COVID-19 – The PRESCRIPTION of SELF CARE

Photo: Natallia Khlapushyna

Private practice determines public performance.

A principle we lived out in my mother’s house growing up. It simply means whatever practices we were taught or expected of us at home initiated habits we inherently continued outside of home. These included mom waking up every soul in the house to ‘spring’ clean every Saturday morning, soaking the whites before taking them to the laundry, making up the bed every morning, dinner etiquette, reading the bible and prayers before bed. These habits were mine as a single woman and as a wife and mother, are now what I am passing onto my children and my household.

Private practice also instructed us on how to deal with a crisis of any kind. Loss of health, finance, relationship or a life, our private practice became our prescription to staying strong.

As facts and figures circulate daily throughout the media, I am aware of the onslaught of infodemics subscribers are bombarded with as they search for an answer; a ‘prescription’. Different sources present data that shares who, where and how fast infections occur. Market sources report what and how businesses are negatively impacted by all this. The masses are being educated solely on the effects and predicted damage this virus can cause. Whatsmore and seemingly warped is as a vaccine is being developed, the only solution offered is to reduce or eliminate the habits that bring us joy; social gathering. No matter the income, ethnicity, faith or gender, this virus is impacting the world in one way or another. We at World Bride Magazine advise on the best way to experience life and love even when a crisis is present. We will not only watch the world news for research and information, we will keep you abreast of the updates. During this challenge, we are here to offer a different voice of the media so you are prescribed the best tips to self-care and disarm fear when you have to engage in public settings.

We have reached out to our resources and experts to provide actionable guidance for personal and public health and mental wellbeing of all. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the primary lead in research and solutions, “Global efforts at this time are focused concurrently on lessening the spread and impact of this virus. The federal government is working closely with state, local, tribal, and territorial partners, as well as public health partners, to respond to this public health threat”. Visit here to get periodic progress on medical solutions. The World Health Organization (WHO), a workforce for universal international health coverage, supporting the efforts of researchers to develop a vaccine, estimate it would take 18 months. What we know from these two sources is that there is an action plan in place with a timeline. W.H.O. is tracking and updating the progress of the virus while offering sound public advice here.

Whether you are sheltered in, quarantined, isolating or any sort of distancing, its crucial to practice self care. Self care is often neglected when a crisis such as the corona virus outbreak hits home. It’s important to take care of yourself so you can take on the things that are important to you like family and loved ones. So our first prescription on self care is a practical one:

1. Use wisdom as you educate yourself. Gather information at regular intervals, perhaps at specific times during the day only from trusted, credible sources with expert knowledge of the situation. If you must go out in public, be prepared and know in advance where and how to get practical help if needed, like calling a cab, food deliveries and virtual medical care. Being well informed will have you brazing the public in confidence and minimize fear.

Dr. Abdu Sharkawy, a doctor and disease specialist now famous for his Facebook post which has been shared by over 1.7 million people, isn’t concerned about the virus. He is more concerned about the message we are sending our younger generation. “Covid-19 is… coming to a city, a hospital, a friend, even a family member near you at some point. Expect it…But our own behaviors and ‘fight for yourself above all else’ attitude could prove disastrous.” Images of patrons’ aggressive behavior at local supermarkets are troubling and frankly unnecessary.

To prevent fear and panic from spreading faster than this virus, here’s our second prescription:

2. Use laughter to exercise hope and patience around you. Contrary to popular opinion, this is the perfect time to consider others and not become recluse. As my husband and I shop at our local markets in the city, we are with our 3 year old twins. In order to shield them from public anxiety, we attempt a note of levity by casual chat with others bitterly waiting in line and in no time everyone is laughing and lighthearted. Because people outside your home need reminders of hope, assist and support them by staying connected via e-mail, social media, video-conference and telephone. Consider the Proverb of Solomon; “A cheerful heart is good medicine”.

Another prescription and most critical for self care is:

3. Promote your personal health and wellbeing first. Engage in physical health and wellness activities that you enjoy and find relaxing. Exercise regularly, maintain regular sleep routines and eat sufficient and healthy food.

Dr. Ali Alavi, of Frunutta Vitamins, has first hand experience in coping through the health crisis of a loved one and launched his vitamin company to solve it. He shared with us his advice and his product for building up and maintaining a healthy immune system. As a physician I feel that regardless of how helpless we may feel in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic we must remember that sooner or later it will be over and we must do our best to keep ourselves and our community as healthy as possible. The obvious advice is to wash our hands, avoid contact with others, heat our food to kill the virus (which survives better in the cold), and get a good night sleep”.

Because a good nights sleep is hard to come by these days, Dr. Alavi advises “Melatonin is a great way to ease your body to sleep and avoid restless nights. A healthy immune system needs a healthy sleep schedule. D3 is also a great supplement to take because we are encouraged to remain indoors and out of sunlight”.

Dr. Alavi discerns “while we are quarantined to our homes it is likely we are consuming more canned or processed meals than usual”. He shares“Vitamin C 1000mg daily has shown to help in some studies to decrease viral infections of the upper respiratory tract similar to COVID-19. It is always important to hydrate along with Vitamin C intake. Based on anecdotal reports, it could be beneficial to take Zinc at dosages of 15mg daily to improve our chance of fighting off the virus. Some studies have found that zinc helps lower the duration and the number of viral colds, which are part of the coronavirus family. All the stress from the media and panicked friends and family can become very overwhelming. GABA can be just the thing you need to relax the mind and improve your mood. GABA is a natural amino acid found in our body and is believed to have a calming effect by reducing the overall excitation in our brain and may calm our nerves during these hard times”.

Frunutta vitamins are ‘The Smaller Vitamin Company’ that is pure vitamin containing no chemicals, no coatings and no fillers. They are simply quick absorption, micro-size vitamins that has only what you need and none of what you don’t. I personally have been using Frunutta and have subscribed my entire family to it as well. Visit www.frunutta.com for your dietary supplement needs.

We implore you all to subscribe to these tips. Seek truth and apply wisdom, remain cheerful, and invest this precious time in those you care for most while you stretch your humanity to those who are strangers yet close by. Our World Bride magazine readers are people who are compassionate, hold solid values of faith, family and community. We rely on your commitment to us so we can keep you abreast of world news and our personal experiences so you maintain a sophisticated, healthy and fearless lifestyle.

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