An Outbreak of Common Sense
An Outbreak of Common Sense
Many of you have asked us what we can do to stay well during these seemingly chaotic times. Our practice has been super busy with our people wanting to maintain their health as always and for those of you who have been with us some time you are genuinely perplexed by the world’s response to what is going on currently.
Whilst we agree with the Ministry of Health and WHO guidelines’ on maintaining personal hygiene, there are some pieces of the puzzle that are worth sharing that might just sound like common sense. It is time to strengthen your immune system.
Fear and hope. We humans are a funny lot. Two Saturdays ago, in New Zealand we were buying lotto tickets at a rate of 2000 per minute in the hope of a one in 36 million chance of winning the big prize. A Saturday later we are emptying supermarket shelves of dunny paper which some of our Aussie friends felt the need to fight over. By this Saturday we won’t be going to large gatherings or even watching our beloved sport (even on the telly!).
So is the fear of the virus more dangerous than the virus itself?
Again, not to downplay the significance – but remember the media’s primary objective is to get you to read their stories. The most effective way at getting you to read their stories is through fear. Look around. We are being bombarded with negativity and panic everywhere we look, whether consciously or subconsciously.
A daily trip to the supermarket peppers the mind with signs of apocalyptic stress and despair with no dunny paper or sanitiser on the shelf, with (highly processed) canned foods disappearing, people wearing masks and gloves. All of these messages feed into our subconscious mind and ramp up our sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight / stress response) which is designed to be a survival mechanism. Unfortunately, we are biologically wired to be on the lookout for threats which is why anxiety, depression and stress in general has crept up on us as human beings in the past few decades.
The problem with living in your sympathetic nervous system is we start thinking from our amygdala (our emotional brain) rather than the prefrontal cortex (executive centre) which helps us think and make rational decisions. We stay in this survival mode for days, weeks, months, even years. When in survival mode, what is the most compromised system? Our IMMUNE SYSTEM.
Our immune system will respond best when our adrenals are doing their best; this doesn’t happen when we react from our emotional brains. We cannot emphasize enough the need to maintain healthy habits to boost your wellbeing. In essence there is wisdom in investing in your health. Do the things that build your health from the inside out so you are more adaptable to the outside environment.
The mission of our practice has always been to “empower the community to a greater life from the inside out.” We have been told we currently cannot travel freely overseas or gather in large groups, but we can still live. Maybe we can use the time to reprioritize what’s important to us and get busy working on things that make our lives important. Take a breath and use the downtime. With any down side, there will be an upside. We just can’t always see it in the moment. As Tony Robbins says, “how has the worst thing that ever happened to you been the best thing?”
Without putting any more fear or panic into our systems than most already have, we wanted to reach out to everyone and give you some ways to strengthen your immunity and ensure your first line of defense is doing its job – protecting us!
Should this virus (and any other) make its way into your world, the stronger you are the more likely you are to ward it off should you contract the virus the more mild effect it will have.
IMMUNITY BOOSTERS:
SLEEP
- 7-9 hours per night
- Dim the lights an hour before bed and get off devices
MOVE YOUR BODY
- Get the heart rate up for 30 minutes per day, outside!
SUNLIGHT
- Get outside for 15-30 minutes per day with sun on skin!
- Best source of Vitamin D
NOURISHMENT
- Eat colourful wholefoods
- Steer clear of processed foods, stick to the outside aisles of the supermarket
- Include pre + probiotics (e.g. fermented foods, apple cider vinegar, bone broth)
- Supplemental Support – Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, Vitamin D, Zinc, Omega 3’s)
- Hydrate and avoid alcohol
REDUCE STRESS
- Get off news outlets that are causing you stress
- Breathe! 10 minutes per day of focused, mindful diaphragmatic breathing
- Social connection with people you love. Keep doing the things that make you happy!
HYGIENE
- Wash your hands regularly with soap throughout the day
- Cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing
- Clean your phone!
- Avoid touching your face, eyes, nose, or mouth
CONTINUE CHIROPRACTIC ADJUSTMENTS
- Vertebral Subluxations create a global effect on the nervous system making your body less adaptable to daily stresses
- * Remember, you should be doing all of these things whenever you are sick anyway, not just for COVID-19!!
One of the great quotes I heard growing up as a kid from a world leader was
“People need somewhere to live, someone to love and something to hope for.”
I hope common sense prevails.
Double down on your health.
Drs. Simon Kelly & Hayes Woodman
Mt Eden Chiropractic
