10 Easy Ways You Can Cope With Loneliness During COVID-19 Lockdown

Are you feeling lonely as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic?

Do you feel cut off emotionally from family and friends because of the lockdown?

Do you know the feelings of loneliness can adversely affect your health?

The Dangers Of Loneliness

Loneliness can impact on your mental health and your overall well-being if you don’t deal with it. It can adversely affect your cardiovascular and immune systems.

Furthermore, loneliness can increase your risk for diseases such as cancer.

So what can you do to cope? Here are some tips to help you deal with loneliness during this period of COVID-19.

Accept Reality

Most human beings thrive on routine and predictability. We want to spend time with the same friends. We want to feel that we’re loved always. We want those we love to give us attention when we need it. When there is a disruption of our routines and our expectations are not met, we start to feel lonely.

No doubt you’d like to spend time with people or feel loved or feel that others give you attention, but that is simply not possible now. So just choose to enjoy life’s process. Just accept the reality of the coronavirus and avoid thinking, “No one has time for me.”

Plan In Advance How To Deal With Loneliness

Do you have a plan to deal with your loneliness? If you don’t, consider the times when you may feel lonely. Then write out a detailed action plan in which you specify at least 10 things you’ll do immediately you start to feel lonely.

Having a predetermined plan can significantly increase your ability to cope—when you anticipate those times in advance, you will have mentally and emotionally prepared to deal with it since you’ve already contemplated it arising. When the feeling of loneliness kicks in, you’d just be encountering what was part of the original plan and so managing it will be easy.

Use Lonely Moments To Help You Discover Yourself

Some of us are so busy trying to win the approval of others and trying to meet what others expect of us that we don’t have time to consider who we are. We’re happy to live the life of “who people want us to be”. 

Each time you feel lonely, you are presented with an opportunity to discover your true self.  Take advantage of this period of COVID-19 and just stop and look within.

Ask yourself soul-searching questions, “Who am I? What are my values? How can I use my talents to develop myself? How can I inspire myself and fulfill my dreams? What lessons can I learn from the COVID-19 pandemic? How must I change my perspective about myself and how I view life?”

When you consider your loneliness as a source of refreshment and enlightenment rather than an enemy, you will open the door to your unexplored potential.

Focus On The Positive

Sometimes we feel lonely because we refuse to see that we can make something meaningful out of even bad situations such as COVID-19 and its fallouts.

However, changing your perspective and viewing loneliness not as something negative, but as an opportunity to grow, can help you feel less lonely.

Growth requires change. Growth chooses to see possibilities in uncomfortable situations. So start to see possibilities—think about the fact that you can do things during this lockdown that you couldn’t do hitherto, such as spending time with family. Start seeing online business possibilities.  Start seeing possibilities for new friendships.

Nostalgize About Happy Moments

I suffer from a disease that makes it impossible for me to socialize. I spend day after day in the house away from friends and most family members.

Furthermore, it is impossible for me to communicate with people for long periods because of the disease. As a result, I experience loneliness often—I suffer frequent bouts of loneliness which tears to the core of my heart and makes me feel as though I’m not part of the world.

However, when I’m feeling lonely, I recall great moments I’ve spent with friends or schoolmates, and it fills me with positive emotions and I feel this sense of contentment that drives away feelings of loneliness.

Create Humor In Your Head

I have discovered an unexpected benefit to reminiscing on jokes I’ve read or heard, and funny scenes I’ve encountered, as I deal with an embarrassing disease that prevents me from socializing.

However, as a defense mechanism, especially when I start ruminating about my plight, I think about funny occurrences and that makes me laugh. That habit helps to distract me and help me focus on being alive instead of focusing on my isolation. I feel that whether I can socialize or not, life is a gift that must be enjoyed and not allowed to waste.

Yes, the desire re to connect face-to-face with others still lurks on the edges of my thoughts, but this habit makes living more tolerable.

Practice Gratitude

Thank the LORD that you’re still alive. Thank God that you have not been infected with the coronavirus.

Even if you have been infected with the coronavirus, thank God that you are not dead. Thank your family for their support. Appreciate your spouse for his love and care. Write gratitude letters to yourself.

Expressing your gratitude can increase feelings of happiness, promote feelings of contentment and satisfaction, and make you feel connected to others, that’s according to research published in 2015 by the National Institutes of Health.¹  

Make It A Habit to Commit Yourself To Others Constantly

There is happiness in giving rather than in waiting to receive. You will never feel truly happy and connected in life if you choose to live life for yourself alone.

