Okay, guys. 2019 was hard for a lot of us. And as we swung into the "new '20s" a lot of us were optimistic.
January was okay.... and then.... (( coronavirus )).
What should we do?
Let me begin with this: I am not a physician, and if I was one, I wouldn't give advice online about this. So understand that everything I am writing here is nothing more than my opinion, my perspective, and the information I am using to take care of my body and mental health, and those of my family. Big giant caveats, disclaimers, and grains of salt!!!
Maybe it's more important to start with what (I believe) we shouldn't do. I don't think we should over-sanitize our environments and bodies, lest we invite more super-viruses (and that is a real risk). I don't think we should believe everything we read on social media and then go buy all of those things, because we are depleting our healthcare systems from protective equipment that will help the workers and those who are very ill have the best chance at recovery. Additionally we can't buy in when people say it's "no big deal". I don't believe we should lose ourselves in this, because if we give way to our sense of joy, we lose our ability to find hope. When that happens, the hormonal flood in our bodies from stress and anxiety (cortisol) dampens the immune system and makes us much more likely to get sick..... with something.
Here are 10 things my family and I are doing to stay happy, healthy and as shielded as possible and that I recommend to anyone who asks me what I think would help.
- Wash your damn hands. Mindfully. Carefully. But not in a crazy way. Basically, pretend that you are cutting jalepeños for dinner. Wash your hands like you don't want to get that pepper oil in your eyes. You won't fail to get them clean! If you want, you can put something like our LAGA product on your hands after wash to put a physical barrier of protection down. You'll want something with ingredients like beeswax, cocoa butter, and shea butter. A barrier is better than sanitization.
- Get your vitamins through food and sunshine. Eat an orange. Eat two. Go outside for 45 minutes at lunch. Take a walk every day. Drink orange juice. Forget about any sort of diet. Take in your vitamins via food and nature, not needles. High dose treatments don't make any sense if you're well right now.
- Buy (or make) elderberry syrup or gummies. Way back when we were afraid of H1N1, scientists found that the anthocyanins in elderberry (sambucus) helped build up the immune system and that the elderberry attaches to ace-2 receptors, the same receptor that coronavirus and influenza attach to. If so many of your cells are occupied because you have been consistently taking elderberry (every day) the odds of you getting COVID-19 probably won't go down but you're not likely to be nearly as sick.
- Use your heart. Be nice. Greet people. Be empathetic. Remember that we are all worried and some people are almost paralyzed with fear. Compassion has a place here and this disease doesn't discriminate by color of skin.
- Build up your personal BIOME. Put good bacteria ON your skin! Everything made by Sloane Marley has good bacteria and builds an army to build immunity. Several other brands support this too, with shampoos, soaps, etc. Bottom line if your skin is occupied with things that are healthy and helpful it will not have the same susceptibility to disease. Over-sanitized skin is most at risk. Soap and water is a much better choice than sanitizer when you have a choice. On another positive, your face will thank you when you populate it with a healthy natural biome and you will see less oil, less acne, and a variety of other positives.
- Consume more fruits and vegetables. Phytonutrients build immunity and veggies and fruits are packed with natural sources of Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin A and antioxidants. Fruits and veg decrease cortisol, increase good mood, and decrease depression and anxiety. When your body is "well fed" with nutrients, "fight-or-flight" has a better chance of staying at bay.
- Exercise daily (and strengthen your abs). If you get sick, the best chance of not staying sick is being able to fight the illness off with a strong, healthy body, able immune system and strong lungs and abdominal muscles to purge the lungs with coughing. Be outside when you can be and don't worry about a crazy routine - walking totally works! The idea is to increase serotonin.
- Practice excellent stress hygiene. Meditate. Practice mindfulness. Actively pay attention to daily stress, staying out of fight/flight/freeze. Laugh. Enjoy people you love. Heightened long term stress releases a steady stream of the stress hormone cortisol and will dampen your immune system and cloud your decisions or trigger secondary conditions like depression.
- Dig in the dirt. Dig something, plant something. Cover your hands in earth on a regular basis. The natural biome of the earth is the greatest source of healthy bacteria. And it's fun and fulfilling to get exercise by turning soil and to do it with family or friends. Kids love it! If you don't want to maintain plants, make mud pies! Return to a childhood way of thinking and get dirty!
- Cultivate joy and write your vision for the future. What do you want to happen when this situation shifts? What have you learned and been challenged by that will help you get there with fewer barriers? How can you look at this crisis as an opportunity to build resilience? How can you support friends, partner, kids and loved ones with this perspective? What do you want for your life when global recovery begins?
The creation of Sloane Marley is my life's work and my heart work. I have amassed a vast amount of information about natural living and products over the past two decades and I am happy to share. Email me or DM me on IG and I will listen to you.
It's time to take care of yourself. In the middle of a crisis? YES. Especially in the middle of a crisis.
Today is what we have. But tomorrow will come.
With my best wishes for you and yours to be happy and healthy,
xx
Courtney
Founder / Sloane Marley