September is National Preparedness Month. Now more than ever, it’s important to develop strategies for dealing with the upcoming change in seasons as it will be bringing with it flu, colds, snow, sleet, excessive rain, shorter days all topped off with Covid.
Flu: Get your flu shot by mid-October in order to have protection when the season gets underway.
Preparedness/Emergency Management Plans: Be it a natural disaster, such as a major hurricane, blizzard etc., use the Government website Ready.gov In addition to using the resources at this site, Google your state’s name and “emergency management.” Register for alerts and use their resource page. Also check to see if your city/town has a specific emergency management response. Register with your local fire and rescue operations if you need help for yourself or family member.
Make sure your family is organized and everyone knows the safety plans you have put in place.
Prepare your home for fall and winter: Depending on where you live, this can require considerable prep. I live in Vermont so this is the time we need to make sure we have sufficient wood; it’s stacked for easy access regardless of the weather. Lawnmowers and gas grills are winterized and stored. Screens come down and storm windows are installed, lawn furniture is stored and the snowblower is checked and ready for the first snow storm that can come before all the leaves are off the trees.
Develop
strategies for staying sane as Covid is still very much with us and we
will need to stay home, social distance etc. Socializing
is important to our well-being and it helps to make us feel happier and
healthier. Below are some strategies to consider:
• Friluftsliv (pronounced free-loofts-liv) literally means "free air life" in Norwegian, and it is incorporated into school, businesses and general life. A benefit of Covid is that more people are heading outdoors, including classes, and at least one friend of mine pointed out the need to plan for lots of bonfires this winter. So some ways to include Friluftsily into your life:
- If you haven’t been doing this already, start creating social opportunities outside on a daily, weekly or weekend basis. Consider a walk in the park with a friend or two
- Have the right clothes: As they say in Sweden, ‘there’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes’.” Check your closet now to see what fits and what you might need if you were to go to a friend’s bonfire on a cold night.
• Make healthy habits routine. Humans are wired for routine. When they are thrown off it can create a lot of stress, so building in healthy routines is key. Things you can do-getting up and going to bed at the same time; taking a walk at the same time every day; eating at the same time; setting aside a time to do things you enjoy doing such as reading, a craft project; calling friends and family etc.
• Limit your exposure to news: The current state of politics is absolutely brutal and when combined with social media it’s plain and simply a “shit storm” causing an undue level of stress that’s unhealthy. Set a certain time of day that’s less likely to be upsetting or disruptive to your routine. Skip the 11 o’clock news. Watching news just before you turn in for the night makes for poor rest. Drop automatic news feeds from your phone. Find common ground with your neighbors, family, co-workers, and friends. You aren’t going to change peoples’ viewpoints so don’t spend energy on trying to do so. Just because you have different viewpoints don’t view it as a reason to dislike someone or cut them out of your life. One of the best examples was the close friendship of Justices Ginsburg and Scalia. They often had opposing views on the Supreme Court. Scalia noted, "I attack ides. I don't attack people. Some very good people have some very bad ideas."
• Project, plans, hobbies: Having too much time with little to do can become problematic, particularly if you end up as a couch potato watching endless hours of TV. Never tried any of the “take a breaks,” that are posted on Wednesdays? Now’s a good opportunity. There are literally hundreds and you can a new each day for a year. Take a Break Pinterest Consider taking a free online course. Learn something new. Start a hobby. Try some DIY home projects. The possibilities are endless.
• Plan ahead for the holidays: The upcoming holidays are looming large for people. All of the Halloween candy in the stores is a reminder that trick or treating and other seasonal favorites are going to be considerably different this year. The CDC has set up a website to help specifically plan safe holidays.
• Consider forming quaranteams, bubbles or pods with a select group of people. Check out the following:
Creating a pandemic social bubble: A How to Guide.
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