Tips to managing your energy health during a covid 19 diagnosis
Here at Energy Health Inc, we have had a recent ‘brush’ with our dear friend The Covid Delta Variant.
As parents of two young children and, contracting the virus 7 days before Christmas, we were understandably concerned about how this was all going to play out - and more importantly how we could keep ourselves safe, healthy and protected in that time.
Our symptoms were pretty much linear with the usual delta pattern: 48-72 hours of headaches, fevers, body aches, etc., feeling fatigued, and then a gradual return to normal over the following week.
In Queensland, prior to mid December 2021, we had been pretty much the least affected state in Australia, with zero Covid cases in months, having been shielded by lockdowns and state border closures, but the decision to lift these closures inevitably meant the virus was about to unleash.
My husband and I were among the first group of Queenslanders to contract the virus when borders opened up, so we weren’t entirely sure how it would manifest in our bodies.
It’s Individual, but you Can Do More to Help Yourself!
What we know is that each individual seems to experience the virus differently, but with some quite common themes.
What we also know is that HOW you deal with your symptoms and what you DO about having the illness seems to make an enormous difference.
Humans don’t generally do well with the unknown; in fact, our brains are wired to fear and avoid it. We simply are not OK with not knowing, particularly around health problems. Additionally, when we are in a state of fear and stress, it taxes our immune system and can amplify the negative impacts of any disease or health issue.
It is for this reason that your experience of the covid virus, from an Energy Health Perspective, can be quite different from other people, depending on what mindset and planning you apply to it.
Although we know you have a better chance of fighting the virus effectively if you are fit and healthy, with a strong immune system, we don’t exactly know how the virus will manifest in anyone individually. This is where the fear of serious consequences creeps in, which has been driven strongly by the media, a well-researched phenomena in medicine called the “nocebo effect.” It’s like the placebo, but the opposite. With the nocebo, if you expect negative outcomes, you are much more likely to experience those outcomes than if you focus on positives. This is where we encourage people to employ insights from Energy Health - understanding how energy depletion, stress and recovery affect every system in your body.
Mostly, the virus catches the individual unaware, giving little time for you to prepare for the 5-10 days of unwell-ness that typically follows. But if you know that the virus is around you, or you are in a hotspot, there are certain processes you can put in place that will help you get through the virus, if you contract it. This is especially helpful if you have a family, more than just yourself in your household.
9 Practical things you Can Do
Here is a list of things you can do as a smart start to being prepared (and therefore less stressed) should you be positively diagnosed:
Batch cook and freeze 7 days worth of nutrient rich meals
Invest in a decent amount of either iced or powdered electrolytes - fever chews up your essential salts and sugars
Stock up on fresh fruit and vegetables that can be cut and served easily (the body craves the sugar and hydration during the first 7 days and you may find yourself reaching for these types of foods)
Borrow or buy a couple of extra board games or puzzles for the kids
Give yourself access to fresh air, sunshine and somewhere outside to sit if you can
Stock up on vitamin C, D and Zinc to support your immune health
Identify someone who could grocery shop for you if you need supplies when you are in isolation, or set up and online grocery delivery account - life saver
Download a meditation app to help relax you if you experience shortness of breath (commonly experienced with this virus) or worries about your symptoms
Practice letting go of your fear and stress about negative outcomes and focus on healing and resilience! Remind yourself that stress can make you stronger if you respond well.
Families who are likely to be exposed to Covid, to whom I have recommended these measures, have been tripping over themselves with gratitude that they prepared well. It took the worry out. They were able to put some ‘knowns’ into the unknown, which automatically took some of the worry away. Dealing with the virus was then simply a process to get through.
We are not saying that everyone will breeze through, it can be a nasty virus and quite serious for some people, but just being that bit more organised can make an enormous difference.
Our human energy basically functions around these categories:
Mental
Emotional
Social
Physical
Environmental
If your energy is depleted in any of these categories, your body begins to experience a level of stress, which then can affect its resilience to fight illness.
If you think about COVID-19, even if you have a very mild reaction to the virus, its going to deplete you in more than one of these areas - multiple in fact.
By being prepared, you can anticipate the energy depletion and plan effective responses to any increased stress that you might experience.
6 Things to Help You Through It
Plan your mental, physical and environmental response as much as you can:
Surround yourself with people who can support you if you need it
Remind yourself that you are going to be totally fine during this challenging time
Make sure you have access to somewhere outside whilst isolating
Load up on good, nutritionally balanced food
Get PLENTY of sleep (8 hours minimum)
Stay hydrated
These are your ammunition to facilitate fighting this virus.