So choose a cause bigger than yourself and work at it in the spirit of excellence. Believe in others and nurture their dreams. Build into the lives of strangers by providing nutrients of gratitude and encouragement.

When you do something for someone else, you become aware that other people have problems, often much greater than your own. And as you continue doing charitable acts, it will become a vital part of you as you see your goals through to the end and as the positive change you are bringing into the lives of others bears fruit.  

This can help you feel better about yourself and at least help you to keep things in the right perspective. Such unselfish love will give meaning to your life and make it easier for you to think less about yourself.

Remind Yourself Of God’s Constant Presence

Who are we really as humans? No, it’s not a no-brainer. Many people have lost sight of this fact. We are spiritual beings, living souls, clothed in a physical body. And our souls need to be reminded constantly that we were created by Someone, otherwise, we feel lonely when our fellow humans don't give us time and attention.

One of the unfortunate effects of loneliness, especially chronic loneliness, is that it makes us feel that if no human being has time for us, then we’re really all alone. That feeling in turn reinforces feelings of unworthiness and makes us feel unloved and miserable.

However, when you expand your vision and tune into spiritual vision, and you remind yourself that God is with you always (as He promised in Matthew 28:20), and especially now that COVID-19 is spreading across nations, it’ll help reduce feelings of emptiness.

Offer Up Prayer To The LORD   

I was brought up in a Christian home and taught to pray whenever I find myself in challenging circumstances. Daily prayer has become an inextricable part of my life.

Prayer has really helped me battle the loneliness I’ve experienced these past 10 years. And during the COVID-19 pandemic, prayer helps me to feel that I’m still connected to my Maker, even if I can’t spend time with people. The habit reminds me that no matter how lonely I feel, I have a Creator who sees me as an individual He created and who gives me undivided attention whenever I need Him.   

Footnote:

Caputo, Andrea. (May 29, 2015). The relationship between gratitude and loneliness: the potential benefits of gratitude for promoting social bonds. Published online 2015 May 29. doi: 10.5964/ejop.v11i2.826.  Eur J Psychol. 2015 May; 11(2): 323–334.

Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4873114/.

Measles: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Prevention and More

 What do you know about measles?

Not sure?

Well, if you are traveling out of the US, or you often interact with people who have returned to the US from measles-prone countries (especially underdeveloped countries), then you need to understand what measles , what it can do to your family, and how you can deal with it if it affects your baby or yourself.

What is measles?

Measles is an extremely contagious disease that is characterized by a flat rash and catarrhal inflammation of the eyes and respiratory system.

Measles normally infects children, but it can also afflict persons of any age who have previously not been infected by the disease.

Types of measles

Measles is classified depending on the severity of the disease. Mild, moderate, and severe measles are distinguished.

Besides, measles can run an atypical course: it can be classified as abortive (rudimentary) or malignant. The abortive measles is seen in people who are vaccinated. The symptoms are mild; many of them are absent.

Mitigated or modified measles occurs in children immunized prophylactically with immunoglobulin. The runny nose period is either absent or mild.

Malignant hemorrhagic measles is the severest form of measles. Its symptoms include high fever and bleeding. It usually ends by death of the patient. This form is exceptionally rare now.

Measles prevalence

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) there were about 140,000 measles deaths globally in the year 2018.  

Measles cases are on the rise in the United States. Although measles was eliminated in the US in 2000, outbreaks occur when US citizens who have not been vaccinated pick up the infection during their travels abroad and infect Americans in under-immunized close-knit communities.

Who is at risk?

Anybody who has not been vaccinated is at risk of developing measles. Babies between the ages of three months and one year who are not being breastfed are at a high risk of getting the disease. Furthermore, pregnant women and adults who have a weak immune system also have a high risk of contracting measles.

What organism causes measles?

Measles is caused by a medium –sized virus of the paramyxovirus family known as paramyxoviridae. This very small virus (about 1400 A in diameter) induces apparent infection in only human being s and monkeys.  

The virus can remain infectious in the air and contaminated surfaces (at room temperature 37° C) for about two hours.

The virus is rapidly killed when it is exposed to high temperatures, ultra-violet radiation (sunlight), or disinfectants.

