Had a rough night as his fevers spiked again, tried paracetamol instead of Advil, but fevers are pretty stubborn. He also started a cough, so has gone in for a chest X-ray and labs. He is staying overnight but hanging in there!
Since I also had a rough night, I decided to be be compassionate to myself and sleep in till later. Best decision, it is times like these, where we need to realize self-care. I also bought a vibrating foam roller for a mini massage for all of us.
I woke up and made myself a berry smoothie with yogurt, which is is a great source of of probiotics, which are friendly bacteria that can improve your health. I then started my day after a round of sun salutations.
For lunch, I had the same Brown rice cake with hummus and avocado as I needed the healthy fats.
In the middle of the day, when I started getting stir crazy, I walked down my empty stairwell of 13 floors to get my heart rate high, I was winded, when I walked back up. Being creative with movement is key, when you are stuck in small apartments.
For dinner a kind friend, sent me food, so I am taking a break and spending some more time praying and writing this blog after work. I am so thankful for all my supportive friends.
What is self-care: Doing things that benefit your mind and body. Everyone has different interests, do something that makes you happy and relaxed.
- Quality Sleep. Your body needs time to shift into sleep mode, so spend the last hour before bed doing a calming activity such as reading. For some people, using an electronic device such as a laptop can make it hard to fall asleep, because the particular type of light emanating from the screens of these devices is activating to the brain. If you have trouble sleeping, avoid electronics before bed or in the middle of the night.
- Doing relaxing stretches, I love doing Sun salutations. They are a set of yoga poses, that show gratitude for the sun, which symbolizes life. This set of poses help the mind and the body and can also help with immunity. I teach a class at work and here is a clear picture, follow the breathing. Modify as needed as everyone is different. Start with 1 round, building up.
- Avoid watching so much news and social media it can causes fear and anxiety, both emotions lead to panic and hysteria. The hysteria is what is causing grocery stores to empty, buy what you need but always remember that many others are lacking. The CDC website is reliable and accurate.
- Compassion for yourself and others is key as we all need to realize that we are important and we should prioritize our physical and mental well being. Try reaching out to the elderly and needy, as social distancing can cause social isolation for many people.
We will get through this, it will get worse before it gets better but being calm and optimistic is the way we can control our fear. Do not forget to remember to stop and breathe.