Is COVID-19 STRESSING you out?
I don’t know about you, but this pandemic, COVID-19 has definitely stressed me out. I am usually the most calm person, always reassuring others that life is going to be ok and keeping the positivity in life. My goals are always to help others be positive and stay healthy…
So, out of character for me to freak out … but the other day, I wasn’t sure that I felt so great. I had a bad headache that wouldn’t go away, chills, my throat felt dry, scratchy and salty (what’s up with the salty throat making all food taste salty?) and then my temperature started to climb. Are we not all taking our temperature every day? Mine went from 98.6 to 99.1, then 99.2 and reached 99.8. During the night I was sweating terribly, and then freezing and if I was able to sleep the dreams were crazy. During the day I was fatigued and foggy. Ok, what was going on here – aren’t these all the symptoms of COVID-19? Instead of handling this in my usual way, I felt scared. Not scared of being sick, I can handle sickness and I know that I have strong immune system, but this COVID thing, this is different and people are dying. Dying – elderly and younger people. COVID does not discriminate.
So despite knowing and doing all the right things for my body and mind, stress took over. In addition to the symptoms I was already experiencing, my blood pressure (usually 90/60 on a normal day) was 140/85. WTF?? Now my heart was pounding and then I felt this tightness in my chest and it hurt to breathe in. It hurt to touch my chest. I was scared and convinced that I had the virus and that I could die. So I went to get tested.
Although the test results came back negative, the first thing the doctor said was there are so many false negatives that you need to treat yourself as positive. Stress does not discriminate either. There is good stress and bad stress and stress is different for everyone. What stresses me out is different than what may stress you out. BUT, our bodies all react the same to stress. It’s our body’s way of dealing with a tough or demanding situation. Stress will cause respiratory, cardiovascular, hormonal and nervous system changes. It can make your heat beat faster, sweat, tense up, breathe rapidly and can also give you added energy.
This is known as the fight or flight response. It’s a chemical reaction in our body preparing us for a physical reaction because our bodies believe it’s under attack. Stress causes your adrenal glans to make and release cortisol into your bloodstream. Cortisol triggers a flood of glucose that supplies immediate energy to your large muscles. It inhibits insulin production so the glucose won’t be stored but will be available for immediate use. Cortisol stimulates fat and carbohydrate metabolism for fast energy, and stimulates insulin release and maintenance of blood sugar levels. The end result of these actions can be an increase in appetite and can cause cravings for sweet, high-fat, and salty foods. Uh-Oh, so now in addition to the symptoms there’s a chance I am going to eat junk food. I don’t eat junk food anymore. And I certainly don’t want to gain weight! That will stress me out even more.
I knew I had to get in control of my feelings and that is what I did. I was not going to let this control me, even if I was positive or sick. I was going to do everything to feel better as long as I was able to.
I am extremely lucky that my body is strong and I have a strong immune system. I do everything possible to eat clean, whole foods, take pre and probiotics, get the right nutrients in my body by eating and taking supplements. I exercise by walking, practicing yoga and pilates and meditation. This is not the case for most people and it wasn’t always the case for me either. I do what I am going to recommend you do to feel good and combat any stress you may be feeling right now.
Here are some things that you can do to help alleviate stress:
- Find activities that you enjoy – a hobby or something that you have been meaning to do but can never find the time –
Catch up with old friends - Sleep- getting a good night’s sleep can help reduce levels of stress
- Exercise – walking running , any physical activity produces endorphins—chemicals in the brain that act as natural painkillers—and also improve the ability to sleep, which in turn reduces stress
- Manage your time- keep yourself on some type of schedule. It helps you feel more in control.
- Time management skills will allow you to maintain a healthy work-life balance. … allowing you to reduce common signs of stress, including constant irritability, chronic fatigue, having difficulty concentrating, and forgetfulness
- Deep breathing techniques- meditation, mindfulness, calming your mind
- Keep a diary – writing about your feelings is like talking to someone and can help relieve tension by expressing it
- Avoid caffeine, nicotine and alcohol – they are all stimulants which will increase your stress levels
- Reduce intake of refined sugars – they can cause a crash of energy and make you feel tired and irritable
- Laughter (especially with friends) – It’s a workout for your muscles and let’s go of stress related endorphins. Your body can’t distinguish between real or fake laughter so even if you are not feeling happy or don’t have a sense of humor, you can still benefit from a good laugh even if it’s a funny movie.
Be grateful for what and who you have in your lives and express that to others, let them know how much you appreciate them. Let go of things that you cannot control and focus on what you can control – talking to friends and family, being able to work out, cooking meals…
Talk to someone – this can distract you from stressful thoughts or release some of the built up tension by discussing it
Always here for you girlfriends, or boyfriends – so if you need to talk, yell, scream or cry – I am here for you , just call me. We will all get through this – you are not alone, we are all in this together and will all be stronger on the other side.
50, fit and fabulous
Deb