The journey of the virus in the infected person

The portal of entry into a healthy person is the lining of the upper airways. There, the virus multiplies and causes inflammation. The virus then enters the blood to cause toxaemia (blood- poisoning) and to affect various organs and tissues.

How measles is spread

When an infected person coughs or sneezes, he releases the virus in droplets of mucus from his respiratory system into the air. The virus can be carried by air to adjacent rooms and flats within a house.

The viruses eventually settle on objects in the environment and when an uninfected person touches the infected objects, he gets infected.   

Complications

Children who are 5 years or younger, and adults who are 20 years and older, are the groups of people who are most at risk for developing measles complications.

Some of the non-severe complications are abdominal pain and diarrhea (in about 8% of cases), as well as ear infections (in about 7% of cases).

Encephalitis (or swelling of the brain) occurs in about 1 in 1000 people who develop measles. Encephalitis occurs in mild measles, as well as severe measles. This swelling normally appears one to 14 days after one is infected. This complication is associated with a recurring fever, headache, vomiting, and a stiff neck. Convulsions occasionally follow these symptoms. About 15% of people who develop encephalitis will die.

Symptoms of measles

When the virus enters the body, it usually incubates for a period of between 9 and 11 days, but can last to 17 days. In people who have been immunized with immunoglobulin, it can incubate for as long as 21 days.

The onset of measles is usually gradual. Initially, the infected person’s temperature rises to 38-39° C. This is accompanied by a headache, malaise, and pain in the muscles.

Within hours, the infected person may suffer burning pain in the eyes. Sneezing, a barking cough, and nasal discharge are also common. Less commonly, the voice of the infected person may become hoarse.

Tiny white spots, also known as Koplik spots, may appear in the inner walls of the cheeks about four days after the person is infected.

Two to four days after the Koplik spots appear, a rash follows. The rash first appears behind the ears or on the face and spread downward to cover the trunk and, eventually, it spreads to cover the hands and legs. The rash fades about 5 days after its onset and leaves a powdery substance on the skin.

Measles Diagnosis

Irritability, development of a bleary-eye, and breathing open-mouthed between sneezing and coughing are signs that suggest that a baby has measles.

When you see these signs, as well as the symptoms of measles enumerated above, consult your doctor immediately.

When the doctor examines the baby and suspects measles, he will order you to do a specific diagnosis. A specific diagnosis involves tests to isolate the measles virus from throat washings, blood, and urine.

Measles Prognosis

Uncomplicated measles is rarely fatal and complete recovery from the disease is the rule. Fatalities are almost always the result of bacterial infections occurring in children below the age of 5 who become infected after passive childhood immunity disappears around 2.5 months.

Antibiotics are effective against the usual secondary invaders (bacteria such as Pneumococcus, Streptococcus hemolyticus, Staphylococcus aureus, and Hemophilus influenza) have reduced the case fatality rate of measles.

Case fatality rates are high in the elderly and people who have tuberculosis.  Congestive cardiac failure is a common cause of death in patients over 50 years old.

Measles Prevention

There are two ways of preventing measles: getting vaccinated and observing proper hygiene.

Getting vaccinated

Highly effective vaccines, the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine and the measles-mumps-rubella-varicella (MMRV) vaccine, induce immunity in people who are vaccinated. Children should be vaccinated between 12 and 15 months, and again when they are 4 to 6 year old.  

However, people taking steroid medications, people with leukemia (cancer of the blood) and other systemic malignant diseases, and someone with tuberculosis should not take a vaccination shot.

Practicing good personal hygiene

Observing good hygienic practices, such as washing your hands immediately you come home, and before you touch anything or eat, can also help.

Furthermore, avoiding sharing items such as sponges, spoons, cups, and toothbrushes with other people, can reduce your risk of getting infected.

How to treat measles in babies fast

No viral infection, including measles, can be treated. All you can do is treat the symptoms of the disease. So for a baby who cannot be immunized (0-12 months), give him a pain killer such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen when he develops a fever. 

Furthermore, in the absence of complications, make sure your baby gets enough bed rest in a dark room. Additionally, give the person warm baths every other day.

Give the baby plain water and fresh fruit juices (that contain vitamin C, a vitamin known to boost the immune system).

Since the measles virus is unstable in the environment, making sure the room of the baby is well aerated and disinfecting the room should be enough to kill the virus.

The baby’s diet should be easy to digest and assimilate and rich in vitamins, especially vitamin A to boost the immune system.

