Coronavirus: Don’t Panic, and Take Care of Your Immune System

News about the coronavirus outbreak is everywhere and it seems to be getting worse by the day. More cases, more deaths, new travel restrictions, panic-buying, stock market swings, it seems like the world is consumed with fear right now and an almost hysteria has started to take over. So what can we do?

Don’t Panic

Well for starters, we need to get a handle on the fear and panic. It can be tempting to stay glued to the news media to try to feel some semblance of comfort and control in a situation where we have little to none. In reality this only stokes fear and panic more. Stay informed but don’t obsess. Fear and panic only make things worse, in a very real way. When we are in a state of fear, it creates tremendous stress in our bodies, which only serves to weaken our immune systems further. And when it comes to disease and illness, our immune system is our greatest asset, by far.

Take Care of Your Immune System

Since our immune system is our greatest asset, we want to do everything we can to strengthen it. Thankfully there is much we can do here. It starts with not letting yourself get run down by stress and overwork, and fear and panic. If you are feeling even the slightest bit run-down, your immune system isn’t as strong as it could be. Get more sleep and do more self-care during this intense time.

Come in for acupuncture treatment and immune boosting herbs. Not only does acupuncture help to relieve the stress from all the chaos around us, it has been shown to strengthen the immune system as well. And I know many people find Chinese herbs to be too earthy and bitter tasting, but if they prevent you from getting sick, isn’t it worth it?!

Remember

If you do get sick, don’t worry, it’s likely not going to be much different than the regular flu. Yes it will be unpleasant, maybe miserable, but you’ll recover even stronger, with new immunity. I also like to remind myself when I get sick, that illness can be an opportunity for the body to cleanse and purge at a deeper level, which is ultimately a good thing, even though it doesn’t feel good while it’s happening. Stay safe and sane in all the madness: remember panic is counterproductive.