Economy and Health During Covid-19

We all know by now the basic strategies – wash hands, social distance, self isolate, repeat.

What hardly gets mentioned though, is that with a robust immunity,  the flu will be managed by your system either asymptomatically, or after a few days of fever.

So if that is the case, would it not make sense to pursue a society of healthy, robust citizens?

Hailing the economy, and not our health, as the ultimate goal of a society is unwise.  Covid-19 is simply a glimpse into the future.  Economies will tank if we aren’t healthy.

Not so sure?  Well, let’s just consider the autism statistics in North America as an example.  In 1975, for every 10 000 children, there was a single case of autism.  Then the graph starts to climb.  1/2500 (1985), 1/500 (1995),  1/250 (2001), 1/166 (2004), 1/150 (2007), 1/110 (2009), 1/50 (2013), 1/38 (2018).   At this rate, by 2035, 1/2 kids will be on the autistic spectrum.   If this were the case, how do you think our economy would be then?  

That is looking at just one disorder.  Throw in diabetes, obesity, heart disease, mood disorders, asthma, etc, and we have a society that is hardly capable of creating any GDP.  Of the Gross Domestic Product we would create, most would get spent on health care.  What media doesn’t tell you is that we are on the road to economic ruin no matter what.  Unless, that is, we commit to nurturing a healthy society.

So let’s let this virus be a wake up call to all of us.  Make health a priority in our lives!  Our economy depends on it. 

So what do we do now?  Being healthy is up to each of us to figure out.  It is a life long journey of learning, experimenting, and fine tuning.  I will leave you with 4 easy tips though, to keep in mind while you are surfing this wave of paranoia and global shutdown.

1. Stop worrying.  Negative emotions suppress the immune system.  Get off facebook and get on a health program.  Download a free meditation app.  Think creatively how you are going to use this time to your advantage.  Volunteer your skills somehow.  Be grateful for what you do have.  Anything but worry.
2. Communicate.  Facetime, Snapchat, Skype, there are no shortages of apps to use.  Have real conversations with uplifting people.  With loved ones.  They are out there.  Talk about the positives in your lives.  Bury the hatchet with someone if you can.  Sing and dance with your kids.  Whatever it takes.  Just don’t stew in front of the screen watching pandemic updates and social media hysteria.
3. Make stock.  That’s right.  Nothing like a good wholesome broth to take care of oneself and family.  There is no shortage of folklore out there talking about the benefits of broth.  There is no shortage of science to back it up either.  Take this time to learn how.  Source a local farmer or butcher for soup bones.  Questions on how? Message me.  I can help you.
4. Sleep.  Sleep could be more important then diet and exercise combined some experts believe.  It is when your body goes into repair mode.  There are plenty of resources out there to get a good nights rest, so if feeling refreshed in the morning is an issue, start doing your research.  Just not in the evening – screen time an hour or two before bed time is not what you want…

Use this time wisely.  While we may be in the middle of a crisis, we are still able to decide how we think, what we do, and how we conduct ourselves.  Use this time as an opportunity for growth.  Let’s emerge better than we were before.