Relieving Stress In A Covid-Based World

In today’s world, with the day to day life chaos we encounter (not to mention current events), it is common to become a little overwhelmed at times. Tack on a global pandemic that has literally changed the way we currently live our lives, and it’s no wonder some of us are on edge. One of the underlying factors throughout all of this that has a huge effect on us, and we tend to ignore, is STRESS. 😣

If you’re like me, you likely had some pretty stressful days in the beginning of quarantine. I, for one, was already suffering from burnout. I work as an Operations Manager for a semi-private gym and we have quite a large clientele along with a small team so I was kept pretty busy managing everyone and overseeing the day to day workflow. Add in the fact that the new year is the busiest season in the fitness industry and you got yourself a very stressed, worn out, irritable lady. I needed a break. So, I took it upon myself to head out for the night and get the hell out of L.A.

I booked an amazing cabin in Running Springs, California. No Wifi, no people nearby, no stress. Just me, myself, nature and a squirrel. It was glorious. A two-and-a-half-hour drive, which took closer to four hours, and I was a world away. I walked into the cabin, unpacked, showered, made dinner and read my book. Not a soul around to bother me with questions like, “can you book me for tomorrow, please?” or “did you get these eight million tasks completed before you left for the day?” Guys, there was even a vintage radio in the cabin that I kept on all night long (insert 90’s pop song that I totally danced to while there).

That evening I received a text from LA County suggesting social distancing. “That’s interesting,” I thought. Well, I told myself I’d deal with this tomorrow. No big deal. The next day, I packed up and headed back to the city. Left early because I still had some errands to run and groceries to buy. And then to my surprise and horror…ALL the food was gone. I mean, ALL the food. I felt like the main character in that movie, “28 Days Later” when he wakes up from that coma and walks outside. I managed to grab a few things, along with some canned beans and tortillas. I eat pretty healthy, but when I’m forced to survive, I eat what I can. I’m also Mexican, so I know how to live off beans, rice and tortillas for the rest of my life. Survival skills to the fullest, y’all (thanks, Ma!).

Luckily, I only needed food at the time. The butt-tissue gods must’ve been smiling upon me, because I JUST bought a big case of toilet paper the week before. And I still had plenty of paper towel rolls from my Costco-sized package. By the way, who was the genius that started the whole “the world is ending for all times and the only thing that will save us is le papier toilette?” If you find out, let me know. I’d like to kindly punch them in the face.

And so began a very stressful journey into lockdown as I scrambled for a few days to get enough food to last for a month. Thank goodness I am a pretty clean person because I already had a box of gloves, plenty of cleaning supplies and those ever valuable disinfectant wipes. After ordering a few masks, I was ready to go. Bring it on, quarantine.

But the real stress factor was the certainty of my job at the time. We were still in business and my amazing boss assured me that if he went down, he would take me with him. But there was really no way of knowing how long or short that would be. I started thinking about my backup plans and how long I could handle living in my awesome townhouse that I rented before I would have to call it quits. I had worked so hard to get to a place where I was comfortable and made a livable wage in Los Angeles. Would a virus really take it all away?

Now if you didn’t know this, whether your current stress levels are high or low, the impact can have lasting long-term effects. In times of stress, the body releases hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol, that increase your breathing and heart rate. An extended period of stress can keep these chemical levels high for a prolonged amount of time, which can lead to high blood pressure and inflammation. And ain’t nobody got time for that. Especially not I, the Gym Lord. That’s my nickname at the gym. It’s a bit menacing but it grows on ya.

I had two choices during this time: one, I could crawl into a ball and just give up, succumbing to a period of depression and solitude as I eat terrible food and wear the same sweatpants all week. Okay, actually I did do that…my bad. Well, I could have stayed there and continued down that dark road. But I chose option two: use this time to really focus on myself and my life purpose. Get really serious and consistent about my health and fitness and write, dammit. Write my little heart out. And also figure out how to manage these stressful times I was dealing with. Stress is the ultimate cock blocker to creativity, I’m sure of it. Normal life stuff is manageable, but when you add a pandemic, lockdown and social distancing it can be a bit much. Turns out there are some really great ways to combat stress. So I went ahead and put them together for you. You’re welcome.

· Physical Activity: yeah, I work at a gym so I’ll always be a huge advocate of getting off your arse and moving your body. I’m not saying you need to do one of those crazy CrossFit (It’s a cult) workouts but do move around for an hour every day. Just an hour of activity each day, like walking, running, riding a bike, playing with the kids can be the best stress reliever. Plus, daily activity becomes part of your routine which should give you more energy and how is that ever a bad thing?

· Healthy Diet: Being stuck at home all day, sad because you can’t have mimosas with the girls, mixed with crappy food is never a good combo. Make sure to stick with healthy eating choices. Not only are you going to feel better but you are going to reduce some pretty serious chronic health risks, like cancer, heart disease and thunder thighs.

· Self-Care: A study published by the University of Lausanne found that cortisol levels are on average lower among people who practice meditation regularly. I for one, absolutely adore Kundalini Yoga. It’s a form of yoga that incorporates breathing techniques. Side note: managing your breathing is also pretty great for those days you want to choke somebody. Deep breathing slows down your heart rate and lowers your blood pressure, therefore countering the effects of stress. Boom. Self-care can also mean doing other other low-impact activities you enjoy like knitting, baking, reading and listening to music. Moral of the story: do what makes you happy, boo boo. And don’t forget to breathe while you’re at it.

· Reach Out: Another great way to relieve stress is to simply reach out. Great thing about that is everyone is at home, so should be pretty easy to get your loved ones on the phone. I’m sure they can step away from another Netflix binge to say hello. Sometimes, talking to a loved one can help you to let go of the stress you are feeling and helps you manage whatever is causing you to freak out. Thank God for zoom, is all I’m sayin’.

So no, you aren’t the only one sitting at home wondering “Where is this all going?” and “When will I be able to just grab a damn drink outside my house so I feel like less of an alcoholic at home?” We are ALL going through our own struggles during these interesting times as we navigate through the uncertainty of it all. But we all have a choice. We can wear those same sweatpants all week and wait for this to be over…OR, we can suit up and handle business. I don’t know about you, but I wore out those sweatpants a while ago and I look pretty damn good in a suit.

#photography #blog #blogging #stress #travel