How To Stay Strong & Avoid Falling Into Harmful Habits During Isolation
The stress may contribute to your bad habits.
getty The situation we're in with the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic is uncharted territory.
There seems to be a recurring theme among my clients that requires a conversation that we need to have now concerning bad habits.
We don't know what's going on or what it's going to look like in the future. It’s during these times that we need to support people at an even higher level.
One of the underlying challenges are the choices people are making have not been in the best state of mind.
More people are reacting than responding to the present situation and common sense is being thrown out the window.
Realize that when we're stressed, overwhelmed, or frustrated, we may resort to an unresourceful state.
My mentor, Dr. Bandler, once said, "When people are stressed, they do stupid!"
It doesn't mean you are stupid. But, you may do stupid things. Lately, it's been a recurring theme, not just for people I know, but for myself.
If you are making poor decisions, you can trace back and see that you probably were not in the most resourceful place at that time.
So, with that being said, you might have some thoughts that you may realize are important, but if you actually pay attention to the road ahead, you realize that they are.
If you're not used to being at home, or if you've always worked from home but now you have other family members there with you, there is a new norm. The dynamics may have changed with your family, your kids, and your spouse.
There may be other people interrupting your flow, even if you're used to being home.
Some of the things I see people doing are challenging me. The other day, when we went to Shop Rite, the bread aisle was empty, the milk was gone, and the candy aisle looked like there was a buy one get one free sale.
All I could think of was, "Why are people choosing unhealthy choices in a time of crisis when we have to strengthen our immune system?"
You have to be making better choices to make sure you stay healthy. Milk, being a mucus-forming product, can cause allergy challenges and other symptoms of illness, making you more susceptible to other health problems.
Putting bread in your body, which is just flour and water, makes paste, which was something I used when I was a kid to make paper mache.
The news tells us that the people who are the most susceptible to the COVID-19 and are not surviving are the elderly who have compromised immune systems or people with underlying conditions like diabetes.
So when I hear this, it really saddens me to think that people are putting bread, sugar, dairy, and processed food into their bodies — these are not the right defenses against the coronavirus right now.
The defense is taking care of your health and boosting your immune system by choosing wisely.
If you feel the need to load up on anything, choose healthy vegetables, fruits, and clean proteins.
This is even more personal to me because my mom, who has had many medical challenges, has an elective surgery going on that they may be postponing. We had learned, through diet, that some of the challenges that were causing her immense pain were dramatically reduced when she eliminated certain food groups.
Now, with the scarcity mindset of the COVID-19, she decides to go buy dairy products like cottage cheese and yogurt, which aren't good for her.
And I said, "Mom, I thought we figured out you shouldn't be having dairy."
She said, "I just want to make sure I have food in the house because who knows how long I'm going to be in here."
Now, I don't think my mother is unique. I think there are a lot of people in that fear, fight, and flight response right now that are "not necessarily doing smart" and that bothered me.
I said, "Wow mom, that's not the best thing for you. You don't need to be having that. There are enough other resources out there to get what you need."
She answered, "Which is why I need to make sure I have protein."
"What are you talking about? There are so many other sources of protein. It doesn't have to be that."
So, you really need to start looking at some of the things you're doing because here's what I'm projecting.
If we get stuck in our home for the next month or two, we're going to have people that will be 10 to 20 pounds heavier and more predisposed to diabetes and other kinds of illness.
We are going to have other issues. They're going have to deal with more than just the coronavirus that they haven't thought about.
You must stand guard at the gate of your mind. It is as important as anything else.
The other day, my husband went to Costco and I told him, "Make sure nothing comes into our home that's not healthy."
Now, please listen to why I said that.
I used to have an eating disorder. I spent 13 years in dis-ease with myself while dealing with an eating disorder, compulsive overeating, and bulimia. I was consuming anywhere between $50- and $100-thousand a year in food.
Some people have addictions with alcohol, smoking, shopping, sex, or gambling — mine was food.
Today, I have 26 years of abstinence from hurting myself, which means I don’t allow myself to indulge in self-deprecating behavior. I found new healthy means to deal with my emotions.
I hear many people use these times as an excuse to continue to hurt themselves. I am suggesting you take this time to love yourself and choose wisely.
When you're stressed, you're going to go back to whatever was familiar for you, whether it was resourceful or not. So if you deal with things that don't feel good by doing things like shopping, eating, drinking, or other things that aren't going to serve you, then you need to be aware at this time.
A lot of people are stressed and rightly so. You get to choose how you are going to deal with things in a place that will serve you versus not.
Start thinking of ways you can be resourceful. Start by not putting things in your home that don't work for you.
If you're saying to yourself, "We're not going to ever go out again so let me buy this big container of ice cream." Well, do you really need ice cream? Because if you're going to live tomorrow and life's going to be okay with ice cream being at the top of your list, is that the story you're telling yourself to fill a need right now?
Ask yourself, "Do I really need to get that?”
Here's what I'm seeing: More illnesses attacking people's immune systems from not taking care of themselves. Meanwhile, they are loading themselves up with unhealthy food.
People take care of themselves by exercising, making sure they're drinking enough water, and alkalizing their diet, whether it be lemon water or apple cider vinegar.
The best defense is by washing your hands and making smart choices. When you get home from being out, take your clothes off, wash them, shower, and put new clothes while not touching your face.
There are things we shouldn't be doing, such as not putting garbage in your body that's going to make you sicker. That's not an option right now.
Find things to do that will lift your spirits. You know when you're healthy and you're laughing, having a good time, it is harder to get sick. You need to be doing things that fill you up.
We just had a social online with 30 people. We were at laughing and having fun. We were focused on connecting with each other and filling our emotional bank accounts with love.
Life goes on. We still need to support ourselves in some manner. Support the local businesses that are open by ordering from them and having them deliver, so that their businesses are in business tomorrow.
When we're done with this, it's important to continue to support the economy. Also, support yourself mentally with what you're putting in your head. If you're watching the news 24/7, you're only hearing negative stuff.
You're going to feel like you're in a fear mode. I'm going to encourage you to find some light in it all by counting your blessings.
Find something to be grateful for, because there is always good to be found. Find some light with some family members and friends connecting online. I encourage you to do it.
We had a sing-along one night with one of our friends, another group I know did a movie online together where they were using Zoom and sharing conversations. Whether it's a Facebook Live or something else, create the community and connect with people in that way.
Most importantly, please choose you. Choose to be healthy and take care of yourself. There is no excuse to not be nourishing yourself in a healthy way.
You don't need to eat twice the food used to eat before just because it's there. If you're bored, you find something else you can do and stay out of the kitchen and close the pantry cabinets.
Ask yourself better questions:
- "What is it I really want, in this moment?"
- "Do I want a hug or do I want attention?"
- "Do I want to be around people?"
- "Do I need to pick up the phone?"
- "Do you need you to do something else?"
Ask yourself better questions before you do things that aren't going to serve you in the long run.
I love you and want you to take care of yourself. Share this if you think it's going to help somebody. I think we need to start helping people by being the light in what feels like darkness.
Let's pray for the people that need our help. Let's be there to support them in the best possible way we can but do that by taking care of yourself first.
I love you! Be safe, healthy, and happy! I love you! Thank you!
Lisa Lieberman-Wang is a relationship expert and creator of the neuroscience Neuro Associative Programming (NAP). If you need help finding your truth and living an authentic life, reach out to her or send her an e-mail.