One of the few positives of having cancer (a sentence that I never thought I’d write) is that I’ve spent the past two years living in a state of total unknown in terms of my health. And yet, thanks to these 5 tips for managing panic, I am the calmest that I’ve ever been. Like cancer, COVID-19 is invisible, unfair and potentially lethal. There are also way more questions at present than there are answers. In short, it’s the perfect recipe for panic. So, here are the things that help me stay sane. Let me know if they work for you.
Find Your Rituals
Embracing rituals is one of the easiest ways for me to keep my panic at a manageable level. There are certain things that I do every day that help give me a sense of calm amidst the chaos. The first is that I take my temperature. As a post-menopausal woman who is going through chemotherapy, I would wake up with a racing heart, convinced that my night sweats, body aches and funky mouth taste meant that I had contracted COVID-19. It didn’t matter that I have been living with these symptoms for over 2 years now. Taking my body temp allows me to calm the F— down. Afterwards, I use an alcohol wipe to swab off the thermometer and use the flip side to wipe down the faucets, toilet flush, doorknobs and light switch in my bathroom.
Next, I head into the kitchen and clean my counters. Since I can’t use Clorox (even if I could find any in the store, the smell literally makes me sick), I typically use good old soap and water. According to my oncologist, if it works on the hands, it works on the countertops. Then, every other day or if I’ve brought in a package and rested it on the counter, I will wipe down all of my high touch surface areas with Briotech Topical Skin Spray.
Gentle enough to spray on your face and hands (which I do if I’ve been around people or in lieu of hand sanitizer), it kills close to 100% of coronavirus OC43, a close relative of COVID-19. You can read more about the science here. It smells a tad odd, but gets the job done and doesn’t make me want to vomit. The only downside is it’s expensive. However, it’s much kinder to your body and the environment.
Salt Water Rinse
I recently met a healer from Egypt who shared his pandemic prevention ritual: a salt water rinse in the mouth and nostrils, 3 times a day. Since Egypt has a long history of plagues and pestilence, I figured that his advice was worth taking. Making your own salt water rinse is easy:
- Fill a 4 quart sauce pan with water and bring to a boil
- Add 6-8 teaspoons sea salt
- Let cool, pour into a pitcher and place in the fridge for use
This healer suggested pink Himalayan sea salt, but honestly, any brand will do although the pink does give the rinse a cheery hue (Hey, I’ll take my positives where I can get them).
If you have a squirt bottle or a neti pot, you can fill them, but I just use a square condiment dish. The corner makes it easy to snort the salt water up my nose. It doesn’t feel great, but it’s not horrible either.
5 Tips for Managing Panic: Kick Ass Immune
I’ve already written at length about the benefits of Kick Ass Immune Activator (read more about it here) if you feel like you’re getting sick, but now the company has something called Kick Ass Daily which is specifically designed to be taken as a daily preventative measure against respiratory ailments. Honestly, could there be anything better for these crazy times? Order some immediately.
Hypnotherapy Downloads
As someone who can’t meditate to save my life, I thank god for my friend Cynthia Morgan and her hypnotherapy downloads (check them out here). I have listened to one every night since I was diagnosed and they have proven to be an invaluable tool for:
- Managing panic
- Stronger immune system
- Better, deeper and more restorative sleep
- Improved concentration
- Weight managment
Since the mind is such a crucial component of a strong immune system, taking 20 minutes to listen to a download is honestly one of the best things that you can do for your health today or any day.
Gratitude
Last, but certainly not least, is to practice gratitude. One of the worst things about fear, panic, and chaos is that they make us myopic and self-centered. Practicing gratitude is a quick and easy way to let go of your ego. I begin every morning by writing down 3 things for which I’m grateful in one of those old school composition books, but you can do this on your phone if you’d like. It immediately dials me into the love and positive energy that surrounds us even on the darkest day. This sense of buoyancy and resilience is truly the definition of health because if I’ve learned one thing through my cancer journey, shitty things happen to good people. The question isn’t if you’ll fall, but how high you’ll bounce back once you do.