How to stop itching from measles

Generally, the rash that develops on the body does not itch. In a few cases, itching may occur. If the infected person itches, put cold wet towels or cloth on the rash to reduce itching. Applying calamine lotion can also give relief.

References

Loeb, C. (1971). Textbook of Medicine. Thirteenth edition.  W.B  Saunders Company.

Volovskaya, M.L. (1990). Epidemiology and Fundamentals of Infectious Diseases. Moscow Mir Publishers.

11 Easy and Simple Ways to Reduce Risk for Prostate Cancer

What Is The Prostate

Let me ask you a question. Have you heard about the organ called the prostate? And do you know it is only found in men? That’s right! The prostate is a very small organ about the size of a golf ball or the size of a walnut.

Where can it be found? It is located below the urinary bladder, and in front of the rectum.

What does it do in the body? Its main job is to produce the fluid called semen that nourishes sperms and transports sperms when a man has sex with a woman.

How Prevalent  Is Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer, which just refers to the type of cancer that affects the prostate, is one of the most common types of cancers among American men, that’ s according to the CDC.

In fact, in 2016, there were about 3,110,403 American men living with this disease, and about 11.6% of American men will be diagnosed with this type of cancer in a year.

Prostate cancer is preventable. Adopting a combination of a good diet and healthy physical activity choices can help you avoid it.

So what can you do to reduce your risk of developing this type of cancer? In this article, I share some tips on how you can prevent prostate cancer.

Eat Red Fruits

A study has shown that eating red fruits, such as tomatoes, can reduce men’s risk of getting prostate cancer. This food contains a powerful antioxidant known as lycopene that can inhibit, or slow down, the growth and development of prostate cancer cells.

How much of it should you eat? Another study done in 2020 showed that eating cooked and canned tomatoes at least 4 times a week could reduce a man’s risk of getting  prostate cancer  by 28 percent compared with never eating it.

Consume Raw Garlic With Fresh Lemon Juice

Research carried out in China, and published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, has revealed that eating at least 10 grams of garlic a day can reduce a man’s risk of developing this type of cancer. Garlic is very rich in antioxidants, that are known to repair damage in the body and boost the immune system. Furthermore, garlic is packed with chemicals called flavonols that have anti-tumor properties.

Worried about going to the office or socializing with garlic breath? Just suck a piece of fresh tomato or drink half a glass of fresh tomato juice after consumption and it will clear the scent.

Drink Green Tea

Research shows drinking 5 cups of the nice-smelling tea reduces this risk. Green tea is rich in plant chemicals called polyphenols. Two of these chemicals, Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) and Epigallocatechin (EGC) mop-up free radicals in the body and, thereby, protect the DNA of cells from being damaged.

How should you consume the tea to get the best results?

Drink hot brewed green tea.

Why?

It contains high polyphenol concentrations compared to ready-to-drink teas or instant preparations.

Slurp At Most 7 Cups Of Black Tea A Day

You love your tea, don’t you? But do you know that tea has anti-cancer properties? That’s right! Black tea contains chemicals called theaflavins and thearubigins that help reduce cell damage and so prevent cancer.  

You may be wondering, “But how much of the stuff should I drink to get this effect?”

A meta-analysis of data carried out by researchers at the Institute of Health and Wellbeing of the University of Glasgow, and published in the journal Nutrition and Cancer, suggests that men who drink 7 cups of tea have a 50% higher risk of developing this cancer than men who drink at most 3 cups a day.   

Drink Between Three And Five Cups Of Coffee Daily

A 2014 meta-analysis of clinical studies suggests that drinking up to five cups of coffee every day can lower a man’s prostate cancer risk, as well as lower chances that he may get lethal prostate cancer. Coffee contains the chemicals cafestol and kahweol that have the ability to fight growing cancer cells. This study was reinforced by a review of many studies in 2021 which also showed coffee consumption reduced a man’s risk of getting prostate cancer.

With regard to how to drink the coffee, a study done in Norway in 2015 suggests that drinking boiled coffee is the most effective way to get the best results because  boiled coffee allows the cancer-fighting chemicals to stay in the brew.

Add Mushrooms To Your Diet

What is your main source of protein? Chicken? Beef? Turkey?

What about mushrooms? You hate them?

Well, you may have to reconsider your protein preferences and include a lot more mushrooms in your diet.

Why?

A study carried out in Japan suggests eating about 7 grams of mushrooms daily can help you to avoid developing prostate cancer.

