The Importance of Self-Care During a Global Pandemic
Let’s face it; this has been a difficult year. Many of us have been quarantined since March. Many of us have been working from home since March or in the home with our kids, acting as parent, teacher, principle, lunch worker, janitorial staff and recess aid since March. More heartbreakingly, many of us have lost jobs or businesses or even our homes this year. And, if you are not quarantined, maybe you are a front line worker, risking your health every single day for others. If that is you, thank you.
Needless to say, we are all experiencing an extra layer of stress in our lives in one way or another that we would not ordinarily be experiencing. Self-care is always critical; but it is truly more critical now than it has ever been before. Stress, exhaustion, fatigue, anxiety and any other negative emotion we may be feeling related to 2020 can weaken the immune system and leaves us more susceptible to burnout and illness.
Fall and early winter is when we start to see a rise is in the cold and flu, in a normal year. In 2020, not only do we need to consider the coming rise in cold and flu but if you tune into the news at all, you know that many places around the world are seeing a rise is covid-19 cases and hospitalizations. Philadelphia, where I live, is expected to announce new restrictions to prevent the spread of covid-19 today. Caring for each other by wearing masks is important but I would like to propose that equally or more importantly, we need to care for our immune systems to protect ourselves and each other from disease spread.
Immunity is something that we can control, support and improve. Often, we can support our immune systems with self-care. Here are my tips for supporting your immune system so you can stay as strong and healthy as possible during this season:
Get solid sleep, 8 hours at least!
Drink lots of water, generally ounces equal to half of your body weight. (so if you are 150 pounds, you want to drink at least 75 ounces of water per day)
Limit alcohol and caffeine consumption
Spend time in the sun, at least 20 minutes a day if possible
Daily movement, even walking, can support immunity
Eat greens and plenty of other nutrient-dense vegetables
Spend time doing something you love every day. I enjoy reading and bubble baths. I look forward to these daily treats for myself and this helps to lower my stress and feeling of being overworked!
Use Young Living products to support your immune system. I use the Inner Defense supplements, Thieves Essential Oil and the Thieves line of products such as Thieves household cleaner, Thieves spray and Thieves hand soap to continually support my immune system. Specifically, during this time of year, Thieves Essential Oil is constantly being diffused in my home, rubbed on the bottoms of my feet or I ingest Thieves EO in an empty capsule as an additional supplement. Please contact me if you are interested in getting started with Young Living or buy your starter kit.
If you must go out, wash your hands, spray down shopping carts, doorknobs or anything else you may touch before touching and distance from others when indoors. Again, I recommend the Young Living Thieves hand soap in your home and I recommend carrying the Thieves hand sanitizer and Thieves spray when leaving the home to be in public.
Following some of these simple tips can put you in the best position possible to stay healthy and safe as we head into the winter season and the months to come. Self-care is directly tied to immune support. If you have trouble sleeping or if you need more guidance on water, movement and nutrition, these are all topics I cover in depth with my client during one-on-one coaching. If you are interested in determining if one-on-one coaching is for you, please contact me for your free discovery session. During our free discovery session, you and I will talk for an hour over Zoom about your health goals and what is stopping you or slowing you down from getting to where you want to be. Please email me at coachlisamh@gmail.com or complete the contact form on my website to schedule your free discovery session.
Be well and stay safe,
Lisa