It’s getting W-E-I-R-D in here. 

How are you doing now that we’re at the mask stage of the Rona Ride?

I’m used to them in the medical world, but it still feels strange to wear them in public.

This whole experience is pretty disorienting.  Isn’t it?

As we add covering up with the mask to social distancing, keep in mind you can still connect with others using your eyes and body language. 

Some of my stroke patients that I learned the most and felt closest too didn’t speak a word the entire time I worked with them because of their aphasia.  We used body language and eye contact to connect and understand each other.

When you’re wearing a mask in public, you can still crack jokes and use eye contact to connect with people especially those with essential service jobs.  The stress and fatigue are on the rise in the front lines.

Smile with your eyes.  They’re still the window to your soul.  Send them some love.

I know there’s confusion and mixed messages out there on masks, even when some communities require them. 

Part of the journey of this pandemic is we have to adapt as we learn more information.  Current research shows masks help decrease risk for all by at least 50% (3 ply surgical masks are better than home made).

Wearing a mask is another tool to protect ourselves and the most vulnerable in our community from the virus. 

Mask Care 101:  Make sure you cover both your mouth and nose with it.  And once it’s on don’t touch it with your hands.  If you do touch it, wash your hands.  Take it off by the ear loops and throw it away.

Yes the Rona Ride is getting repetitive but it’s simple:  Wash (your hands), Watch (your distance), and Wear (your mask).

Before you mask up, do the dog breath (in your house or car).  It’s another exercise to add to your breath work toolbox that’ll help boost your immune system.

DOG BREATH:

• Stick your tongue out all the way and breathe rapidly through your mouth the entire time (like a dog panting). 
• Practice for 3-5 minutes. 
• To finish the exercise, inhale and hold your breath for 15 seconds as you press your tongue hard against your upper palate.  Repeat closing breath 2 more times.

Peace & Love,
Mollie

P.S. Helpful Resources:
Download this daily planner to help you add 1-3 minute rest & relaxation breaks into your day.
Additional Rest Resources
Self-care basics during COVID-19
Surgical Masks: Austin Emergency Supply Foundation provides free masks to small business and those in need.  You can buy masks for just yourself or for you + help others get them too.

I don’t know about you but I’m ready for a REST stop on the Rona Ride. 

It’s starting to feel like a country song come to life…

Dad’s on lock down (at his assisted living). 

Youngest brother’s on the front lines (ER doc in Virginia that loves infectious disease).

I’m on a see saw balancing between two new worlds (the wellness “rest” world from my yoga nidra training and the upside down medical world on the verge of burn out). 

Ironically, my yoga nidra training started when the pandemic hit our area.

I'll be honest my Rona Ride stalled out at the end of April when my body screamed "time out" due to poor sleep from stress and the crazy pace of all the almost daily changes happening in the medical world. 

I was exhausted mentally and physically. 

So what did I do? 

I busted open my rest-care tool box which helped me bounce back energy wise.

There has never been a better time to listen to your body and give it what it needs.

Right now besides your basic hygiene, social distancing and using the latest CDC safety precautions, I recommend using as much rest, laughter, and nature as medicine as possible. 

I saw a post where someone mentioned they were making turns onto aisles at the grocery store like they were in a haunted house.  I couldn’t help from LOL thinking of that even though it’s also sad.  Hopefully we won’t feel like that forever.

Find the humor whenever you can right now.  It's OK to laugh while you're anxious or sad.  It's a #1 coping strategy in the healthcare world. Don’t feel guilty. 
 
Focus on what you can control in your immediate environment.  Your self-care comes first then everyone else.  The wellness rules are the same as before, but we need to ramp up the calming strategies. 
 
Remember to take advantage of the health benefits of movement and meditation each day.  You don't have to go hard core.  A little bit helps a lot.
 
Did you know doing something synchronized like singing with another person is right up there health wise?  Our bodies intuitively know this.  Think of all the TikTok videos or the clapping each day in NYC and Italy for health care workers. 

Go ahead and bust out the karaoke or your favorite dance moves a few minutes a day.  Sing and shake your body to keep the energy and emotions flowing.

I know you’ve got cabin fever. Go for a drive.  Go outside and soak up some sun.  Get near water or trees.  Move your body.  But then I still want you to REST, REST, REST. 

This is a marathon not a sprint.  Our bodies heal and get stronger at rest.

Here are some free rest and relaxation tools to help calm your body & brain:

Download this free 5 minute rest meditation for better sleep.  Use it to take a quick break, prep for a nap or to relax your body before sleep.

Free Meditation Apps:  Calm, Head Space

Tapping (EFT) is a combination of ancient Chinese acupressure and modern psychology that sends calming signals to the brain.  Here are some free resources:

The Tapping Solution free coronavirus stress and anxiety meditations: go here

The Tapping Solution has 6 months free membership for health care workers and first responders: learn more here

Tapping with Brad Yates on YouTube: Coronavirus

Rest is medicine!
Mollie

P.S. Working from home for the first time?  Don’t forget to take mini movement breaks for better focus & less stiff muscles. Download the Mini Moves Planner to help your body feel more energy, ease, and flow each day.

Need some immune boosting tips?  Here’s the Healthy Traveler Packing List from an oldie but goldie blog post on nutrition and exercise resources to add to your self-care practices.  They're good year-round not just for travel.

Find COVID-19 self-care basics & resources here.

It’s been a little over a month of the Rona (COVID-19) roller coaster ride in the Austin area.   I’ve been experiencing waves of emotions almost like different stages of grief.  It has been intense and I’m doing my best to let it flow.