In fact, munching on these delicious plant sources of protein once or twice a week can lower your risk by 8%.

But listen to this. Eating mushrooms three or more times a week can lower your risk for prostate cancer by a whopping 17%!

Mushrooms are rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. The vitamin L-ergothioneine is believed to reduce the risk of oxidative stress, a major risk factor for the development of cancer.  

  

Eat Beans and Berries, and Soy and Peanuts

A study published in the journal Cancer Causes and Control (Vol. 17, pp.169-180) in 2006 suggested   these foods contain estrogen-like chemicals called phytoestrogens which may reduce the risk for this disease.

The diet of 1499 volunteers who had been recently diagnosed with prostate cancer was compared with the diets of 1130 healthy people, the control group, using dietary questionnaires.

A smaller group containing 209 patients and 214 controls did tests to measure the amount of the phytoestrogen enterolactone in their blood.

"High intake of food items rich in phytoestrogens was associated with a decreased risk of prostate cancer. The odds ratio (OR) [the risk compared to a standard of 1.00] comparing the highest to the lowest quartile of intake was 0.74," wrote lead author Maria Hedelin from Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet in Sweden.

The case-control blood test group also showed that those with increased blood levels of enterolactone had a 70 per cent lower risk of prostate cancer.

"Our results support the hypothesis that certain foods high in phytoestrogens are associated with a lower risk of prostate cancer," said Hedelin.

And in 2014 a review of controlled studies revealed that isoflavones, also a phytoestrogen found in soy and soy products as well as peanuts,  reduce the risk of this disease.  

Limit The Amount Of Zinc Supplements You Consume

Zinc is a micronutrient that is known to inhibit the spread of cancer cells in the body. Consuming more than 100g of zinc supplements daily can increase your risk for prostate cancer.

Rather, meet the recommended daily allowance by eating naturally occurring zinc found in beef, seafood, and breakfast cereals. 

Manage Your Stress

Once in a while you go to the office and stress greets you in human form, in the shape of your demanding boss, right? And you manage to deal with it.

And occasionally, worries about paying bills, dealing with irritating neighbors, and the safety of your children give you sleepless nights, right?

However, experiencing these kinds of stress day out and day in can weaken your immune system, a known risk factor for cancer.

Anoikis, a process by which diseased cells in the body are destroyed, is inhibited and so cancerous cells find it easier to spread.

Plus, when you are stressed out, you are more likely to smoke in an attempt to deal with the stress and that can increase your risk of developing this type of cancer. 

Burn Abdominal And Thigh Fat

You do a general workout every day, right? However, if you want to maintain a healthy prostate, research shows that burning fat deep in your abdomen and surrounding organs, and fat in your thigh just under the skin, is the best strategy to adopt.

Be Active

A study carried out  by the University of Bristol and published in the International Journal of Epidemiology has revealed that active people have a 51% lower risk of developing prostate cancer than inactive people.

Actionable Tips

• Take a brisk walk hand-in-hand with your partner on weekend evenings.
• Do “time-alone-dance-parties” when you feel bored—play your favorite music and move your body to the beat instead of watching a movie!
• Play soccer for 20 minutes every weekend with your girlfriend or wife.

 

© 2022   Nunoofio Writing and Marketing

11 Simple Ways to Deal With Anxiety Attacks You Experience Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Introduction

Do you suffer anxiety attacks because of the COVID-19 pandemic?

Do you feel anxious whenever you hear about deaths due to the corona virus?

How can you deal with it without medication?

What are some of the things you can do to deal with it naturally and spiritually?

In this article, I want to show you how to deal with anxiety attacks because of COVID-19.

Now, what should you do?

Redirect Your Focus

The first thing you need to do is to get out of your head, to move your attention from your thoughts and what you are feeling, to the reality of what is going on around you.

How do you do this?

·         Do a quick scan of your body and do your best to stick to the facts. For example, you might think to yourself, “I am experiencing fear right now. My heart is beating very quickly. And I feel nervous.” When you acknowledge these physical responses, you can separate them from what is going on in your mind and what you are feeling.

·         Look around you for a minute or two. Concentrate on the sight around you. Ensure that all your senses participate in this awareness exercise.

·         Listen with rapt attention to the noise going on around you for a minute. It will make you see that all is normal where you are.

