Pain & The Coronavirus: Some Practical Advice

When it comes to chronic pain, stress is an absolute killer. When we stress (and especially when we full-on panic) we create the same responses in our body, that react when we sense pain. This causes pain levels to increase and suddenly our body aches just as much as our mind.

How it works: When you sense pain or begin stressing, some very distinct reactions occur

• Your muscles tense
• Your breathing speeds up
• Your heartbeat speeds up
• Your blood vessels constrict

You may not even recognize these things happening, since you are so used to feeling pain and/or stress (I know this is true for me) but I promise you, it happens every time. 

Insert: Coronavirus

Ok, maybe not the actual virus, but like, the constant onslaught of information regarding the virus. 

This is not helping us. 

It's important to stay informed, yes. But, 24 hours a day? No. 

Every conversation? 

Every TV you turn on? 

Every Social Media outlet you visit? 

Absolutely not. 

How to calm yourself.

I'll be frank, I'm an anxious woman. I could be lying poolside in Hawaii with a cocktail in one hand and my sexy fiance in the the other, and I'll still find something to worry about.

"Man it's sunny out.... Am I going to burn? When did I last put on sunscreen? OH GOD IM GETTING CANCER!"

You know, stuff like that.

And God Forbid you give me something to actually worry about, well.. you get it. 

So please know that this information is as much for myself as it is for you. This is a Judgement Free Zone and I volunteer myself as Tribute.

Enough about me, here's how to actually calm yourself:

Get informed, with the facts. Not speculation and Not opinions. 

This Means...

• Take a social media break and/or create major limits: Right now, social media is a panic zone and some platforms are worse than others (I find Facebook to be the worst, but it may be different for you). Perhaps you should take a break. Give yourself a couple weeks away from panic zones. If that's not a fit for you, maybe just give yourself a time limit, or decide to check it only once a day. Like, every day at 5pm you look for 20 minutes (set an alarm on your phone) and then move on. Then play a game or read a book on your phone instead. 
• Stop watching the news: Read it instead. As with social media, give yourself limits here. Maybe look once or twice a day, checking both local and national news. It's important to keep up with both, but watching it is much more panic inducing than reading it. When you read, you can go at your own pace, taking in information piece by piece. Keep in mind that the corona virus is making these news outlets a lot of money. They want to freak you out, so that you'll keep watching. This is not a conspiracy theory, my friends, this is the reality of the capitalistic society we live in.
• Try talking about something else. It's so easy to talk about the virus, because everyone you run into, is dealing with it in one way or another. In a messed up way, it brings us together. But the more we talk about it, the more we stress about it. So try changing the subject. How's the weather today? What about that great podcast you're listening to? How are your cats? I don't know, whatever you can think of, talk about THAT instead. Because the "I'm scared, you're scared" story, is getting really freaking old, and it's not helping either of us.
• That all said, here are some hard facts to calm yourself with (and to please, share with others)

Translation: If you get it, you'll probably just chill at home.

Translation: you're more likely to die in a car accident, on the way to Urgent Care 

(should you decide to go) than you are to die from the actual virus.  

Translation: if you're under the age of 60, you're definitely going to be ok. 

Just don't go visiting your 60+ friends and family, silly.

Translation: So like, even if you're over 60, you kind of need something else 

awful going on in your system, in order for this to be deadly. 

Ok we already covered this. But you get it now, right?

Translation: Look at all that crazy stuff we've survived already! Polio, Smallpox, EBOLA? 

This isn't even on that level. It's more like a regular flu, with a little somethin' spicy on top.

Translation: THE SEASONAL FLU IS MORE DEADLY. ARE YOU 

HEARING ME? CAPS LOCK.

Translation: Remember when I mentioned earlier, how much money the 

news is making off of this? They are having a field day freaking us out. 

Translation (and listen closely to this one): As of Monday, only 554 people in the US have died from the Coronavirus. Meanwhile, the CDC states that 12,000 people have died from the seasonal flu from Oct 2019 through Feb 2020. 

So if you want to be afraid of something, be afraid of the regular flu! It's coming for you!

"But like, Lauren, I totally still don't want this, what can I do?"

How to avoid it, Basics:

By now, you've probably heard all the advice from the CDC:

• Wash your hands often, for at least 20 seconds
• Avoid touching your face, mouth, eyes, nose
• Keep distance with anyone you suspect may be sick (3-6 feet is ideal)
• Clean and disinfect frequently used surfaces (IE. Your cell phone, which should be a daily practice anyway)
• Most importantly: Stay at home if you show symptoms

But the thing is, we can only control the outside world so much. While the CDC is a wonderful resource, I think they are neglecting the very important fact that, there are things you can do to build up your immunity so that, should you come close to this, you're system is strong enough to protect you from a stranger's cough or a surface you couldn't clean first... 

How to build up your immunity:

Consider this, when it's cold and flu season, what do you do to avoid getting sick? 

Think on it...... got it? Ok, so that's exactly what you need to do now. It's all the same remedies!

• Get enough sleep: Go to bed earlier, sleep in later if you can. Nap when you can. 
• Limit alcohol: Alcohol only weakens your system. Try tea instead. I know it's not as fun (trust me, I KNOW) but it's important to hydrate and avoid anything that could harm us.
• Take Vitamin C: supplements are great! But you can also boost yourself by adding more citrus fruits during the day and roasting up or steaming some broccoli with your dinner. 
• Take Zinc: As with vitamin C, supplements are great, but foods like Lentils and Pumpkin seeds are super high in Zinc, so consider cooking with them. I know I'm making this big pot of lentil soup today, and it will last me through the week. 
• Watch positive shows and comedies: This is one of my secret weapons. Since we are understanding the mind/body connection here, it's important to know that we can nourish our minds in the same way that we nourish our body. When I watch a comedy or uplifting show, I feel good. When I watch a murder mystery or depressing (albeit massively intriguing) documentary, I leave feeling crummy. It doesn't help. Just like watching the news isn't helping. So (at the risk of sounding woo woo, here) feed your mind with laughter and joy. I promise you, it helps, and it's more important than you know.
• On another woo woo note: Meditate. Take 5 to 10 minutes each day to press pause on your mind. It's the mental break you never knew you needed. If you're new to it, I highly recommend the headspace app. 

I hope this piece has helped you find a bit of calm. Questions? Comments? Please leave them below.

Wishing you good great health.

Xx, Lauren