Coronavirus - Don't Panic!

So, the world’s in lockdown and life as we knew it is taking a back seat for now. It seems crazy how things have changed almost overnight and now is more important than ever to make sure you look after your mental wellbeing.

Planning ahead at this time can seem almost impossible, but there’s still many things you can do, whilst keeping yourself, and others safe this Spring. Balancing your immune system should be your top priority.

First, let’s understand what is happening to our minds and bodies at this time. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Matt Richtel describes this beautifully in his book “An Elegant Defence”.

You’re New Mantra:
Mind - Body - Fuel

These three pillars are what a balanced immune system is built on.

What’s your current mind-set? Do you feel like a prisoner in your own home? Want to don a hazmat suit when you collect your post? Worried about when this will end? Then you’re probably suffering a bit from anxiety. Stress and anxiety are key contributors to an imbalanced immune system.

What leads to imbalance of the immune system? Well to varying degrees Stress - Sleep - Sustenance all have a role to play, but maybe not as you think…

Mind

Changing your mind-set is the best thing you can do to help keep you well and safe during the pandemic. When you’re stressed, panicking or anxious your body shifts its resources away from your immune system and focuses energy in to your fight or flight response. In normal times, this works well- the lion chasing you is the more imminent threat than the head cold. You can fight that later! However, with Coronavirus, we need all the defence our body can muster. How can we change our mind-set to help our bodies?

Your mind-set can be improved substantially through 5 minutes of guided meditation twice a day

This shuts off your flight and fight mode and allows your mind to empty, be present in the moment and connect with your surroundings. It also reduces your amount of screen time, which is proven to improve mental wellbeing and resilience. It may also help you to better switch off at night, allowing you to sleep better, allowing body to repair.

Meditation and mindfulness are powerful tools to bring calm in to your life and stay anchored in the present. With practice, you can change how your mind and body responds to stressful situations by letting go of unhelpful emotions.Try some free mob… — Meditation and mindfulness are powerful tools to bring calm in to your life and stay anchored in the present. With practice, you can change how your mind and body responds to stressful situations by letting go of unhelpful emotions.
Try some free mobile apps, such as **Headspace** and **Youper** to begin with and sign up if you want more. We receive no money for mentioning these apps, but find their apps helpful from personal experience.

Remember- meditation or mindfulness is not something you can be ‘good’ at. They require discipline and repetition to be effective. Try to find a place you find comforting and relaxing (maybe that hanging wicker chair from Cox and Cox in our top pick article) to begin with. I find lying down the best, but sitting with your feet flat on the floor is a good alternative.

A final thought on helping your mind is to think about what you are feeding it through your senses. The mind is a wonderful and powerful thing capable of evoking strong emotions and responses to stimuli. Nourish your mind with uplifting scents and fragrances, positive music and watching tv or movies that make you feel good.

Body

Sweet Sleep

Move More

As mentioned under mind, sleep is super important at this time. How do you make sure you have enough sleep in this time of worry? Well, switching off devices and trying to get in to a night time routine are two good starting points. If you find a good night’s sleep tricky at the best of times, then consider investing in some aromatherapy sprays. These contain oils such as lavender and camomile which promote good sleep.

Sport and exercise are not only great for a mood boost, but can also help balance your immune system. The key is getting it to feel right. 30 minutes, five times a week is a great target to aim for and can be very fulfilling way to spend your newly acquired free time. The right amount of exercise will reduce inflammation in your blood, help you sleep better and reduce stress.

There are plenty of apps available offering anything from online Yoga and Pilates classes to workout videos at high intensity. Again, try to get in to a routine but mix up the exercises to give much needed variety. If possible, try some exercise you can do without the screen to give yourself a digital break.

If possible, try to spend time outdoors where you won’t come in to close contact with others. If you are lucky enough to have a garden, this is a wonderful refuge in the Spring as new flowers and life begins emerging. I find gardening very therapeutic and challenging at the same time and really enjoy connecting with nature. The garden will allow you to plan for the rest of the year and see your hard work come to fruition. If you don’t have a garden then a windowsill or balcony can be your mini oasis instead.

Dog Walking

Fresh air with your loving companion- what’s not to like?

In the current situation, it is still possible to go outdoors for a walk, run or cycle. Take in some fresh air and light. If it is safe to do this, whilst maintaining your distance, then do so. Baloo our dog is the perfect excuse for me getting outside at least once a day and it really is a life line right now. I get cranky without the sunlight!

Your body cannot distinguish between what type of sport or exercise you are doing. From an evolutionary perspective your body interprets exercise as hunting and gathering for you and your family, therefore repairing and taking care of itself. It’s another reason you get an endorphin hit too.

Keeping your immune system in balance is the key to staying well.

There’s no such thing as ‘strong’ or ‘weak’ immune systems or items that will ‘boost it’, but eating a natural balanced diet is certainly a good step to support your immune system.

This is an area that is constantly under review and interpretation. Many nutritionalists have their own take about what food best fuels your body, but on the whole, they agree on a ‘balanced diet’ - what does this actually mean?! Well trying to have an even spread of carbohydrates, fats and protein on your plate is good place to start.

Cutting out heavily processed foods, that ultimately cause inflammation is another really great step you can take. A more natural diet, such as a whole grains will take this up a level, in evening out your GI index too. Reducing your meat intake will also help towards cutting down inflammation, and it’s good for the planet too!

Vitamins and minerals can help, but taking vitamin tablets in isolation will not do much- it’s better to try and get these from your actual diet as some vitamins are artificially processed. Where you have a deficiency, then of course look at topping up- I find Vitamin D is useful in the winter due to the lack of sun in the UK. I have been advised by my Rheumatologist that the D3000 form of Vitamin D is the best form to take. Check with our own GP for what’s best for you.