feel.

If working from home, set up your work space so you can “go to the office” – and leave it. Even little boundaries and physical arrangements can make a big difference, especially if there are others at home now, too that used to go to an office or school. For people who already work from home, or actually have a home office, it is too easy to work all the time and never step away. Go to the “office” and close the door to work if you need to (and can). Likewise, leave and close the door when you are not “at work” and “go back home” for the day.

Billy Barr, the only resident of Gothic, Colorado, and a self-imposed hermit living alone at altitude for 50 years, has some additional tips for dealing with the isolation of social distancing<<link here. He suggests: keep regular track of something (your choice), celebrate – find little things just make them up, embrace grumpiness – it will happen, and find distractions. (He likes movies). All good routines. See what you come up with.

Eat Healthy

Shopping is tricky right now – and ill-advised to make too many trips out – but do your best to buy proper whole, nutritious foods. Plan meals, make a list and get what you need to shop as infrequently as possible.

Order groceries online and pick them up – limiting your time in stores around other people, and protecting the people who work there. Or order takeout from a restaurant providing that and go out just to pick it up – it will support the business. Be sure to wipe down and clean containers when you bring them in the house. Dispose of the bags they came in. Then wash your hands. Now, be grateful for the folks who made the food and enjoy eating it.

Buy healthy food and cook at home – soups and stews can make for great leftovers (and they just get better with reheating).

Limit sugar and alcohol. But you knew that. They are inflammatory in the body – something to avoid especially now. Control your diet as best you can. Put in the good stuff first, drink a lot of water. Then see if you want the junk food.

If You Get Sick

First, know the main 3 symptoms of COVID-19: Fever, Cough, Shortness of Breath. Important guidance from the CDC<<link here. You may also feel tired or fatigued and have body aches (these may also be symptoms of other illness). Other symptoms have been identified as well<<link here, like loss of smell or taste, pink eye or reddened eyes, and gastrointestinal distress, typically along with the main 3 symptoms. 

• Stay home if your symptoms are not severe. Here is a stay-at-home guidebook<<link here that may be helpful to track your condition.
• Note on severity of symptoms: Shortness of breath and difficulty breathing is concerning and may well be a severe symptom. Remember the ABC’s of emergency care: Airway – Breathing – Circulation? The first two involve being able to breathe well. Breath is life, as they say. Coughing interferes with that and high fever is concerning, especially if at-home methods to reduce these symptoms do not help.
• Fever means a temperature of 100.4°F/38°C or higher (“normal” average temperature is 98.4°F/37°C)
• Drink a lot of fluids, especially warm ones.
• Eat as well, as you can. Smoothies may be more palatable and will help with hydration
• Take a vitamin and mineral supplement, especially more Vitamin C and zinc – if you need a good source, ask me
• Support your immune system by limiting or eliminating alcohol and sugar
• Don’t smoke or vape! (I had to repeat that. It is just so not good for you.)
• Breathe deeply. Use a humidifier if you have one, or turn on a hot shower
• Take cough medicine and a pain reliever (like Acetaminophen)
• Relax in a hot bath

If you develop difficulty breathing or a cough that will not stop, or a fever you cannot control with over the counter medicine you have at home, call your doctor, an urgent care center or emergency room to get directions. Do not just show up there. It puts other people at risk. But you may well need to go, or be admitted to the hospital. Let’s hope not, but it’s a possibility.

Be mindful of what you are going through – don’t tough it out to the point of needing to call 9-1-1 or Emergency Medical Transport. That puts more people at risk.

And while a vaccine is painfully many months away, scientists are researching more and more potential new treatments for this novel virus. One involves working with people who have be sick from COVID-19 and recovered – utilizing their blood plasma to extract antibodies to use for treatment<<link here. This approach currently applies to very few people who can be plasma donors, but their number and the centers where plasma donation can be made, are growing.

Keep fit

Back to prevention. Take time to exercise, walk in the sunshine, and breathe deeply. Breathing keeps your lungs open, slows your heart rate and helps you relax.