·         Talk to someone who is near you about positive stories from the COVID-19 pandemic—recoveries, having time to spend with family, the rise in the spirit of charity etc. so that you will remind yourself that it is not all doom and gloom.

·         Splash warm water on your face and on your hands. This action will stimulate your parasympathetic nervous system and that will make you feel calm so that you can become aware of yourself again.

Control Your Breathing

When you are having an anxiety attack, your breathing becomes quick and shallow. However, when you breathe deeply from your diaphragm, it can help to break this stress response—signals will be sent to your brain to make it release neurotransmitters which can help you to calm down. Deep breathing will also make nerves to send signals to the brain to restore oxygen to your body.

Therefore, when you notice that your breathing is becoming shallow and quick, do your best to focus on your breathing and do this exercise:

·         Place one of your hands on your chest and place the other one on your abdomen under your rib cage.

·         Take in deep breaths slowly through your nose.

·         Count up to three every time you inhale.

·         Then release your breath slowly.

·         Count up to seven and then inhale again and repeat the cycle.

·         Remember to breathe out longer than you breathe in. This will send a signal to your brain that there is no danger to worry about and that will shut off your adrenal gland so that the “fight or flight” mode will not be activated.

Relax Your Muscles

Try to relax the muscles of your body in a progressive manner so that you can consciously release the tension in your body which builds up as a result of anxiety attacks—when you tense and release your muscles in groups, you will be telling your body to relax.

To do this procedure:

·         Find a quiet place where you will not be disturbed.

·         Loosen your clothes.

·         Take in five deep breaths.

·         Tense the muscles of your forehead—raise your eyebrows as high as possible and hold it in that position for about five seconds. Then, release the tension.

·         Then, knit your brow as hard as you can for five seconds. Release the tension.

·         Repeat the tensing and relaxing for your neck, arms, chest, stomach, legs and so on.

Touch Your Skin

Place your hand on a part of your body where you can touch your skin. Then, close your eyes, concentrate on the touch, and feel the warmth of the touch and that will help you to be aware of the reality, to focus on the now, so that you can stop focusing on past fears or future fears

Additionally, stroke that part of your body or another part of your body which will send pleasurable sensations through your body so that you can further increase your awareness and focus on the present.

Try To Engage Someone In Conversation

If you are in friendly surroundings, try to broach a topic that piques your interest and which you can concentrate on so that you can distract yourself from the feeling of anxiety.

For example, if your face lightens up every time you think about soccer or when you talk about soccer, ask the person with you a question about soccer so that you will be interested in focusing on that conversation.

Focusing on the other person and the engagement will help distract you from the negative thoughts in your head and that will help you to feel better.

The conversation does not have to be a lengthy one. All you need to do is to try to focus on what you say, and also try to focus on what the other person says.

Tell Yourself That There Is Nothing To Fear

When you see that you are now dealing with reality, and not focusing on thoughts of fear in your mind, start positive self-talk. You may say something such as this to yourself, “Isaac, the worst is over. You are okay now. There is nothing to fear. There is nothing to worry about. Calm down. Everything is going to be fine. Relax.”

Repeat whatever words you choose to use over and over again, whilst making sure that you control your breathing.

Let Someone Say Nice Things To You

The Bible says in Proverbs 12: 25 that, “Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.” 

In other words, when you can hear something encouraging, when you can get somebody to feed your mind with positive words of encouragement, you are likely to become more positive about this COVID-19.

So, if you are with somebody when the anxiety attacks, kindly urge the person to say encouraging words to you.

As he or she says them, listen with rapt attention and drink the words in to your heart and make them settle in your subconscious.

Lie Down

Lie in a supine position or lie on your side in the fetal position. Close your eyes and try to think about something that will make you happy, such as a wonderful day you spent swimming, a fabulous wedding you attended, or a peaceful spot in a village. This will help you to water down the excitement of the anxiety so that you can calm down.

Additionally, ensure that your legs are raised above your body so that blood can flow freely from the lower part of your body back towards your heart. Your heart will not work as hard as it did before and your heart rate will drop, which will allow your body to calm down.

Drink Green Tea

Research shows that drinking green tea can calm your body down because it increases the levels of a neurotransmitter in the body known as gamma-amino butyric acid, which calms down the nervous system and the brain.

So, drink a cup of green tea slowly when you experience anxiety attacks. As you drink it, observe the smell, the color, the taste as it falls on your tongue, and the warmth it creates in you when it gets to your stomach—focus on the present.

