Chronic Illness In The Time Of Covid-19

Hello, my friends,

I am sending so much love your way, these are challenging times, and some of you may already be experiencing significant financial hardship due to your company shutting completely down or having your work hours drastically cut.  I feel your pain, Monday was my last day of work.

Dealing with a chronic illness is hard enough but now, you are going to have to take extra care to ensure that your health remains at the top of your daily “to do” list.  Besides the precautions suggested by the CDC – you can read them here.   I have put together eight tips that I know will help you take care of yourself and remain calmer during this crisis.

Before we get into the eight tips in this post, how’s your medication supply? I know you don’t need reminding but take your medication as prescribed and make sure that you have at least two weeks of medication in case you cannot get to the pharmacy.  The following tips are meant to help you to maintain physical, emotional, and spiritual balance as you deal with your diagnosis and this pandemic that has threatened the whole world. I want you to know that you are not alone, and if you need any help or guidance I am only an email away. You can reach me at info@reneereid.net

Now on to the tips:

1. Take quiets moments throughout the day for prayer/meditation: The early morning or late evening hours tend to be the best time to make this happen. But whether you are home “self-isolating” or still working, take a moment throughout the day to pray, meditate, reflect, and journal your thoughts.
2. Eat whole foods:  I have also been tempted to munch away on a bag of M&M’s my favorite candy in the world.  But this is not the time to put your wellness journey on hold.  Your immune system needs you to consume whole foods to keep it running at its optimal health.  Whole foods are minimally processed and have little to no refined sugars.  These foods include: vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, seeds, and nuts
3. Exercise 30 minutes per day: Don’t forsake your daily exercise.  I know the gyms are closed, but a home workout will yield some fantastic results.  Check out YouTube for complete workouts lasting from 10 to 60 minutes.  Or you can download my friend Laurie’s complete at-home workout guide here. 
4. Stay connected: write, call, or facetime family and friends: While you may not be able to be in the same room, thanks to technology, we can still connect.  Surprise someone you haven’t had time to speak within a while with a long-overdue phone call.
5. Focus on the positive- gratitude: “Making gratitude a daily practice is like taking a vitamin,” says David DeSteno, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at Northeastern University in Boston and author of the book Emotional Success.
6. Don’t Overload on Information:  Decide on what time of day you will consume information about the virus and then stick with your plan.  Cut down your watch time into 10, 15, or 30-minute chunks no more than that, or you will get sucked in and find yourself watching news coverage all day.
7. Say a prayer for others: One way to take your mind off yourself is to pray or send kind thoughts to others in need.  This virus has affected all of us, and we need to come together to provide love and support.
8. Get some rest:  While you may want to stay up all night, doing a virus vigil can wreak havoc with your health.  Like healthy eating, your immune system needs you to be well-rested to help it work properly.  Regular sleep will also help you to be at your emotional best.  Stick to a regular sleep schedule and throw in a power nap if you need it.  Your body will thank you for it,

You will get through this; don’t give in to fear and worry; instead, take the necessary precautions and stand firm in your faith.  This is your time to shine!  Be the leader you are called to be, even at this moment in time, you still have the power to create the life you want to live.

I will be coming to you each day with new tips and resources to steady your mind, help you keep your health promises, and to just keep you busy, so don’t forget to follow the blog so your don’t miss out on any upcoming posts.

Join the Prediabetic/Type 2 Diabetic Group: This group is for men and women who are prediabetic, type 2 diabetic, or have a history of diabetes in their family.  Let’s support each other on this wellness journey.  

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