Experiencing A Global Pandemic: surviving the crisis + the impact on mental health

I never in a million years thought I would be experiencing something like this.  When I was younger, my biggest fears were getting kidnapped, my house catching on fire, and missing my favorite TV show.  Now, I’m currently living with the biggest fear I never knew I had: a global pandemic.

My brain is trying to comprehend everything.  How this situation evolved to what it is currently.  The first time I remember even hearing someone mention the word “coronavirus” was probably back in January, when the news first broke about the outbreak in China.  To be honest, I was one who thought maybe it would just stay over there and be merely some “foreign disease.”  I was wrong.  It didn’t take long for this thing to find its way into our country’s borders.  That was when I knew it wouldn’t be long before it came to my state.  And it did.  It continued to spread and become the crisis it is now.

I have never seen gas prices so low.

I have never seen so many of my favorite places close their doors.

I have never seen the shelves at the grocery store so empty.

I have never seen people fight over toilet paper.

I have never seen so many lives turned upside down.

But this is our new reality- for the next few weeks, months, and possibly years.

As a side note, being a business student, I am quite intrigued with how this pandemic will affect the economy in the years to come.  But I am not here to talk about the economic impact of this situation.  Maybe the next post will be about economics, but right now I want to talk about mental health.  Mine and yours.  For some of us, this is going to take a huge toll on our mental health over the next few weeks.  I personally am not one who is easy going when it comes to change.  Change is my worst enemy and I have been fighting it for the last several months as I adjust to the new lifestyle I have.  Now I must fight it in the face of a global pandemic.

It feels as though everything is turned upside down.  I cannot go to work, I cannot go to school, I cannot see my friends and the people I love the most.  It’s hard to believe this is a new reality for all of us.  What scares me the most is how long it is going to last.  Already it’s been months, and the virus does not show signs of slowing down anytime soon.  I hope and pray that is gone by the time summer comes around, but everything is so uncertain right now.  That’s another thing that is making me anxious- the uncertainty of the situation.  I feel very nervous and worried not knowing what might happen next.  I keep telling myself that it cannot possibly get any worse, but we have been warned the worst is still yet to come.

However, despite these thoughts and fears, I am still holding onto a thread of hope.  There is always a light at the end of the tunnel.  In the meantime, I want to share with you guys some of the things I have been doing while being self-quarantined.

1.  Get up at your usual time

Sleeping in is actually not good for your body.  Get enough rest, but try to get up early and start your day as you normally would

2.  Get ready for the day

This was a big one for me.  I have found that I feel better if I still get dressed and do my makeup and hair as I would if I was going out for the day. 

3.  Work on projects you didn’t have time to do before

Now that you have all the time in the world, pick up a new hobby or do a house project you’ve been wanting to do for a while.  I’ve been using this time to work on my blog and YouTube channel (subscribe for quarantine vlogs.)

4.  Get outside

As long as you social distance yourself from anyone you may encounter, getting outdoors will help unleash those stuffy feelings and allow you some fresh air.

5.  Reflect

I’ve been taking this time to look back on the last several months and evaluate some things I need to work on as well as applaud myself for the good changes I’ve made.  Use this time away from other people to work on and take good care of yourself.

I hope this was helpful to some of you who may be experiencing the same feelings I am.  I hope that we will all be able to return to normalcy soon; but in the meantime, wash your hands, stay home, and stay healthy.

Eating Vegan for a Week

            “You’re crazy right?” yeah, that’s exactly what I said to myself too.  There’s all kinds of crazy rumors about vegans.  A lot of people ask “so what do vegans eat?” and don’t actually know what vegan means.  So if you’re one of those people, here’s something that will make things a lot more clear for you”

Vegan- no animal products (dairy, meat, eggs, etc.)

At first it seems really scary, but when you think about all the things you CAN eat, it gets better I promise.  In fact, there are probably things you eat every day that are vegan and you don’t even realize it.  It’s not always necessary to change your whole diet (unless of course it’s for a health related reason).  It’s easier to start out with the foods you’re already used too, instead of suddenly changing everything.

So now I’m going to tell you about my experience.  I would like to say, however, that if you’re seriously considering becoming a vegan to give it a lot more time than just one week, which is what I chose to do.  Lifestyle choices like this take a while to take effect.