Read Your Bible And Focus On Jesus

Read Isaiah 26: 3 which says, “Thou dost keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee,” which means that Jesus gives peace to those who focus on Him.

Then, try to focus on those words and repeat them to yourself. Close your eyes and imagine Jesus saying those words to you. It will make you feel that Jesus is in control of the situation and it will help you to feel calm inside.

Additionally, read John 14: 27 which says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” 

Repeat them to yourself over and over again and think about the word “Peace” and imagine that you are at peace with yourself. It will help your brain to calm down and you will feel relaxed.

Pray

In Matthew 14: 25—33, Jesus spoke to a storm and calmed it. In just the same , He can calm the storm of fear in your mind if you pray to Him in faith.

So, you may intone a prayer such as, “Dear Jesus, I have all these fears in my heart and in my mind because of the corona virus and COVID-19 pandemic. Just as you calmed the storms when you were on Earth, please help me to deal with these anxiety attacks. Give me peace of mind and help me to think positive thoughts. Please let a sense of peace invade my heart so that I can feel calm. Please help me to feel relaxed just as You were able to sleep whilst there was a storm going on, when You were on Earth. Amen.” It will help you to deal with anxiety attacks just as prayer helped this lady to deal with her attacks.

Conclusion

To deal with anxiety attacks due to COVID-19, try to shift your focus from your mind to what is happening around you, try to breathe slowly, relax the muscles of your body, talk positively to yourself, lie down for a while, drink green tea, and connect with the spiritual so that you can receive Divine help.

© 2022  Nunoofio Writing and Marketing Service

9 Smart Ways to Deal With the Fear and Anxiety of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Are you scared because of the COVID-19 pandemic?

Do you worry excessively that you may contract the corona virus?

Do you become anxious when you think about all the people who are losing their jobs?

When you are alone, do thoughts of COVID-19 mortality rates come into your mind and make you feel scared?

Then here are a few things you can do to deal with your fears.

Control Your Breathing

When all these negative thoughts come to mind, this is what happens in your body.

1.   The part of your brain that responds to fear stimulus, known as the amygdala, is activated.

2.   The amygdala stimulates your brain to release cortisol and adrenaline, which are stress hormones.

3.   These stress hormones cause changes in your body, including an increase in your breathing rate.

4.   Consequently, you breathe shallowly.

5.   As a result of this shallow breathing, your body does not get adequate amounts of oxygen.

6.   The result? An alarm is sent to your brain that your body is under threat.

7.   This can paralyze your thinking processes and you can get even more fearful as a result.

How Deep Breathing Can Help You

1.   Breathing deeply will stimulate your vagus nerve.

2.   When this nerve is stimulated, enzymes that fight stress are released into the body.

3.   These enzymes can help give you the feeling of a sense of control.

4.   Consequently, you will find it easier to calm down.

You might consider using the “5-8-10” technique.

What is this?

1.   Breathe in for a count of 5.

2.   Hold the air in your lungs for a count of 8.

3.   Then breathe out for a count of 10.

Think Of An Image That Will Boost Your Confidence

Whenever you think about the COVID-19 statistics and fear grips your heart, conjure up an image that can inspire a sense of optimism in you. For example, envision yourself surviving the disease.

·         Maintain that image in your mind. The image will remind you that something other than what you fear can happen.

·         In other words, the image will drive away fearful thoughts so that you can feel confident and hopeful.

Look At An Image That Will Boost Your Confidence…

·         Download a picture of Jesus on the cross onto your phone.

·         View it when you feel scared.

My Personal Experience

I do this when fear grips my heart.

How does it help me?

·         When I reflect on the image, it reminds me of God’s love for me. It reminds me that if God allowed His only begotten Son to die to save me from my sins, then He will help me with whatever challenge I’m facing if I pray to Him.

... Or View An Illustration

You may also choose to let an illustrator or an artist produce a pictorial description of the scene in Isaiah 38 for you.

What happened in Isaiah 38?

King Hezekiah (who was sick) prayed to God to help him to survive his sickness. Subsequently, he survived for 15 more years after that prayer.

View that picture often when fear grips your heart. It will remind you that God made someone survive his disease and He can make you survive too.

Such a mindset will cancel out thoughts that suggest to you that you may die of corona virus infection and COVID-19.

