How We Choose to Live during a Virus Outbreak

Unfortunately, we all feel a little unsure of our world today, so the most important thing we can do is to lean into kindness and cast our gaze upward. A virus can’t stop us from doing good. Kindness is the easiest and most extravagant gift we have to give. We must find the good around us and be that good for our family and others. This is the perspective I want to keep.

Right now, because of a virus, we all must homeschool for a few weeks, so I thought it might be useful to encourage you with some tips from years of homeschooling. 

Practical Lifestyle Tips

1. It’s a great family time to gather together and discuss how we feel about the coronavirus. Talking is healthy. Write down some expectations and be flexible in the roll-out.

2. Lots of activities together can happen, with teaching and learning opportunities (parents included). 

• Everyone can help cook; it allows me to chat with my kids on why we are eating the foods we eat. For example, we are making and consuming lots of stock because it’s full of amino acids. It also builds sound immune systems that can fight a virus.
• Good hygiene is a timely discussion and useful for life. 
• Designate rotating jurisdictions, laundry, dishes, food preparation, gardening to stay busy and a higher purpose beyond self.
• Make the Moments count: Discuss and evaluate ways to improve the quality of life through; better eating, less stress, better choices.

3. Readers are leaders, and there are many amazing books. I highly recommend including family time reading in Psalms & Proverbs – it will soothe the soul and help quiet the chaos. Other books we enjoy are, Gene Stratton-Porter, Laura Ingalls, Christopher Paolini, C.S. Lewis.

4. We play positive, happy, music. It fills the air in a home with goodness and fun while drowning out complaints.

5. Burning dried Sage and diffusing essential oils throughout the home cleanses the air and calms.

6. Use essential oils topically on the body and home surfaces – OnGuard, Oregano, Tea Tree, Lemon, Breathe (order here and proceeds go to my nonprofit which helps foster kids- https://www.doterra.com/US/en/site/realfoodrecovery )

7. This time does not have to be stressful or regimented. Flow with it; go for a walk, the coronavirus hates the sun and heat. Stress can be harmful, so make this time relaxing and flexible.

Humor and Togetherness Perspective

8. Find humor. The foster kids asked me if this is from the Corona beer! Nope. It is a virus that started in China; Corona is made in Mexico. 

10. Togetherness is hard work; separate-ness is easy. Nothing worthwhile is easy.

11. Shop local; support your local farmers and local stores. They’ll not have the resources to close, nor will they have 100s of people around. Our local places are functioning as pick-up, which is a winning ideas considering the state of our world.

12. Because it’s impossible to do it all, enlist help and then praise them. 

13. After losing a child, it is easy to remember that it is a privilege to live. Choose to do it well whatever time you have! 

14. We don’t have to– We get to do something with our lives, so lend a hand, and be the kindness and peace you want in the world.

As a Functional Nutritional Therapist, who volunteers with foster kids, I want to bring a safer and healthier perspective to the frenzy of this virus discussion and share some simple practices. Here are a few tips from some infectious disease medical experts; Dr. Jay Butler, CDC, Dr. Drew, expert news resource, and the Stanford Medical Board.

Additional Expert Information on the Coronavirus

1. If you have a runny nose and sputum, you have a common cold.

2. Coronavirus pneumonia is a dry cough with no runny nose.

3. This new virus is not heat-resistant and will die in temperatures of just 26/27 degrees C. (About 77 degrees F.) It hates the sun.

4. Drinking warm water is useful for all viruses. Try not to drink liquids with ice.

5. Wash your hands frequently as the virus can only live on your hands for 5-10 minutes, but – a lot can happen during that time – you can rub your eyes, pick your nose unwittingly, and so on.

6. It helps to gargle as prevention. A simple solution of salt in warm water will suffice.

7. Can’t emphasize enough – drink plenty of water!