As if 2020 couldn’t get any more challenging, we are now being faced with the transition of returning to “normalcy” and everything that comes along with it. I recently moved back to Florida and this past weekend the state of Florida removed capacity limits on restaurants, bars, and other businesses and also removed the mask mandate. Depending on where you are from, your state might be doing something similar or maybe about to.
These changes will no doubt come with many challenges. Many of us will be struck confused and wondering what we should actually do. Do I still need to social distance? Should I wear a mask? Is it safe to travel? Can I go spend time with elderly family members? How at risk is my family and I from being dramatically harmed by this virus? The questions and confusion will no doubt be endless.
On top of those questions, there is also going to be the continued questioning of our governing bodies. Why is this state opened back up and mine isn’t? Is this virus as big of a concern as the media and politicians have made it? Is there an agenda behind any of the information that is being spread? All of these questions coming out of the lack of control we all appear to have in today’s world.
I’m not here to help you answer any of those questions or even to offer up my opinion on them. Rather, I want to talk about something that you do have control over. Your health.
Very early on when COVID-19 first hit, there was a paper published out of Wuhan showing that a very high percentage of those suffering from severe cases of COVID-19 were those with multiple additional health risks, especially impaired heart and metabolic health. As the virus continued to spread and we continued to study its effects, these findings were confirmed at scale.
The point of these findings is not to say that the disease is not deadly or that there is no reason to worry. In fact, these findings demonstrate how vulnerable of a population we are because of the lack of human health in our world. However, these findings also offer up an area where we can take control and set ourselves up in the best possible position to be resilient if we are called on to do so.
If you are stuck wondering what you should do next, I think the best thing you can do is focus on the many aspects of your health. We don’t know where things are going. We don’t know what the future has in store, but we DO know that having good health will put us in the best position to handle whatever it is that will come next.
This starts with moving and fueling your body right. If you want to be resilient to this virus and any other possible health risks that you may be exposed to in the future, exercising and eating the right foods is an incredible place to start. From there we can focus on sleep, stress management, and our external environment to make sure that we are putting ourselves in a position to be better equipped to handle the mental and emotional strain that we will face if not due to this virus, due to whatever unforeseen events may come in the future.
I think it is time that we really take stock of what we have control over and what we do not. It’s time to lean into our health. Use it as an escape from this crazy world if you must. Find peace in knowing that you are doing your best to put you and your family in a position to not only survive but thrive during these unprecedented times.
Thanks for reading and stay safe!
Chris Irvin