Holistically Katie

It is safe to say that the past few weeks have been anxiety inducing.

As you all are aware, regardless of where you are from in the world, the Coronavirus has been recently deemed a national emergency by our President. A national emergency is technically a special kind of authority that the President can use in these kind of circumstances. What this means for all of us is that there are going to be several new rules cropping up in relation to how we normally live our lives. In Massachusetts, for example, schools have been shut down for weeks. The majority of restaurants, bars, casinos, workout classes etc. have been shut down until further notice. You are not supposed to be in a public space with more than twenty five people. If you’re driving down the highway, there are huge signs that tell you to read up on the facts about the Coronavirus and get educated. My point is, this thing is a pretty big deal. And naturally, when we hear the words: “emergency” or “pandemic” or even “virus” we feel panic start to rise. It is completely normal to feel stressed or anxious in these kind of situations, particularly when questions start to come up like, “What if I get this?” or: “What if my family member gets this?” It’s scary stuff, and that is why we all should be taking this seriously. When I first heard about this, I remember thinking that it was just like a flu, and everything would be fine. Over the short course of only four days however, my mind completely changed as things began to shift. Now, I have a completely different mindset.

My approach to coronavirus

I think we all need to do our part right now, and that means, yes, social distancing. I personally love to get out of the house, meet new people, try workout classes, get a massage, get my nails painted, and so on. I am normally not someone who stays home all day, so this is tough for me! But in order to prevent the spread of this virus, we all need to minimize our contact with people. So that means avoiding public transportation, large gatherings and working from home. Young people are not immune to this virus, so this also means you shouldn’t be partying and going out like normal. Even worse, young people who show mild symptoms can pass it on to the older people who may be way more vulnerable to getting extremely sick, and even dying. Think about that and ask yourself if it’s really worth your normal Friday night out. This doesn’t mean you have to stay crammed up all day. You should still go outside and get fresh air. Go on walks, meditate outside, do an outdoor workout and so on. For right now, the biggest thing is to stay calm, rational, use good judgement and take care of yourself while keeping in mind the best interests of the public.

staying healthy and sane during this time

I’ve been incorporating some things during my daily routine that have helped me feel happy, healthy and stay positive during this time, so I would love to share those with you all.

1. Delete Social Media: This has been probably been the hardest one for me, but most fundamental to my mental health and stability. In the days leading up to the coronavirus declared emergency, I was infiltrated each day with constant posts on the virus-nothing else. Opening up Instagram was no longer enjoyable…I started to feel scared and anxious each time I would go on the app. Same thing with Snapchat stories. Seeing everyone stress out about this was not good for me. I personally believe that energy and “bad vibes” (hear me out) are super contagious..maybe as contagious as this virus. So, I deleted Instagram and Snapchat. I was suprised at the first couple of days because I realized just how hooked I was. I would go on my phone, swipe to get to Instagram, only to remember I deleted it. That really showed me that I had an addiction and a constant need to look at it-not healthy. Deleting the apps have freed up so much of my time, and I truly feel more grounded and present in my daily life. Although I have social media again, I plan on being more consious about my consumption moving forward.
2. Go on walks, and get fresh air every day: I know this may sound super simple but it is truly a game changer to clear your mind and bring some calm into your life. Sometimes I take my dog, or sometimes I just go on a walk by myself. I’ve been trying to not bring my phone recently and just be with my thoughts as I walk. I remember I took a meditation course my senior year of college, and believe it or not, I learned that walking can actually be its own form of meditation if you truly pay attention to everything. Your steps, your pace, your breathing, the sounds around you.
3. Continue to eat well, take supplements and stay hydrated: It goes without saying but it is important to keep your immune system strong-right now and always. Consume fresh foods that are not highly processed. Try to incorporate superfoods such as spirulina, bee pollen or açaí. I just posted on my Instagram all the supplements I am taking, such as colostrum, royal bee jelly, vitamin D, zinc and more.
4. Meditate each morning: I have totally dropped off the meditation train but I am so happy to be back on it! I recently downloaded the Calm app again which features daily meditations and it is such an amazing way to start off my day.
5. Incorporate fun, at home workouts: You can get in an amazing workout from the comfort of your own home, even if you not have any equipment. There are so many resources to get some inspiration for at-home and equipment free routines. Some of my favorites are Fitness Blender, Heather Robertson, MadFit and Chloe Ting.
6. Establish a relaxing nightly routine that you can look forward to: This one has helped me look forward to my nightly wind down. When you work from home all day, it doesn’t feel as satisfying finishing work (at least for me). So, I like to ensure I have activities lined up for me after a shift has been completed, to truly ensure I have that healthy seperation between work life and home life. Some activities I do are jade rolling, sauna steams, Epsom salt baths, reading or foam-rolling.
7. Spend time with your family, laugh, Facetime your friends, remember to smile every day. The most important tip of all-stay grateful and stay kind. Even though we all need to socially distance right now, that doesn’t mean you can’t go on a nice walk with your family, or Facetime a friend. Stay in touch with people you love, remind them you love them. When this is all over, I really truly hope that we all feel infinitely more grateful for the people we have in our lives, and the amazing experiences we get to share with them.

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relaxing at home

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eating healthy

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 What can this teach us?

This virus will hopefully teach us a lot as a human race. In these dark times, I am hopeful to become closer with my family, work on staying positive, expressing gratitude, and ultimately on the other side, never take another moment for granted-no matter how small it may seem.