Among Friends

[Anonymous032819]

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@rms1954 wrote:

Today.  I thought I was doing OK for a couple weeks now, but yesterday I slept until noon.  So not like me.  I haven't been able to bring myself to do my daily exercises for four days now.  And I've been crying all day.  I can't stop.  I don't know why or what to do.  I can't stand it much longer.  

I just don't know how to deal with it any more.  

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@rms1954 

I'm right there with you.

I just feel as though things will never get better, and there is no hope for better days ahead.

[RinaRina]

These are unusual circumstances.  (Read my post "Do things seems strange").

I can't find disinfectant wipes ANYWHERE so, I'm having an anxiety attack.

I will now leave the house.

See!  You're not the only one ...

Everyone is dealing with it differently.

Some people are sitting in the house eating all day.

[Snoopp]

@rms1954 do not watch any more coverage of the virus for a few days.  Keep away from any talk of it.  This is what a doctor recommended for people who are getting overwhelmed by it.  If you can take a walk, that’s helpful. 

I won’t watch any news reports on the virus this weekend.  Only fun tv programming.

[FlowerBear]

Dont watch the news. I stopped watching it for a whole day yesterday and today just a minute to see if any important updates.  This has helped me SO much to stop watching.

You can make a list of positive affirmations and they really do work.  Things like,  I am calm and relaxed.  I am healthy and strong.  I take things as they come.   I can handle anything.   You can think of ones that apply to you.

Repeat them 5 times each at least 2 times a day. I do this at times of stress and it helps me relax.

Plus deep breathing a few times a day.

Online you can look up Lousie Hay affirmations and find many great ones!

[GingerPeach]

@rms1954 

You may or may not be a fan of her artwork, her books or calendars, but I can recommend her blog site as uplifting in the way she focuses on small, heartwarming detail around the home and garden.

If you haven't already discovered her, check out susanbranch DOT com

I hope you are feeling more "up" today.  Keep us posted.

[sarahpanda]

I would suggest writing ''thinking of you'' notes to people in nursing homes...make little pictures for them and say ''Hope you are having a great day''...They are lonely too.  Mail it to 'Resident' and call the nursing home and tell the administrator that you will be sending some things.  I think you are spending to much time thinking of yourself and doing something for others to make them smile would put a boost of ''strength'' to your own heart, as well as theirs.  Hope this helps.

[Q4u]

We hear you!  Take one day at a time.  I know how cliched that is but truly, one day, or even a couple of hours at a time. I learned to do this while both my parents were dying at the same time, one at home with me and one at a convalescent center.  I would chant to myself "At this moment, everything is okay".... and I'd block off another section of time.  Hard yes but it gets easier.  

One of my friends thought I was in denial.  I told her "what's wrong with that??  As long as it gets me through this in one piece, I'll take it.  And it did get me through, I didn't crack or break or live in an alternate world.  I knew exactly what was going on.... and I always had hope.  I was also told I had "false hope".  That makes me cringe when I hear it because I don't believe there is such a thing, either a person has hope or they don't.

And I have great hope about all this we're going through.  I know we will come out of this.  Hang in there, you're tougher than you think!  You can do it!  

[FlowerBear]

Coronavirus anxiety: Why the outbreak feeds worries and five simple ways to reduce coronavirus anxiety

    1. Limit your exposure to news and social media.

Schedule times to view updates. Plan to check your news sources or social media feeds just twice a day. Make those checks brief. Then otherwise, avoid updates that could be feeding your coronavirus anxiety.

Unless you are running a hospital or a news outlet, you don’t need to be getting constant updates about the coronavirus outbreak.

“Anxiety can build from media exposure,” Ross said. “Limit your consumption. Pick one or two trusted sources that you are going to rely on and screen out all the others. Schedule two times a day that you are going to check the news and consume media for no more than five minutes each time. That’s long enough to scan the latest information. But, any longer than that is going to spiral your anxiety.”

Ross strongly recommends limiting exposure to social media since a friend’s post —which may not even be accurate — can trigger worries for you. Anxiety essentially can be contagious. Reduce the contagion by skipping the updates.

2. Focus on controlling what you can control.

“We feel anxiety when we are trying to control the things that are inherently outside our control,” Ross said.

Of course, the average person cannot control how widely the coronavirus outbreak will spread. We can’t control if our child’s school will close or if an important work conference will get canceled or if our 401K retirement savings shrinks dramatically.

So, Ross advises people to instead focus on the simple powers we do have.

“We can wash our hands. We can take precautions,” he said. “We can give ourselves the best chance of staying healthy.

Thorough hand washing is the No. 1 way people can stay healthy and avoid spreading the coronavirus. And, we can take reasonable precautions, like staying home from school or work when we are sick, not dipping our hands in community candy or food bowls, and skipping big group functions now if we have underlying health issues or our immune systems are compromised.

3. Get plenty of rest.

Multiple studies have shown that a good night’s sleep can boost your immune system and prevent you from getting sick. Quality of sleep for enough hours a night also helps with mood and can reduce anxiety. If you are not sleeping well, seek help from your primary care provider or a sleep expert. There are some common and treatable causes for poor sleep, like sleep apnea. Ask your primary care provider or a sleep specialist for help.

4. Breathe.

Engage in very simple, 5-minute deep breathing sessions at least three times a day.

“Breathing helps us manage the anxiety response on a physical, physiological and mental level,” Ross said.

The physical level is how the body reacts physically. The physiological response centers on the nervous system. And of course, our mental responses relate to how our brain is responding to stress.

Breathing deeply has the remarkable power to affect people on all three levels.

“One minute of deep breathing helps slow down the sympathetic nervous system — the fight or flight response associated with anxiety. Breathing also helps turn on the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps us restore balance and can provide a sense of calm and focus” Ross said.

The parasympathetic nervous system slows the heart rate and increases intestinal and glandular activities. It’s sometimes called the “rest and digest” system.

Ross encourages those already dealing with anxiety and everyone who wants to avoid it, to schedule three sessions a day of slow, deep, deliberate breathing for about three to five minutes during each session.

You don’t need any special equipment, but if an app helps, he recommends the free version of an app called Insight Timer.

Unless you are using your phone to help you breathe deeply, be sure to set it aside during your relaxation sessions.

5. Enjoy the outdoors and get exercise.

Coloradans are lucky that we live in a sunny climate where getting outdoors is easy and quickly can lead us to beautiful places. Take time to go for a walk or a run. Or find a view of some trees or mountains and enjoy a session of deep breathing outdoors.

Ross loves to run. He does marathons and, no matter how busy he is with work and family, he carves out time to run.

“People say, ‘I don’t have time,’” Ross said. “But if you make it a priority, it will happen. Making time to exercise and meditate and putting it in your schedule is going to make a difference.”

Ross often runs with friends and says that both the physical activity and the social connections are really helpful.

Find activities that soothe your soul and put coronavirus and other stressors out of your mind, at least temporarily.

“Exercise and yoga are great. Get out in the fresh air and the sunlight,” Ross said. “As much as possible, go about your normal life.”

THIS IS FROM UC HEALTH.

[Lilysmom]

@drizzellla , I got my winter tires off and my oil changed this week.  Dropped car off.  Left keys under mat,  work complete, car wiped down with disinfectant, bill paid by etransfer.  No contact at all.  It can be done.  LM

[hayseed00]

@rms1954  Call your Primary MD, and tell them how you feel and that you can't seem to sleep or do your normal daily activities, and you are crying and sad.    During this health crisis  I found that watching the news was starting to really affect my mood, so I quit watching the news except for a few minutes in the morning.  Take care and know that you aren't alone during this time.