Practice Personal, Daily Awareness Of Who God Is

Although intellectually many Christians assent to the fact that God exists, and believe that He is Omnipotent and so can help one to solve his problems, He is not real to most Christians on a personal level when they are going through difficult times.

Why?

The pain and suffering they are going through dulls their spiritual senses. So they feel that either God does not care about what they are going through, or God is very far away.

The result?

Faith becomes weak and that can make it easy for fear to take over the mind.

How Daily Awareness Can Help You

On the other hand, when the believer reminds himself often of who God is, that God is a personal Savior who steps into the storms of life when we honor Him when we are in trouble, it will help remind you that you have a SAVIOR in your corner so you don’t need to fear.

Furthermore, it’ll help to reinforce the conviction that God is aware of you and He is your Father who can save you.

A Practical Example Of How Practicing Awareness Helped Someone

Others have practiced this awareness of God and it has helped them.

For example, in 2 Kings 6 v 15—23 of the Bible, Elijah, who was always aware of who God was, was absolutely calm when he got to know about some disturbing and frightening information (that they were surrounded by enemies).

On the other hand, his servant, who was with him and saw that same challenge, was so scared because he was not aware of God’s presence.

How To Do It

How can you practice awareness of God?

·         Read Exodus 34 v 6 and Jeremiah 9 v 23, where God reveals who He is, often.

·         Listen to preaching tapes that preach about themes related to God’s closeness to the believer who is experiencing a tragedy, throughout the day. That will help you to fill your mind with constant positivity and hope so that fear cannot overwhelm you.

Read And Meditate On Isaiah 41 V 10 Often

In Isaiah 41 v 10, God affirms the fact that He is a helper by saying, “fear not, for I am with you, be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.”

Read this verse at least twice a day, and memorize it. Whenever the COVID-19 scare pops into your head, say that verse aloud to yourself mindfully, repeatedly.

How This Can Help You

·         As your mind focuses on what you are saying, and processes it, you will enjoy some mental respite.

·         And as you keep repeating those words to yourself, they will sink into your subconscious mind and you will become more mindful of them. Once you remind yourself that you have been promised help by a caring Helper who never lies but always fulfills His promises, your mind and spirit can find rest.

You Will Also Feel Relaxed If You Meditate On This Verse Daily

It will remind you that you have an all-powerful God who is big enough to help you survive this disease. That will make the statistics feel absolutely inconsequential, which will make it easier for you to experience a sense of comfort.

Do Things That Will Make The Holy Spirit Fill You Every Day

The Holy Spirit can embolden a person so that he can face his fears. He has done it for so many people.

·         For example, Gideon had fears about destroying idols in his father’s house. But when God’s Spirit filled him, he became bold and destroyed those idols.

·         And it was when Samson became filled with the Holy Spirit that he tore a lion asunder (Judges 14 v 6) and did many other heroic deeds.

How Being Filled By The Holy Spirit Will Help You

The Holy Spirit will remind you of Bible verses you have heard. He will also remind you of preaching you have heard in church. And since God’s word inspires courage and strengthens the spirit, you will feel more courageous.

How to Become Filled With God’s Spirit

·         Sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with all your heart whenever you can during the course of every day.

Spend Time With COVID-19 Survivors Online

Read stories of COVID-19 survivors, at least one a day. Interact with them and it will make the fact that some people have overcome COVID-19 more real to you.

That reality can help you feel, “If others have survived after being infected with corona virus, I may also survive.”

Spend Time With Positive- Minded People

Talk to friends, former work colleagues, or relatives who make you feel happy whenever you are with them.

And when you are alone and fearful thoughts come into your mind, remind yourself of some of the funny and interesting things they say to you when you chat with them. This will force out fearful thoughts from your mind and you will feel okay.

Converse With Jehovah Regularly

Prayer has many benefits for the mind. It reminds you that God is your helper and deliverer.

Remembering that Jehovah is a Helper and Deliverer, your fear will decrease because you will reckon that He will not make what you fear happen to you.

Therefore, every day, say a prayer such as, “Dear LORD, I thank You for Your care, provision, protection, and guidance which have brought me this far. Father, I have fears in my heart. I get scared whenever I hear about the corona virus and COVID-19. LORD, please keep me. Amen.”

Points To Remember

If you get scared whenever you remember corona virus and COVID-19

·         do deep breathing exercises;

·         conjure up an image that you feel can encourage you;

·         do things that will make you aware that Jehovah is with you; and

·         talk to God often

and your fears will diminish.