Finding help, support, and peace of mind during the pandemic

A list of resources and ideas for:

  • Emotional and mental well-being, working with fear;

  • Physical well-being and resilience to pathogens;

  • Finding help and supporting our communities.

(We’re all different, and not every idea will work for everyone, that’s why I’m listing a variety of different resources and ideas. Pick what you’re most drawn to!)

EMOTIONAL AND MENTAL WELL-BEING

  • Working with fear: a dear colleague of mine, Donna McMurtry, offers nine ways to work with fear in this very helpful podcast episode (32 mins). A handy written summary of the suggestions can be found here, though listening is best.

  • Meditation does wonders for our well-being: it not only helps relieve stress and anxiety and ward off repetitive thoughts, it also helps us gain clarity and see things from a different perspective.

    • As everyone knows, meditation can be done by sitting in silence and focusing on our breath or on consciousness itself. It can also take a form of contemplation, where we focus on a specific topic, concept, or emotion, and allow our consciousness to dwell on it, without actively trying to figure things out: often, insights or helpful new perspectives will emerge naturally during this process, and we will feel rested and relaxed at the end. For very active minds, contemplation can be a lot easier — we may start sitting with anxious thoughts, but then our mind will gradually slow down without us having to actively fight it.

    • Guided meditation, or meditation with music and simple imagery as a background is easier for some of us. Here are some of my favorite resources for this:

    • Breathwork (breathing in patterns, breathing exercises) is a way to direct our energy to modify our mental and emotional state. Just in time, a couple of free online summits/programs are available to us:

    • Tapping / EFT is a simple procedure that allows us to release unwanted emotions from our system using a combination of verbal statements and tapping on certain energetic points on our body to correct energetic disturbances: how to do tapping

    • Mindfulness, meditation, stress-relief online classes are currently streaming for FREE on CreativeLive.com: see classes.

    • Teachings on resilience in challenging times by prominent spiritual teachers, a free resource from Sounds True: access here.

    • Healing practices of all kinds presented by prominent teachers, a free resource from the Shift Network: check their current schedule here on their Facebook page.

    • The Science of Well-Being: Yale's most popular class (on how to increase our happiness) is now available online for free.

    • Reiki (energy healing) is an effective way to release stress and tension, to feel nurtured, and to come into a state of relaxation, peace, and well-being. I’m recommending a Reiki practitioner who is very intuitive, caring, and truly serves from the heart. She offers remote sessions, so you can receive healing without leaving your home. Erica: website

    • Laughter is a fast-acting pill for stress. :)

      • I mean, look at all the memes the current situation has inspired, especially about toilet paper hoarding! (Is that only us in the US or is the hoarding happening worldwide?) Watch a funny movie, laugh with neighbors on Nextdoor.com, join some fun Facebook groups (like the Quarantine Circus group: while the Italians sing together from balconies, we can sing to each other on Facebook!)

      • Something for those of you guys who have had an Akashic reading with me and know their divine gifts: how the Divine Gifts are handling the national toilet paper crisis :-)

    • Positivity. Take a moment to contemplate all the positive developments that this pandemic has gifted us: communities coming together as many are stepping up to help and support to others; many acts of kindness all around us; more opportunities to be of service to others; having more time for family, hobbies, reading, passion projects, connecting with spirit because we’re not wasting time in commute; rethinking our use of resources and the systems we’ve come to depend on; air and water pollution decreasing as there is less traffic on the roads. Check out all the positive news and acts of kindness on KarunaVirus.org (karuna means compassion in Sanskrit). (And of course, focusing on the positive for our own mental health doesn’t mean minimizing or denying the extreme hardship and suffering that so many are going through right now.)

    • Productivity. Got more time on your hands while under quarantine? This is a rare opportunity to clear up that TO-DO list: clean and organize your home, do a home improvement project, finally get to the craft project you've been wishing you had the time for, engage in creative hobbies, read a book, start a new healthy habit like running or meditation, reach out to friends you haven’t talked to in a while…

    • Learning new skills is a great way to keep our mind off fear and anxiety, to feel positive and motivated. There are tons of free instructional videos all over YouTube. Have a partner at home? Learn to dance! Have lots of fun and feel closer to each other while learning to dance Salsa or Bachata together. A few of many free resources online: free salsa videos, more salsa videos, bachata training (not free), your local dance studio’s online classes…

    • Reading: check if libraries in your area offer online resources. Also, Audible is offering many titles for free during this time.

PHYSICAL WELL-BEING AND RESILIENCE

Hopefully, everyone knows by now to follow general health and safety guidelines set forth by the CDC or local authorities. Let’s talk about some unofficial resources. :)

The way I see it, it’s impossible to isolate ourselves and prevent exposure to the virus 100%, no matter how hard we try. It might be a wiser strategy to focus on making our body resilient to the virus, and to pathogens in general. After all, we cannot completely control our environment — the only thing we can control is ourselves and our responses to the environment.

  • Dr. Robert Morse on Coronavirus. When I want a sane, educated, and agenda-free perspective on things related to health, I turn to Dr. Morse. He is kind of a badass and likes to get on little soapboxes, but the education he delivers in his videos is priceless.  Here's his talk (or rant, if you will) on Coronavirus, the actual risk, and what makes one's body vulnerable vs. resilient to such pathogens: link to video.  He maintains that a healthy and efficient (not clogged) lymphatic system, which is pretty much our immune system, is what makes us resilient to any pathogens. (Note: I’m not qualified to offer medical advice, I’m sharing this based on my common sense and prior experience. Please refer to your physician for medical advice.)

