Managing stress and boosting immunity during Corona pandemic

My motto is: “health is wealth beyond belief’ and I think we can all agree that the past few months we collectively received a wake-up call on how important it is to not take good health for granted. 

Many people and clients of mine have asked me what they can do to keep themselves healthy, boost their immune system and the immune systems of their loved ones.

A lot has been written and published about hand washing and social distancing. I think it is also very important to know what you can do to give your immune system a boost and do everything possible to strengthen your body. Both physically and mentally.  

I’m here to share some empowering tools to de-stress and boost your immune system. 

What can you do in these anxious times?

 1.    Place some hard boundaries on your news consumption.       We are bombarded with news about the Coronavirus  (Covid -19) which puts our minds in an anxious state. This anxiety has a negative effect on our sympathetic nervous system- the system which rules our fight or flight response. This fight or flight response is very useful if we need to act in sight of danger, but is detrimental for our health when it takes over our mind and body for longer periods of time. We need to get the parasympathetic nervous system working as this system restores our body and boosts our immunity. Limit the news sources you follow to stay up to date. Think just the WHO, CDC, and RIVM (Netherlands.)

2.    Practice Meditation or Breathing For those who have never done any meditation- take a look at apps like Headspace and Insight Timer- two of my personal favorite meditation apps. Deep slow belly breathing, inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth. Loud singing or immersing your face in cold water all help to activate the vagus nerve which helps us -among other things –to decrease stress, fight inflammation and sleep better.

3.    Get more Sleep! Sleep boosts your immune system. And let’s be honest- we can all improve on our sleep. So, go and get some extra sleep. How many hours should you aim to sleep? Around 8 hours. How can you improve your sleep quality?  Do not use devices (tv, iPad, phone) at least an hour before you go to bed. Make sure your bedroom is dark and at a cool temperature (18C).

4.    Good Nutrition During this time, lots of us will work from home. The temptation to wander into the fridge and pantry will be there- believe me. And hence the greater chance that one will grab some kind of processed food. We are all a bit more anxious anyways and during these times we tend to eat more frequently (often something not too healthy.)  Try to stock up on whole foods. What does this mean? Nuts, seeds, veggies in all the colors of the rainbow, olive oil, coconut oil, ginger, turmeric, lemon, avocado, cucumbers, celery, garlic, thyme, sauerkraut, kimchi, etcetera!

5.    Fasting. Fasting can put stress on your body- so only if you have experience in fasting will fasting help you boost your immune system.  Intermittent fasting (IF), where you decrease your eating window, is a healthy practice and should be continued for a boost of your immune system (think of 14-16 hours of non-eating) There are a ton of resources on this to be found online- please follow up with your health care provider if this is the right practice for you. 

6. Get extra supplements Vitamin C, zinc (preferably in liquid form), lemon balm, spirulina, elderberry syrup, vitamin d3, lysine, cat’s claw, mullein leaf, and goldenseal- are all incredible options that work together to strengthen your immune system. 

7. Nature. Lots of us are not allowed to go outside. We truly feel for you and if you are able to open a window please do so and get some sun on your body. If you are able to go outside take a walk in nature, appreciate the trees and flowers around you. Feel the fresh air and sun on your face. Be grateful for your health.

8. What to do with your kids at home? Children are very sensitive human beings and can easily get anxious when things are off. Try to keep their weekday routine as normal as possible. Children’s ears seem to hear everything we say.  Make it a habit to have conversations about the virus away from them so they don’t get too anxious. Let them have their active time, as these times are a great way for children to de-stress. Try to incorporate some yoga (also excellent for yourself) and some meditation. Children love being creative so let them try some arts and other creative games. Do not avoid the subject of corona and discuss what is on their minds. This way they can talk about possible fear and other feelings they might have around the whole situation

 I hope the above helps you in the coming weeks, whilst we all keep our distance from each other and stay home as much as possible. Please remember, a community can be found just a phone call or Facebook post away. We are in this together. 

 And don’t forget: THIS TOO SHALL PASS!