Cabin fever can be depressing, and nature deficit disorder IS a real thing – so commune with nature (again, at least 6 feet away from other people). Get outside. Do yard work, or tend the garden. It will give you more energy and improve your mood.

Remember to include some form of the 4 important types of exercise:

• Cardiovascular (a brisk walk will do it)
• Strength training (repetitive motions with light weights, use bands, do squats using your own body weight);
• Flexibility (yoga anyone? Or just stretch every part of you in every direction you can, a little more each day)
• Relaxation – yup it’s one of the four! ‘Corpse pose’ in yoga (that’s laying on the floor) and deep breathing, visualizing beautiful places and experiences is a part of healthy exercise. It slows your heart rate and decreases your blood pressure! (It’s got to be intentional. Sleeping doesn’t count here…

One of my favorites that incorporates all of this and give you a nice strong core, is Pilates. I have a fantastic internationally trained Pilates instructor who does classes now by video conference. If you want the info to connect with her and take a class from home, let me know.

And by all means, get more sleep. Get enough sleep for sure (more below).

Relax and Rejuvenate

Walk the dog. Pet the dog. Or cat. Or snuggle with any other cuddly pet. Make love with your beloved. All these things will increase your Oxytocin levels (they make you feel better).

If they are home with you, play with your kids. Play board games with your older kids. Or cards. Or charades. Sing. Play music. Theaters are closed, but one chain is providing downloadable coloring sheets for kids<<link here from their favorite movies. That might be fun. Laugh.

If you sew, contribute by making masks to help healthcare workers<<link here extend the life of their Personal Protective Equipment. If you can help them source more PPE, do that. If you spend time online and can spare a few dollars, contribute to a fund<<link here helping them obtain the PPE they so desperately need.

Watch a movie. Binge on Cable TV series. Read a good book! Read to your kids. Read to other kids via video conferencing, or Facebook messenger, or Facetime.

Be sure to get up and walk around, and stretch periodically – long periods of sitting are not good for you, but the distraction of a good story IS.

Paint, craft, knit, do puzzles, learn origami, make art.

Don’t watch too much news. Or consume too much social media. It’s all COVID-19, and way too much divisive politics, all the time right now. People can be mean and hateful. Don’t. Be kind and compassionate instead – even if you need to correct misinformation (some people will listen, some may never). If you’re sheltering in place and doing all the preventive things, statistically you will do well (even if you do get sick).

This is like trying to reason with hurricane season. Here’s the analogy: the hurricane is coming. It is going to have a landfall somewhere. If you are prepared, the damage will be easier to deal with. But tracking it by listening to 24 hour cycle news broadcasting can make you a little crazed. So, stop watching the all-day news (in this analogy weather) channel and instead just periodically check the national weather service (NWS) updates when they come out – then focus on something else. It will go a long way to maintaining your mental and emotional health by avoiding worry and anxiety. In the current pandemic situation, rather than the NWS, you can periodically check the tracking link I mentioned above – here it is again check the COVID-19 projections for the U.S. and your individual state<<link here. And maybe the top of the hour news updates on the radio periodically.

That sort of disciplined focus, much like consciously DOING SOMETHING to relax or rejuvenate is a habit you may need to build. It starts with turning off the television and other media (except maybe music) and not allowing it to drone on in the background. We are all so plugged in otherwise, If something major happens, you are unlikely to miss it.

Check in on and talk to friends and loved ones. On the phone. Actually pick up the phone and have a conversation. Don’t just text – your neck and upper back and thumbs will thank you.  Use your smart phone to video conference AND have a real face to face conversation.

