Get In Loser; We’re Boosting Our Immune Systems!
The seasons changing, a relentless global pandemic, political unrest, and the oppression of Black and Brown people- is a guaranteed recipe for stress, specifically chronic stress. Chronic stress is stress that lasts for an extended period of time, typically spanning weeks or months. With so much taking place around us, our bodies are absorbing everything. Unfortunately, more stress means weaker immune system functioning and weaker functioning means being more susceptible to health issues or sickness.
Possible stressors at this time:
* Going into winter means limited sunlight each day and temperature drops. It is a more dull and gloomy time, which directly impacts how we feel. Many people experience seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and related symptoms, which plunge us into low energy as we leave summer and enter fall/winter.
* Coronavirus has been collectively destructive for most of the world. The pandemic has compromised the health and livelihood of many. People have experienced sickness; passing of loved ones, loss of jobs, and social isolation. Grief, trauma, and situations out of our control can induce increased feelings of stress.
* Politically, many countries are at odds with their government due to corruption and bigotry mainly. Unjust decision-making and messaging from elected officials have decreased the quality of living for masses of people. It’s unsettling.
* Black and Brown people specifically are bombarded with information about their own people being murdered, stolen from, and oppressed daily. This isn’t limited to the states. We are challenged to find our own space to process and find peace day to day.
In a nutshell-it’s a lot! It’s very heavy. But we can’t hold onto all of it, our bodies literally cannot afford to.
While precautions like social distancing and mask wearing have been issued to keep the public safe and protected, this has in-turn minimized the body’s opportunity to fight off germs and build strength on it’s own. Thankfully, being around other’s germs is not the only way to boost our immune system. We can do it right from home, which most of us are anyways. Through my own personal research and practices I’ve been consistent with habits I believe have been helping me naturally keep my body strong and healthy as it can be- given the circumstances.
* Continue reading full post on my site Days with Dash here : get-in-loser-were-boosting-our-immune-systems
Originally published at http://dayswithdash.blog on November 10, 2020.
