Staying Calm During COVID-19
By Gretchen McIntire
Photography by Leah LaRiccia
Staying calm during this pandemic isn’t easy for anyone. Staying calm on a regular day isn’t easy for me. The word “unprecedented” has been used on a daily basis and I believe that that’s because no one really knows how to wrap their minds around what is happening.
I was actually tested for Covid-19.
The process and being sent to the ER (there was concern about pneumonia) and surrounded by folks with so much PPE on was pretty scary. It taught me to be even more thankful when they called and said it was negative. Unfortunately, my doctor feels like it was a false negative (as the tests are only 70% accurate) and I developed more intense symptoms a week later which all point to Covid-19. I’m still currently sick in bed.
What I have learned so far amidst all of this is how to calm my mind and body each day.
I talk about some of that in my TEDX talk. I use several techniques to refocus, heal my mind, and meditate. Mel Robbins, Gabby Bernstein, Sarah Cirigliano, Ashley LeMieux, and Jay Shetty have been incredible sources of inspiration for me. Being sick and stuck in bed for a couple of weeks wasn’t my idea of how to grow. But it honestly has helped me learn a lot about being gentle and patient with myself. I like feeling productive. That’s just my personality. But I’m realizing that healing my deep inner stuff and my body are both very productive.
Seeing the isolation as an opportunity to go within has been life changing.
A chance to read the books I’ve been meaning to, laughing with family on the phone. and meditating multiple times a day now has been a game changer. This illness is overwhelming on every level but I’m finding calm in my heart and mind. It’s the only thing I can control.
I’ve been eating healthier foods to try to fight off the illness and diving into lots of good, deep, and raw personal development as well. I have been studying books by Gabby Bernstein. I have turning inward to work on myself and meditating. I have been focusing on what is good as much as I can.
I hope you find things that bring you peace during this turbulent time; Reading, gardening, listening to music, learning a new skill at home- whatever brings your soul back to life.
Know that you are not alone.
The entire world is in this together. We’ve got this. To others on the front lines in healthcare, I hope you’re finding time for you at the end of your shifts. You are some of my biggest heroes right now. I try to meditate right when I get home from being with a client. It helps me remember why I do what I do.
What are tips you might have for others to stay healthy? What is something new you’ve always wanted to learn? You’ve got the time to do it now! Let’s be more unified than ever in spirit. We’ve got this. It’s going to get harder but we have one another. We really do.
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