Safety and Security

• Authorities and financial advisors report that cybercrime is up, as scammers try to take advantage of people during times of uncertainty. So, this is a great time to update your passwords as you work online with the various platforms you may use. Many financial websites already require a more sophisticated optin process with several layers. If any of your platforms allow a double authentication process – like by sending a code by text to enter as a verification second step to the login process, you may want to consider doing that.
• With shelter-in-place advisories and ordered lock-downs around the world people are starting to feel ‘cooped up.’ Other than the sort of cabin-fever that can produce general irritability, in more unstable situations domestic violence is on the rise.
• In Spain, women started using the code word “MASK19” at pharmacies<<link here to seek escape from dangerous situations.
• France followed by adopting the code word, and setting up shelters, paying for hotel rooms for victims of domestic violence and open pop-up counseling centers<<link here after the number of abuse cases had soared during the first week of the COVID-19 lockdown there.
• United Way supports 211, a free and confidential service<<link here that helps people across North America find the local resources they need 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• In many states in the U.S., dialing 211 from a phone works a bit like calling 911 in an emergency. Calls to 211 are routed by the local telephone company to a local or regional calling center, where referral specialists can access databases from private and public health and human service agencies and match callers’ needs to available resources. More information from the Federal Communication Commission on getting help by calling 211<<link here

Hopefully, your data are being adequately protected; and responding to the threat of violence – domestic or otherwise – is not something you will have to contend with. Personally, I have had to help a few women pack a bag and get to a shelter to avoid being hurt. While it is disconcerting (at best), it is also good to know those options are available. You may want to pass on the use of the “Mask19” code at pharmacies to spread the word on this effort at protection. And by using #Mask19 on social media when you do.

Sleep Well

If you have trouble sleeping, try the 4-7-8 approach. It’s a natural tranquilizer that will work for anxiety as well. A deep breath in for the count of 4, hold it for the count of 7, exhale for the count of 8. Counting out the numbers also helps. It all creates a relaxation response in you cardiovascular system (by increasing the pressure inside your chest and slowing your heart rate), and in the rest of your body (by lowering your blood pressure). More on this and other breathing exercises from Dr. Andrew Weil<<click here.

Get as close to those numbers. If nothing else, breathe in deeply, hold and exhale slowly. You may find yourself waking up later realizing you only remember doing this three or four times.

Work!

It may well be that we work too much, or too hard, or at the expense of other important life activities.  Under stress, many people (I’ve been guilty of this) push harder, often into overwhelm. It is ultimately disempowering. It can show up as impatience, insomnia, forgetfulness, mood swings, restlessness, boredom, and temper outbursts. And ultimately illness. Not worth it in the long run.

So, do work. And to schedule time away from it. You will work better and more efficiently, even if it seems like the last thing you have time for.  (See ‘take time for exercise’ above, which may also seem like the last thing you have time for, but ironically, will give you more time…)

Work at your job or business to make the money you need – and to make sense. Be grateful that you have this work and put your best self into it.

If you are not doing work that is meaningful for you now, this may be a good time to start considering how to change that. If you are working from home, use the time you would have spent commuting to learn something new, explore other possibilities, assess your transferable skills, research new career paths – really consider what you’re good at, what comes naturally and what you most enjoy doing. There IS a way to use all that. It’s what I help people figure out, plan for and make happen. Happy to talk with you about it.

Because work IS important, AND life IS too short to waste a second of it.  And yes, it’s work but you do get to enjoy it and feel like you are doing something that makes a difference.

Be productive other ways, too. Great time for seasonal cleaning, one drawer or space at a time, as you have the capacity. Feng Shui your home, and each room. Uncluttering and making the space beautiful will give you breathing room – figuratively and actually!

And Remember:

Self-care is more important than ever. Stay well. Be happy. Practice gratitude. Once your oxygen mask is on securely you can go back to saving the world.

Let me know if I have missed anything important. I’ll add it! Some posters with summaries below.

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Actually, make it six feet (2 meters). Or more. Check out how far coughs and sneezes travel<<click here.

Yes, CDC.gov – some good resources there<< click here.

 

Remember – make your own, don’t take away from what’s needed by health care and essential service workers!! (Then wash yours after wearing – wallah! No disposing needed).

Proper handwashing is just a good practice to help you stay well, now and forever! Amen.