March 26, 2020 Tips For Coping With The Coronavirus Outbreak
Does the Coronavirus pandemic have you feeling overwhelmed? It’s safe to say that no matter what your unique circumstances are, you’re probably experiencing a whole lot of change. Between parents having to work from home, kids being homeschooled and events being cancelled, it is normal to feel like things have been turned upside down. If you are feeling particularly stressed or worried about the future as you adapt to your routine, take a deep breath.
The good news is that amidst all of the uncertainty, there are certain things you can do to take control and make sure you’re staying safe and healthy. While we may not be able to predict how the Coronavirus outbreak will unfold, we can all choose how we will respond. With a few simple strategies, you can make sure you are doing everything you can to prioritize your physical and mental wellbeing during this pandemic.
Staying Germ-Free
Everyone knows just how important it is to be mindful of good hygiene during the Coronavirus outbreak. This means washing your hands often, remembering to cough into your elbow (rather than your hand), carrying antibacterial wipes with you to wipe down surfaces, keeping your home clean and using hand sanitizer.
However, like wipes and toilet paper, hand sanitizer can be difficult to come by these days. With so many people stocking up, most pharmacies and grocery stores are all sold out, and online retailers’ prices have skyrocketed. That’s why when our team came across this DIY recipe for hand sanitizer, we knew it needed to be shared!
Here is a DIY hand sanitizer option if your local pharmacy is sold out of conventional options
Ingredients:
- Isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol)
- Aloe vera gel
- Tea tree oil
Directions: Mix 3 parts isopropyl alcohol to 1 part aloe vera gel and add a few drops of tea tree oil. Tea tree oil has amazing anti-bacterial and anti-viral benefits! If you find the smell too strong, you could add in a few drops of any other essential oil, such as lavender or lemon, to improve the scent. Put the solution into a purse-sized bottle so you can have it on-the-go and apply it after touching any surface!
In order for your hand sanitizer to be most effective, you’ll want the alcohol content to be at least 60% – so aim to find the strongest rubbing alcohol you can find.
If you don’t have the ingredients to make this recipe, you could also try using hydrogen peroxide or distilled white vinegar. Both can be diluted with a bit of water and added to a spray bottle!
Disclaimers: Do not spray any of these on your face, or near your eyes because it will burn. These are intended as recipes for external application only. This recipe is meant to help but Magic Bag cannot guarantee it has been scientifically tested.
Staying Healthy
With most of us now stuck at home, it’s easy for our physical activity to take a back seat. Unable to go to the gym or your favorite exercise class, you may be tempted to skip your workout altogether and curl up with some Netflix instead.
But the more you can stick to your usual routine and keep moving, the more you’ll be able to maintain your health throughout the Coronavirus outbreak. And has there ever been a better time to make sure we’re staying healthy?
One way to stay active is to get outside for a walk or jog and experience the therapeutic benefits of nature. Another option is tuning in to an online fitness class. Many gyms and yoga studios are now broadcasting their classes online, using Instagram and YouTube so that viewers can tune in from the comfort of their own home. Our friends from Modo Yoga Montreal currently have their schedule up on Instagram!
Staying Mindful
In uncertain times such as these, stress and anxiety can often take over. Perhaps you are worried about loved ones, the economic consequences of the virus, or are simply stressed trying to manage a family at home while keeping up with the demands of your now-remote job. And with a constant cycle of news updates, we may find ourselves plugged in 24/7, causing ourselves to feel overwhelmed and anxious.
Over the next little while, finding tools and resources to help keep stress at bay is crucial. Taking time for self-care and engaging in mindfulness exercises can help you stay in the present moment, rather than constantly worrying about what the future holds. Certain mindfulness apps like Headspace are making select meditations free during the COVID-19 pandemic. By engaging in guided meditations you can begin to quiet your mind and tune out the chaos of the outside world. Even just taking ten minutes a day to practice mindfulness can help to reduce your stress, and allow you to feel a greater sense of calm as you go about your day.
While there is much that we cannot control when it comes to COVID-19, there are a few things we can control, and it’s important to focus our energy there. By practicing social distancing and maintaining good hygiene, we can all do our part to slow the spread of the virus.
When we take things one day at a time, we can choose to focus on our physical and mental wellbeing so that we can show up as our best selves – both for both ourselves and our loved ones.
