I am finding I have less and less to share on this blog. Not because I am any less committed to my own personal health and wellness - I still exercise daily, cook and bake all my food and eat nutritiously, and prioritize sleep and wellness - but sharing health information has become less of a priority for a few reasons.
First, since 2016 it has become clear that the world's terrible lifestyle is not our most imminent threat. Sure, the majority of us will eventually suffer the ill effects of being sedentary, overweight and eating a nutrient poor diet. But the more urgent dangers that have become apparent since the Sociopathic Orange Half Wit that is the current US President came into power are the rise of the alt right and hate mongering, anti-science/anti-vaxx movements, and climate change. I feel like every single day since that vicious, disgusting monster came into power its been just one terrible, tragic news story after another. The current Covid-19 pandemic is absolutely the icing on the cake of the shit show the world has become.
Second, I have recently completed two courses on health psychology/health promotion to update my knowledge base from when I completed my PhD in 2005. What I learned from these courses, along with the additional reading and research I have done on my own paints a pretty grim picture when it comes to health promotion. Education does not work. Simply providing human beings with information about the risks of being sedentary, eating poorly, smoking, drinking, etc. and/or providing information on the benefits of exercise, nutrition, etc., does jack shit. Humans are not rational beings (as evidenced by the recent panic buying of toilet paper). But we are also just mammals and what has happened is, like any other species, we have adapted to our environment. Our brains were designed to keep us alive in an environment when food was scarce and movement was necessary. We now live in an environment where food is plentiful and most movement is unnecessary. Unless our environment changes, there is not much hope for us, and because too many industries are benefiting from the current situation, the odds of large scale change are low.
It was tough before Covid-19 to be hopeful about the world since even if humans do manage to change our behaviour, it seems like we have already destroyed the planet beyond repair. Now that we are in the midst of a worldwide crises, the outlook certainly can look pretty grim.
While trying to allay the fears of my counselling clients, I am doing my best to manage my own, but I admit it is a struggle. I have had a tension headache for 5 days from clenching my jaw and have not slept well the past 2 nights. I don't even remember the last time I had trouble sleeping!
So I am practicing all the coping strategies I have been sharing with my clients:
1. Make peace with the uncertainty. There is never certainty for any of us no matter what. Try to live with the 'not knowing' and focus on one day at a time.
2. Create emotional distance from the current situation. Think about the present in the context of: "This is the time when...the Covid-19 pandemic threw the world into upheaval..." The objective being that you don't start to believe that things will never get better or that this is a permanent state of affairs.
3. Practice gratitude. Remember all the things you have to be grateful for. Write them down. Every one of us is being affected in some way by this pandemic but for some, it is truly catastrophic (a loved one has died, a person's livelihood has gone up in smoke and they are penniless, etc.).
4. Try not to ruminate and catastrophize about all the worst case scenarios. It is in no way useful. Remember that humans are incredibly resilient. We have weathered countless catastrophies over the course of our history and we will weather this too!
5. Limit your information consumption. Do not obsessively check media for updates. Even if you only check news 1-2 times a day, you will not likely miss anything. The recommendations in North America will likely be consistent for a long while: stay at home and wash your hands as often as possible!
So stay hopeful folks. Humans may be doomed when it comes to the chronic illness epidemic we created from our shitty lifestyle, but we will get through the Covid-19 pandemic 😉
Comments
Post a Comment