  • Stay active. Our gyms, dance studios, or yoga places may be closed, but it’s important to keep moving our bodies! Physical activity makes us feel happier and more powerful, keeps us healthier, and stimulates the lymphatic system (which is our immunity). The options are endless even in quarantined areas: walking, hiking, running, biking, yoga, lifting containers of water or your pet instead of weights. :)

  • Online fitness classes. Does your gym offer online classes? Does your yoga or dance instructor temporarily teach online or on Facebook while the studio is closed? If not, there area a number of fun fitness channels on YouTube, such as:

  • Health and wellness online classes are currently streaming for FREE on CreativeLive.com: see classes

  • Learn to dance. I brought it up under emotional well-being, but dancing is also a great workout! Grab your partner and have lots of fun learning to dance Salsa or Bachata together: free salsa videos, more salsa videos, bachata training (not free), or your local dance studio’s online classes…

COMMUNITY

No matter how prepared we are and how well-stocked our pantry is, there’s just no guarantee that we’ll have everything we need to ride out the storm. During times of chaos and uncertainty, it’s a safer strategy to do what humans have always done, which is find safety and strength through cooperation and sharing of resources and responsibilities in small local communities. The strengthening of local networks is one of the gifts and unique opportunities that the current pandemic is offering to us at this time.

Big changes are not as scary when we know that a whole bunch of good folks have our back and are ready to help. It also takes our mind off our worries, makes us feel happy, and gives us meaning when we step up to help another person or group.

Connect with others in your community and receive help:

  • Nextdoor is a social network for neighborhoods, where you can learn about local happenings, exchange goods and services with neighbors, receive and offer help, and organize activities. A lot of the efforts to help the elderly and vulnerable in my area are currently being organized by regular folks using Nextdoor. Link: nextdoor.com

  • United Way / COVID-19 Community Economic Relief Fund can help with food, bills, rent, and essential services in the US. Call 211 or find resources at 211 network site. Often local authorities prove their own relief funds — check your county’s website.

Support your community:

  • It’s a wonderful act of caring to check in on our elderly and otherwise vulnerable neighbors. Ask if they have groceries and supplies, if they have family in the area to help them, if they’re afraid to go out shopping and need help, if they’re lonely while being isolated and would like a chat. It’s best to call or email than visit, for everyone’s safety.

  • Organize support for the elderly and the most vulnerable members of your community. If the city isn’t doing it, and nobody else is stepping up, you can take the lead! Rally your neighbors using Nextdoor, local neighborhood watch group, Facebook, HOA, email list, etc. to organize support efforts. Feel free to download and use the following templates created and successfully put in use by my local community:

    • Spreadsheet to connect volunteers with those who need help. You can upload this file to GoogleDocs and then share the link to it with your community (on Nextdoor, on Facebook, etc) so that neighbors can view and edit the spreadsheet, enter their requests for help, enter their names as volunteers, pick up tasks, and use the list of resources on one of the tabs. Be sure to update the Resources tab with resources relevant in your local area.

    • Flyer to put in mailboxes or leave in public places so that folks who aren’t online (often seniors) learn where to get help. Fill in with the link to your local online hub for volunteers (like the spreadsheet above) and phone number before printing and distributing.

    • Volunteer contact info flyer: same use as above, but you would provide your own contact info, and place in areas you can personally serve.

      (Creators of the templates: Sandy Kraft and Jen Ha of San Carlos, CA; slightly modified by me. Used with permission.)

  • Special shopping hours for the elderly. If the stores in your area aren’t already doing special hours for seniors, you can call your city manager or local grocery store managers to see if they would be willing to allocate special hours when only the elderly and most vulnerable are allowed into the stores to shop, typically the first hour after opening in the morning. The store would typically be sanitized before opening, and the seniors won’t have to deal with the frantic crowd and risk their health more than necessary.

  • Support local businesses and your helpers. Many local businesses are taking a financial hit due to less demand or being forced to close for weeks on end during the pandemic. Find ways to support small local businesses such as restaurants and fitness studios, as well as people whose services you normally use but aren’t during the pandemic: the housekeeper, gardener, handyman, hairdresser, personal trainer, etc. See if you can tip them, or buy a gift certificate from them for future use. Many aren’t making any money during the quarantine and still have to pay rent for their office space.

  • Offer your skills, talents, time, or muscle power. Can you teach a meditation or yoga class online for free to your neighborhood? Can you do a grocery run for an elderly neighbor? Can you offer a supportive ear to someone living alone and feeling isolated during quarantine? Other ideas: become a crisis counselor (training provider): Crisis Text Line. Sew masks for medical personnel to help deal with the shortage (templates are available online). Volunteer with food banks or similar organizations that need all the volunteers they can get during these times.

I’m here to support you during this difficult time. Reach out if you’re dealing with extreme fear and uncertainty, and need emotional support or just someone to talk things through with.

If you haven’t already seen this piece that’s been circulating on social media lately, I hope it brightens your day. :)
(The author has been generous in letting folks share this.)