“Is it Coronavirus?”

This is now the question foremost on the minds of many of us when we get a scratchy-sore throat or start to feel run down. It is an understandable concern given how highly transmittable is this virus, the overall lack of test availability to-date, and how devastating are the symptoms for those of us who are of a certain age or already immune-compromised for another reason.

At the same time, many other more common colds and viruses are in still in circulation (remember the flu?), and there is the very real havoc that high levels of emotional stress plays on our physical health and well-being. What can we do to make a determination while hunkered down at home? Is it Coronavirus or is it “just” feeling run down from stress?

If your physical symptoms persist and worsen over a period days (i.e. you develop a fever), do reach out to your doctor for a consultation on Coronavirus.  Some of us are naturally stoic (#raises hand), but in this case it pays to be cautious. Especially consider if you believe you may have been in a circumstance where you could have been exposed. And also, consider if you have been around someone in your life who is elderly or may have pre-existing other health conditions. Not paying close attention to your symptoms could put others you love at risk, too.

You may determine after self-monitoring over a few days that you are not ill with a virus, but instead are feeling the effects of anxiety or stress. However, the same as with a virus, this is also not to be stoically dismissed or ignored. They are in fact conditions to take seriously! Anxiety and stress are distinct from the worry we all feel from time-to-time but can manage or eventually resolve.

[Side note: there was a great piece published in the news media recently that distinguished between Worry, Stress, and Anxiety. A key take away: “Worry happens in your mind, stress happens in your body, and anxiety happens in your mind and your body.” Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/26/smarter-living/the-difference-between-worry-stress-and-anxiety.html?searchResultPosition=1]

Conditions that we all face right now—disruption of routines; distancing from our school, workplace, and worship communities; financial instability; and of course fears over contracting an illness—are all reasonable triggers for anxiety and stress.  But when not addressed, states of anxiety and chronic stress not only negatively impact our happiness in daily life and our relationships with others, they also wreak havoc on our physical health and weaken our immune system. Just a few health effects caused by chronic stress are exhaustion, headaches, digestive problems, loss of appetite, and frequent infections or illnesses.  Anxiety can cause panic attacks, insomnia, and feelings of restlessness. In other words, it all plays together: if we don’t take care of ourselves to manage our mental health , we can experience physical symptoms that counter our immune system’s defense against illnesses, such as a highly contagious virus.

What can we do? The simple steps of good self-care are basic, all of which we have all been told since we were children: Get sufficient rest – strive for consistent nightly bedtimes and get enough hours of sleep. Eat nutritious, balanced meals. Exercise regularly, especially outdoors in natural settings.  This is the right advice to take, but such lifestyle commitments often feel “easier said than done” to manage in our modern lives of external demands and pressures. Hence, a good support system—whether a team of professionals like those at our office of a psychiatrist and/or therapist, or a strong network of family or friends—is essential to lean on in times of stress to fight feelings of isolation and to persevere towards maintaining an ongoing state of better health and wellness.

Yours in good health,

Reed and Hugh