HEALTH

When There Are Too Many Challenges, Too Many Questions, Too Many Restrictions, and Too Much Advice, What Do You Do?

“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.”

– Anne Lamont

To UNPLUG AND STEP BACK, the simplest questions are:

1) How do your stress symptoms show up? Are they physical, emotional, intellectual, spiritual? If you answer yes to all of the above, then prioritize.

2) What’s the stress symptom that concerns you the most? If it’s physical – muscle aches and pains, poor sleep, change in appetite, then focus your self-care on things like exercise, an effort at a consistent sleep routine, attention to an eating plan, and perhaps supplements/ vitamins.

3) If it’s behavioral, just getting even simple things done is a struggle. Make lists of things you want and need to do; prioritize them and dedicate specific times for completing tasks.

4) Finally, if it’s emotional, or spiritual, learn to meditate and practice a technique regularly.

One possible answer to so many questions might be found in this quote from author Anne Lamont: “Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.” My best translation is – take your time, pause, stop, and step back. And consider repeating that same action several times a day.

Regardless of your life, work, and family circumstances, we are all in challenging times, and, at the moment, the majority of us are at least mildly “stir crazy.” And, there are more difficult decisions ahead. We have jobs to do, families to care for, community responsibilities, and challenges from all sides of government, including the outcome of the elections; and, at the same time, we are challenged with the necessity to make wise choices, manage self- care, and to find ways to maintain connections with the people we love.

In the midst of sorting things out and establishing priorities and best practices, there is an abundance of both scientific health necessities and psychological “must dos.” Too much information can create the perfect storm for frustration. Reinforcing that concern, a client recently shared that a daily link on her phone – IDEAS FOR SELF-CARE – had become more annoying than helpful. Consequently, my suggestion: If you are annoyed by the do’s and don’ts for getting through this quite-taxing, anxiety-provoking pandemic and the demands and changes dictated for staying healthy – and, I must add, alive – it’s simply time to acknowledge that too many self-care instructions/suggestions/dictates – including this one – are putting many on overload. And, in spite of that reality, paying attention is essential, because the situation we face in our states and in the country is with us for a longer haul than we might want.

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Regardless of your personal approach to the challenges, my suggestion is to “unplug,” step back, reflect, and focus.

As holidays approach, the best thing for many, especially the extroverts among us, would be a big or even small event – plans for holiday and family celebrations and special occasions … football games and other sporting events. Most people are anxious to talk, and celebrate, and hug people we love and like. Regardless, those historic, typical, traditional things we have been accustomed to embrace aren’t the best things to actually DO without unprecedented precautions.

If you DO pay attention to science and trustworthy news, and I deeply hope you do, you already know that recommendations for holidays are to avoid gatherings if you don’t know precisely where people have been and who they have interacted with – including your families. Acknowledging there’s a growing and fairly natural resistance to such precautions, I still struggle when I read the governor of New York had to shut down a 10,000-person wedding. That plan, at least to me, is a bit “off the page,” even for those of us who might be high risk takers or perhaps feel “science” is hard to manage, even believe.

Regardless of your personal approach to the challenges, my suggestion is to “unplug,” step back, reflect, and focus. Take the pressure off for the things you think you should be doing and focus on the basics of health and self-care even when they feel more restrictive than you want. And give yourself credit if you believe you’ve done a quite good job managing a truckload of restrictive time already. The winter months will be more challenging, and as long as we trust science, it’s possible to dial back, find simple efforts at self-care, and manage the restrictions necessary for health and well-being.

Science tells us the basics: wear a mask, social distance, and wash your hands. Psychology is telling us countless things to do – often far too many to sort through. Consequently, my suggestions are to address the areas of your life where you feel pressure, and then prioritize your own self-care in balance with the efforts you make to show up for those you live with and work with daily.

The point of what to do is to focus on just one thing at a time. Once you feel the one thing is helping, move on to an additional effort. Just don’t try too many things at once. If you take all the advice from what you read, including articles like this one, you will likely bog down. And as you try just one thing at a time, include the simple task of “unplugging” several times a day – step back and stare out the window, maybe step outside for a few minutes, even if it’s not ideal weather. Clear your head. And, as you unplug, try this breathing technique: Breathe in to a count of four; hold your breath to a count of seven; and exhale through your mouth, slowly, to a count of eight. Repeat this exercise four times.

Finally, acknowledge that if we are to get through this challenging season and still enjoy our families, friends, and holidays, we have to have a plan. It needs to be simple, basic, easy to act on, and it needs to acknowledge that we are in a challenging health crisis that demands the best from all of us.

And as always, reach out if you need to talk.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Linda Moore has been in practice in the Kansas City area for over 25 years and is a published author on personal and family issues.

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