The initial panic that turned into what felt like a collective grief has left a lot of us exhausted and others with cabin fever.  A reminder of how connected we all are yet we are all in different cars on the Rona Ride. 

Since we’re all on different tracks of this coronavirus pandemic depending on where you are in the world, here are the initial resources I pulled together for our community back in early March to help manage the anxiety that happens when your routines and plans get flipped upside down.

It's a balancing act of staying on top of the latest public health recommendations vs staying calm through daily self-care practices. 

Unfortunately, communities may be in and out of sheltering in place and social distancing until we get a better way to treat the virus, faster testing and tracing, or a vaccine. 

Remember when we’re asked to slow things down and not stress the healthcare system all at once, our job is to control what we can. 

Everything we do is going to help those around us be more safe including using basic hygiene and staying calm as much as possible. 

Let's get real for a second.  We are barely at the beginning of the Rona Ride in the US and the medical community is on the verge of burn out.  They've been working non-stop to keep everyone as safe as possible.  Everything changes almost daily on how we have to approach things as we learn in real time about this virus.

I help coordinate teams of therapists to go safely into a brain injury survivors homes for rehab.  My youngest brother is an ER physician on the front lines in VA.  He's at the entry point of the medical system and I'm helping patients as they re-enter their home and community. The whole system is upside down right now.

Please do your part to support all the essential workers (not just medical ones) by making the COVID-19 basics part of your daily life.  For the best outcomes, it'll take a village team effort from all of us.

Let's review the basics and some resources to help you make the safest decisions for you and your family.

HAND WASHING
It seems so simple but it’s true, the #1 thing you can do is thorough hand washing for at least 20 seconds throughout the day especially when you’ve been out of your home.  Be extra mindful of anything you touch and not touching your face. Avoid shaking hands right now. Don’t wear a lot of jewelry that can attract germs.

Pretend you’re a health professional.  We never truly know what germs we are being exposed to in a health care environment, so we treat everyone universally the same.  It’s our number one defense against all the foreign germs we are exposed to on a regular basis.  It works even when we don't have gloves.

SELF-CARE PRACTICES
Now more than ever is the time to bust out or get in place some immune boosting and stress reducing DAILY practices. 

Remember your body heals itself and gets stronger at rest and when it’s calm.

It’s time to be proactive at turning on your parasympathetic nervous system (“rest and digest”) to boost your immune system every day.

Never been a better time to add some breath work to your daily self-care tool box.  I’ve been using The Ha Breath has become one of my personal favorites since this all started.

SLEEP HYGIENE
At the top of your self-care practices should be getting enough sleep.  At least 7 hours a night.  If you aren’t waking up well rested, then add in naps during the day.  Rest, rest, rest and more rest.  It helps your body heal and stay healthy.

Download this free 5 minute rest meditation for better sleep.  Use it to take a quick break, prep for a nap or to relax your body before sleep.

As I watch air pollution going down around the world, it’s hard not to think Mother Earth is telling us to slow down.  Actually, she’s yelling at us to do that AND to get more rest.  It's time for us to listen.

GUT HEALTH
Next you can improve your gut health to boost your immune fighting power.  Superfoods.  Probiotics.  Clean Eating.  Check out this blog post for more tips and recipes to support your gut health.

HEALTHY TRAVELER TIPS
Some of us will be able to slowly get back out into our communities soon.  Before you do, check out an oldie but goldie blog post we did on being a Healthy Traveler.  All the recommendations on the Healthy Traveler Packing List are appropriate for right now to boost your immune system and help decrease stress.  You’ll want to add social distancing and wearing a mask when in the community as well.

Besides the CDC website, here are some COVID-19 resources that you might find useful:

COVID exit strategy- how ready is your state to re-open?

Dr. Aviva Romm - An Integrated MD's Commonsense Approach

Marie Forleo has pulled together a bunch of resources in one spot

Pet Information

How to Keep Your Pets Safe

Government resources

Follow Andy Slavitt on twitter (@ASlavitt) or on his podcast (In The Bubble)

Having a hard time finding your fruits and veggies lately?  Here are two delivery services to check out:

Daily Harvest*

Imperfect Foods*

Can’t find toilet paper?  Try this tree free, 100% bamboo toilet paper delivery service:
Reel Paper 

COVID dashboard

Austin Resources in one spot

Surgical Masks: Austin Emergency Supply Foundation provides free masks to small business and those in need.  You can buy masks for just yourself or for you + help others get them too.

Hand Sanitizer:  Banner Distilling Company makes hand sanitizer in addition to their Vodka and Whiskey products.

Bored or tired of your own cooking? Our friend’s Austin catering company now has curbside meals for families and alcohol:  Pink Avocado Catering
 
FINAL THOUGHTS:
I imagine by now that we all know at least one person who has had a battle with the virus and many whose jobs have been impacted.  We’re sending love and peace to everyone and a gentle reminder to take it one day at a time. You are strong and will get through this.
 
I truly believe Anything Is Possible.  
 
There are glimmers of hope and light, but you’ve got to stay away from the news to catch them. Are you searching for them?

We WILL get through this.  We’ll do our best with what we know and have access to right now.  We’ll keep adapting.  Things will look different on the other side of it but just like a diamond under pressure we’ll shine brighter.

All is Well!
Mollie

P.S. Working from home for the first time?  Don’t forget to take mini movement breaks for less stress & stiff muscles. Download the Mini Moves Planner to help your body feel more energy, ease, and flow each day.

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