Are you a bit like me? During this Lockdown it has sometimes felt like I just want to curl up at the bottom of my dark cupboard. I’ve felt lonely – I’ve missed the hugs, the warmth, and the loving presence of my family and friends. I’ve longed for time just to sit and chat; or go for a walk with real, living bodies. Connecting on Zoom just didn’t seem to do it anymore!
To reduce your stress quit constantly checking WhatsApp and social media; they are filled with sensationalist fake news. Rather keep up to date with a daily visit to the Government updates and credible international sites.
Lockdown is challenging as we learn to manage close confinement – not going out to our favorite places to connect with special friends. But ‘social distancing’ is a vital strategy to prevent the spread of the virus; so we must adhere to Government’s Regulations.
Let’s ‘Look Up’ for the silver lining – there is always one to find if we take the time to seek it.
Your immune system is your best defence against the virus. Enjoying good sleep and reducing stress are key to strengthening its effectiveness. As a member you have free access to MYPLAN2BWELL.Work through these two on-line programmes to build your body’s natural defences.
If you are feeling unwell, before you call your health practitioner, take a self-test to get clear guidance of what to do. It is easy to use. You will also be helping the medical teams who are overwhelmed by people seeking information and assistance.
We live in a switched-on world in which it’s almost unthinkable to be without social media for so much as a day. According to Statista, a company specialising in market and consumer data, around 30 million South Africans were on social networking sites in 2019. What’s more, this number is set to grow to close to 50 million by 2026!
There’s no two ways about it: being bullied isn’t just tough in the moment, it continues to take a toll in other areas of your life. Bullying leaves a trail of destruction in its wake. It shatters your self-esteem and increases your risk of anxiety, depression, sleep disturbance and self-harm. It can even result in physical health problems like high blood pressure, stomach pain and poor appetite.
It’s something that has puzzled researchers from the start of the pandemic – why do some people experience severe illness, and others do not? These differences extend beyond known risk factors – like age, and existing disease. To answer this question, researchers began studying the genetics of people exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus and were able to identify links between developing the disease and variations in specific parts of their DNA.
The pandemic has highlighted the idea of a disease being front and center in all aspects of our lives. However, for someone living with a chronic condition, this has been their reality long before COVID-19 came along, and the pandemic has simply made things worse. Economic, social and psychological distress is common amongst those living with chronic conditions, such as tuberculosis (TB).
Underlying all human rights is a deep respect for human life. There are those passionate people whose daily lives center around defending and upholding these precious rights so that we can all live in a more caring and just world. Each one of us can take inspiration from this and make choices that demonstrate how our own personal values uphold human rights.
