The Dreaded Coronavirus

I thought I’d take this chance to talk a little about what’s going on in the world right now; the coronavirus. In case you’ve been living under a rock, the CDC reports that general symptoms to watch out for include fever, cough, and shortness of breath and may appear 2-14 days after being exposed.  If you experience more severe symptoms such as difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, or bluish lips or face, you should see medical attention immediately. A lot of the nation has been affected by schools being closed, some work sites have allowed their employees to work from home, and stores and restaurants have begun shutting down for a specified period of time or offering limited hours/availability. To help with prevention, it’s recommended that you stay home if you’re not feeling well, limit your exposure to others including visitors to your own home, clean frequently, and keep your hands clean and away from your face.

For those who are working from home, I would recommend making sure that you provide your own self-care to help keep you relaxed during these times. Self-care comes in a lot of different forms and can include any of the following:

-Create your own cozy space to work in or to sit in to take a break from your work. This cozy space can include somewhere near lighted candles with soothing scents, having light music playing, or having a cozy throw blanket for your lap.

-Read a book especially one that you may have been meaning to read but haven’t had the time or choose one from a recent best sellers list.

-Listen to a motivating speech, TedTalk or podcast which will help to keep you in a positive mindset and hopefully not be bogged down by being “stuck” at home.

-Make yourself move and/or stretch – there are tons of options available for free on YouTube and most are 15-30 minutes long. And in the wise words of Elle Woods, “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy.”

-Unplug from the media for a certain period of time especially if reading about recent developments relating to the coronavirus stresses you out more.

-Create something or even color which will help you focus on something else rather than your surroundings and/or stressors.

I pray that each of you is safe and well during this season of life and remember that although things are hard right now, we will get thru this. Keep calm, and remember to wash your hands. J

Cheers to your health,

Chelsea