Dealing with the Fear
Another thing about the virus, it is pretty normal to start having some fearful thoughts about how it might affect you. Here are a couple of fears I had going into the virus and then some strategies I adopted to help deal with these fears:
What if we all get sick at once and I can’t look after my family
What if we run out of food for the family?
What if one of us gets dangerously sick?
What if I can’t keep my house virus free and someone else catches it?
How do I keep my children supported and happy whilst we are locked down for 14 days?
So when I was confirmed positive, a few things occurred to me:
Its a week before xmas
I have 3 other people in my house
I can either freak out or find a way to be totally OK with this.
So one of the arguably most concerning symptoms that individuals experience during infection, as I mentioned earlier, is shortness of breath. Whilst, for me, covid didn’t feel much different from a bad flu or cold that goes to your chest (and I have definitely been much sicker), I will still got caught up with the hysteria surrounding the virus, coming at us from all angles. When I experienced some shortness of breath, I definitely experienced a panic response!
But what is a key thing that happens when we panic? Shallow breathing! Even hyperventilation! We know that, for some people, breathing restriction from Covid can be very serious, and this is where they end up in hospital. However, there will also be a large number of people who experience an amplification of their shortness of breath because of anxiety, which can be helped with the right approach.
So here is the thing. Days 4-6 of my symptoms, I started to get the cough and shortness of breath. It felt like I was far from getting full capacity of oxygen into my lungs. BUT - here is what I also noticed. The more I ‘thought’ about it and started to panic - guess what? Yep, the worse it got. SO, every time I felt myself start to breathe more shallowly and during coughing bouts, I stopped, laid down, closed my eyes and meditated. I may not have always got a completely full breath in, but I began to breathe much more freely the moment the panic stopped. I also found nose breathing (if you can) helped clear the airway even more.
I realised early on that any kind of panic about my situation was ultimately going to end badly. My mind was racing, and the panic fed more panic. “I have heard the horror stories in the media about this deadly virus. This is happening to me and I can’t control it! I don’t know how my body will cope. Help!” The more wound up I got, the worse I got. Simple.
Slow Down and Focus on Healing
I started to slow my thoughts and think about practical ways to deal with things. I looked for solutions instead of freaking out. I paid attention to how my body was responding. The fever was heating up my body to fight the virus - thats good! The headache was reminding me to stop moving and lay down and rest - also good. The body aches were telling me to stay still and rest for a few days - what I needed. Never underestimate how intuitive our bodies are!
I had to look after my kids after only 4 days into the symptoms (as my husband got sick) and so first I had a mini meltdown, then I realised I could take steps to protect them: gloves and mask on, and plenty of hygienic practices (which did not impress them but they stayed healthy). I rested when I needed to and I cleaned and protected them as much as I could - as well as getting food and water to my sick husband.
The less I panicked, the better I felt. Talking made the cough worse, so I communicated via text only for most of the 14 days we were locked down. I only responded to emergency communication and I let go of any guilt I had around not updating people, which also had been causing stress! People can wait while you heal yourself.
I realised that all of the fears I had experienced when I got diagnosed, could all be addressed if I thought about them calmly. If we all got sick? Well, we’d have immunity. We would just play games inside, watch movies and do what we needed to do. We have lost the concept of what it’s really like to suffer and struggle a bit on our modern world. We fear it more than anything. Suffering a little is what gives us perspective and allows us to have gratitude for the times when we don’t suffer. As an added plus, my kids have never been so great together! By allowing them to be more self sufficient, they were forced to end arguments on their own, chip in, step up and have empathy! Seeing both their parents unwell, may well have been a good wake up call for them both, given the natural ego centric nature of kids.
Key Take Homes
Dealing with this virus, it’s timing and all that came with it, from an Energy Health perspective, is about letting go of the extra stress that comes from panic and worry, accepting what is, being OK with where you are at, and doing what you can to prepare, and focus on healing and recovery.
Be ok with where you are at - 99% of people will get through this like any flu type virus
Be aware that fear and worry about the unknown may cause the virus to hit you harder than it otherwise would
Prepare as much as you can if others around you are getting it and you are in a high risk area. You’re not going to lose anything by having a few helpful things in place - just in case. Its not panic - it smart planning!
Ask for help! People love to be needed and asked, it fills their cup and you might just need it!