Some help to get through COVID

No doubt about it, we're in the fight of our lives... a point in history we have never witnessed before and hopefully never again.
Fear is everywhere and it doesn't matter what end of the spectrum you sit.
For Vaccine or against. Fear is prominent.

How do you navigate these uncommon times. Ho do you keep your head above water.
I am not going to cover financial strain you may be going through. Unless you are in serious financial strain, then the next level of strain is probably emotional and psychological.
Lets look at our world these days....

• It's something you have no control over. You are being dictated to on where you can go or not go, who or how many you can do anything with, 
• There's mass confusion with the ever changing policy on  which vaccine you should take
• There's whispers of people getting covid even once they've had the vaccine.
• Are you ever going to feel safe. There's no where to run or hide. Nowhere to escape.
• Lockdowns, unlockdowns, lockdowns...  
• Life has become totally unpredictable
• Work from home is no longer the dirty word, but also a reminder of your curtailed freedoms
• The thought of an overseas holiday is not just impossible right now, but a scary option even if it was possible.
• Quarantine 
• Toilet paper hoarders - who would EVER have thought! Surely one of the more bizare side effects of lockdown.
• mandate to take the vaccine even with possible blot clot threats (while small, still a potential)
• Next they'll tell us we can't fly anymore if we've been vaccinated because we could get a blood clot.
• Entertainment , eating out, football games, movies... all things we've had to do without or restricted..

Are you depressed yet? It's looking very bleak.

So.. I have no magic pill, no instant cup-a-soup solution.
Hope ..... is now the one thing we need to cultivate and ever so slowly allow ourselves to believe in.

Did you know the mind doesn't know the difference between imagined and reality.
You could be swimming in a pool or imagining yourself swimming in a pool... it's interpreted in the same way by the mind. This is science... not wishful thinking.

My recollections of the timing details of the study below may not be 100% but the outcome are as per the study. It's pretty hard to forget the incredible outcomes.
​
The study of 2 groups of piano players.. 
One group physically practiced 5 hours a day for a week.
The 2nd group imagined playing the piano for for the same time periods.

A brain scan was done of both groups both before and after the study.
The brain scans showed that the group that physically played the piano had an increase in the part of the brain involved in playing an instrument..
The other group that imagined playing the piano, had similar changes. 

This was to show that whether imagined or real.... the body changed in response to the input.
You don't have to wait till you win the lottery to imagine you've won the lottery.
The feel good can be achieved whether real or imagined.

Another study along the same lines ... had athletes train for a certain period.. one group actually went through training... the other group imagined they were training.
Both groups saw a similar increase in muscle size post the study.

Something else of interest to know.
Your immune system is the MOST powerful defense you have against ANY virus.

Do you know what impacts the immune system the most ... fear... yes.. fear and stress will impact you in a way that lowers your immunity.
I wish I had time to find all the links for this information... but please know there is much evidence ... science peer reviewed documents and studies that totally support my statements. 
If in doubt have a look for yourself in https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

With that out of the way... what does all this mean for you in everyday life.

While the media and different outlets are doing their best to plant fear into your mind... sometimes you have to listen to what they're NOT saying.

Look for yourself.  Go to the CDC website and see for yourself what the numbers are saying.
I have... it's quite interesting seeing the facts and figures... and also how they change based on well... I'm not quite sure. Surely the stats are the stats. I don't quite understand, but herein is the very point I'm making. Some things don't add up.

Make Google work for you .. do a search on numbers of deaths in 2019 for upper/lower respiratory deaths compared to 2020. How many people died in 2019 compared to 2020 or 2018.

My 'go to' right now is.... where there's smoke... there's fire.
I'm hearing too many contrary reports... AND the biggest thing for me is the tech giants censorship. What is it they don't want you to find out?
Why are they now the conscience for the world.

All I'm saying ...is pay attention. Don't take everything you hear as gospel. Do your own research.

And all that aside .... whether you agree with me or not....whether you question what info is out there or not ......whether you are pro vaccine or against vaccine.. it doesn't matter .......if nothing else ...

Be Master of your Thoughts.

Are you slipping into fear... it's very easy to do.
Become aware of what you are thinking.
Remember the mind doesn't know the difference between real and imagined...
Stop the fear.. imagine that you are bullet proof ... that any virus is no match for your immune system. Give your immune system what it needs and it will fight the fight! 
Rest, reasonable food, good sleep and above all.... less fear and stress! ...

Stress is essentially fear. Fear of not being OK, fear of dying, fear of catching the virus, fear of making ends meet, fear of loosing your job, fear of losing that relationship or never having one..

Mostly ..... less fear!
We can't always control the others... fear and stress will upset sleep cycles, digestion, and our ability to rest.

If fear is overtaking you.... here's some things that can help.
Meditate.. Quiet the mind, 
Listen to your favourite music,   
Go for a walk..   
Sit under a tree..
Walk barefoot on the sand or grass,   
Pat your cat.   
Hug a friend,
Listen to something funny,
Paint, Draw.
​The options are endless... and they have been shown to help calm the nervous system ... and hence help the immune system.

Did you know your immune system lives in your gut!! Yep... look after your gut, eat well and you support your immune system.

Living life and getting the best out of it is really easy... big pharma and big tech and our marketing machines have made us think we need..... xxxx to live well.
I'm not denying that .. having the latest phone or the greatest sound system or the biggest TV or the fastest car can  make life interesting and fun.
But IMHO......there's no comparison to a stunning pink/blue/purple sunset. or any other imagery that makes your heart sing.
A fast car will fuel the adrenaline, the ego, and cost you a few bucks and maybe make some heads turn. I've been there... My motorcycling adventures were some of the best highs I've ever had. 
And so have some of the vistas and nature experiences I've witnessed that just made my heart sing. 
Life is simple... We don't need magic tricks or fancy anything. We have it all within our reach.

My friend studied with an Old Chinese master many years ago... 
The Old Chinese master used to say.....
"the answer you seek will always be within 50 feet"
​The more I study and the older I get.. that statement holds true most of the time.

How is this Honouring Your Soul.. living closer to nature, honouring the gifts that nature gives you, going within are all attributes of your soul.
Giving way to more hope and reducing fear... is also your soul's calling.


https://www.newportacademy.com/resources/mental-health/understanding-the-mind-body-connection/

An excerpt from the above article.

While the impact of the breath on the mind is an example of one type of mind-body connection, the use of guided imagery is an example of how what’s happening in the mind impacts the body. When we imagine a situation, the primal parts of the brain react as if it was really happening. Therefore, positive visualizations have a beneficial impact on the entire nervous system, automatically relaxing all of the body’s systems.
Because calming the body’s stress response supports the immune system, visualization may even help fight disease, according to some research.
In conclusion, the mind-body connection is real, and it has a powerful impact on our well-being at every level. And we can learn to harness the power of the mind-body connection in our own lives to optimize our happiness and health.

"Visualization is effective as it bypasses our logical (or illogical) mind by tapping into a global sense of ourselves and our emotions. It allows us to remember emotions, or to promote an emotional state connected to certain contexts.”
--Dr. Michel Mennesson, MD, Psychiatrist at Newport Academy