Can You Reverse the Damage of Stress From COVID-19?
Are you noticing a few extra grey hairs since the COVID-19 pandemic began? Maybe a sore back or just an overall sense of mental unwellness. I think many people are caught in that place of mental languish - not clinically depressed, but not thriving either. If you are feeling this way, you are not alone. But, what do you do about it? And, how can the steps you take right now improve your work and your life?
Operating under a state of chronic stress, the kind that is involved in living your life and working in the midst of a pandemic, for a prolonged period of time chips away at us. Like that relentless woodpecker at the cottage on a mission to take down the tree.
The type of overwhelm many of us have felt throughout the pandemic that can be described as living in ‘survival mode’ causes us to become more irritable and less creative. Let’s face it, who has the time and space to be thinking their best strategically when they feel like they are in ‘survival mode’ for a prolonged period of time.
I am a big believer in the mind-body connection. If our minds are feeling overwhelmed then that is having a direct impact on our bodies. A recent article in The Globe and Mail shared that healthy habits, like eating and sleeping well, and especially physical activity, help mitigate the aging effects of stress.
“Some of the best evidence that chronic aging and traumatic stress speed up aging comes from research on telomeres, the caps at the ends of chromosomes that protect DNA from damage,” said Dr. Aoife O’Dononvan from the University of California. “Telomeres shorten when inflammation and stress occur. This is a process directly linked to aging.”
And when we are stressed, we tend to skip our regular workouts or grab that extra glass of wine. Over time, these behaviours of skipping out on healthy choices add up and compound the impact of stress on our bodies and minds.
But, there is good news. Dr. O’Donovan said that the aging process isn’t as fixed as previously thought. It is possible to reverse the impacts of aging caused by stress on your body. Studies have shown that making healthy choices, especially around increased physical activity can actually increase telomere length and in another study where participants enjoyed a relaxing, two-week vacation, white hair actually turned dark again.
So how do you shake yourself out of that state of mental languish so you can be your best at work and home while keeping yourself healthy?
Top Tips to Keep Your Mind and Body in Tip Top Shape Through the COVID-19 pandemic:
Move your body every day. If you are thinking, “not possible,” I challenge you to re-think this. There is always a way to do what you really want and need to do. Do you have small children and no childcare to watch the kids while you go for a walk? Do a fitness routine inside each day before your workday or take the kids to the park and have a fun active hour playing and bonding together. Winter weather too cold to go outside for a run? Bundle up with scarfs and hats and get out there. Exercise has been one of my saving graces throughout my continued brain injury recovery, grief journey after my husband died, and throughout the day-to-day of living through the COVID-19 pandemic. In some ways, it has been one of my constants in life and I am thankful every day that my body is able to carry me through life.
Make just one adjustment to improve your diet. Most of us know what is healthy and unhealthy to eat. It is just a matter of actually making those choices. This could be even something as simple as increasing your water intake. Don’t get me wrong, I love my sweets but everything in moderation. This pandemic could be here for a while yet so emotional eating over a prolonged period of time will not serve you well.
Take moments of stillness and quiet every day for yourself. There are many times throughout the pandemic when the kids are fighting, the dog’s barking, and the door bell is ringing while I am trying to make a quick lunch for everyone before I jump on my afternoon work calls. This feels like complete chaos. Sound familiar? Regardless of your current situation, taking a few moments each day to ground yourself with some deep breaths will help broaden your perspective to allow you to see beyond this period of time when life is challenging for so many. This will also help you to sharpen your focus at work.l
Stretch yourself. Many of us are sitting in front of our desks all day and moving less than ever because most of us are working from home. First of all, this increases the likelihood of aches and pains in your body. But here is the really cool thing about why you want to stretch throughout your workday. We have something in our bodies called lymph fluid. This fluid is chock-full of white blood cells that are like little warriors working to find sites within your body in need of healing. This fluid helps those areas to repair. But, lymph fluid doesn’t have a dynamic pump (like a heart) to circulate it around our bodies so one of the best ways to get it moving around your body is by stretching. What are you waiting for? Get stretching!
See challenges as blessings in disguise. Now, this can be a tough one to get our minds around especially if someone you loved has died or gotten really sick (I don’t see the silver linings in my husband’s death). But for other everyday types of issues we encounter, I believe there is something to be learned from them. We don’t grow and evolve as much when everything feels pleasurable in our lives. Sure, we love those moments. But, it is often the tough stuff that helps shape us and makes us more resilient. When you encounter a challenging situation, ask yourself what is to be learned here. Your perspective will completely shift.
Cut yourself some slack. I know a lot of super high-performing individuals are struggling right now. They are beating themselves up. But, let’s not forget we are in the midst of a global pandemic. There are so many stresses our minds and bodies are under that we are likely not even aware of them all. Instead of being hard on yourself, be proud that you have ventured through another day and accomplished what you have in the midst of a monumental pandemic.
Visualize. If you feel you are caught in the movie Ground Hog’s Day with the same day being repeated over and over again since the pandemic, you are not alone. Some days I have to ask myself what day of the week it is! But, this is a moment in time of our lives. This, too, shall pass. There will be life at the other side of the pandemic. Find ways to enjoy your life now, but take time each night while you lie in bed to visualize what you want your life to look like. What would the best version of your life be? Picture it, feel it and try to immerse yourself in that visualization. Ask yourself what do you need to do to get there? If you want to make a shift in your life, you need to know where you are going to understand the steps to get there!
Visit my website for more information on my Executive, Career or Life coaching programs to kickstart your own journey!