Monday

From my journal:

[eating vegan] was a lot easier than I expected it to be.  I barely even felt tempted to eat anything else.  I think the most important thing is to have the right mindset (saying “I CAN do this” instead of “this is way too hard”).  I ate dinner at Olive Garden and it was extremely difficult to order something that wasn’t vegan, but overall it was a good start to the week

So obviously the first day wasn’t too hard, aside from the Olive Garden part.  Olive Garden is one of my FAVORITE restaurants ever, so getting something vegan was a little hard for me (but I still enjoyed it anyway).  Also, I have a short story about the whole Olive Garden experience.  So I wasn’t sure if I could have the breadsticks they serve, so I asked the waitress about it and she told me the breadsticks were not vegan, and did in fact, have egg in them.  So I went home, disappointed, but later as I was looking on a website that tells you about the food at Olive Garden (for vegans, vegetarians, and people with allergies), it said that they were indeed vegan after all.  So if anyone who works at Olive Garden is reading this, you owe this girl some breadsticks.

What I ate:

Breakfast- apples and cinnamon oatmeal

Lunch- chickpea salad (like chicken salad except made with chickpeas and vegan mayo. Tastes DELICIOUS), Trisquit crackers, and mango

Dinner- pasta with marinara sauce and salad

Snacks- waffle fries from Chick-fil-A

Tuesday

From my journal:

Still going strong!  Today was a little harder than yesterday, just because I felt “restrained from eating other foods.  I felt really tired in the morning, but I’m not sure if it was from my new diet or from something else.  But other than that, day 2 was a success!

            So yes, the motivation and perseverance from day 1 had worn off by day 2, but still pretty good by my standards. I read that it’s important to make sure you’re getting the correct amount of protein and vitamins that are in things like meat and dairy, so that’s one thing to remember if you’re considering going vegan.  I wasn’t trying too hard, since it was only for a week, but if you’re going to be eating vegan for a long time, make sure you’re eating the proper amounts of protein and vitamins.

What I ate:

Breakfast- peanut butter whole wheat toast

Lunch- chickpea salad and harvest grains (a mix of quinoa, orzo pasta, and corn from Trader Joe’s.  THE BEST)

Dinner- leftovers from Olive Garden, salad, and garlic toast

Snacks- orange, mug cake, cereal

Wednesday

From my journal:

It got a lot harder to stay focused and not eat things that I can’t have.  I think it’s mostly out of laziness because it takes a lot longer to prepare vegan and healthier food.  But on the positive side, I am getting more used to it.  I definitely don’t miss eating meat.  I’ve noticed I feel really good after I eat too.  I don’t feel bloated or sick after I eat which is really nice.

            That was when I started to notice the effect of what I was and wasn’t eating.  I really don’t like meat that much, so that was why I said it was one of the easier parts.  Also, I wasn’t feeling sick or bloated after I eat too, which is something I normally feel after I eat a big meal.

What I ate:

Breakfast- apples and cinnamon oatmeal

Lunch- baked potato and brown rice

Dinner- Mexican chopped salad wrap and tortilla chips

Snacks- apple, Trisquit crackers

Thursday

From my journal:

I expected to give up by now and eat something I can’t have, but that still has yet to happen.  Today I felt a little more “full” from my meals than I have the last few days.  The problem is that these foods still fill you up, but not for as long so you’re hungry more often.  Today was definitely easier and I’m still not missing anything.

            So yes, by this day I’ve gotten in the rhythm and routine of this, still not missing anything.  Also another thing is that like I mentioned, you still feel full and fulfilled from these meals, but just not for as long.

What I ate:

Breakfast- cereal

Lunch- Mexican chopped salad wrap and tortilla chips

Dinner- pineapple stir fry, peas, and a corn muffin

Snacks- crackers and hummus, mug cake

Friday

From my journal:

Still going strong as a vegan!  I really thought I wouldn’t last this long, but I’m actually starting to like it.  I feel less conscious of what I’m eating now, like it’s become a routine.  I haven’t been missing the way I used to eat either, and I’m considering sticking with this if it is successful.  Now all I have to do is make it through the weekend!

Okay so by this point I’m starting to get used to it….and surprisingly liking it!  I didn’t have to think as much about what I was eating, and nope, still not missing anything.

What I ate:

Breakfast- cereal

Lunch- pasta and fruit

Dinner- enchiladas, white corn, and corn muffin

Snacks- ritz crackers, trisquits and hummus

Saturday

From my journal:

            Today was probably one of the harder days because I went to work and all the food there was so tempting.  Then I went to Cracker Barrel for dinner and they had hardly anything that I could eat.  I still feel pretty good though (besides hungry all the time).

            So like I said, I went to work where I was pretty much surrounded with things I couldn’t eat.  Resisting the temptation was so hard, but I only had one more day left so I couldn’t mess up at the end right?  And let me just say, restaurants really need to get on it and have more vegan options.

What I ate:

Breakfast- apples and cinnamon oatmeal

Lunch- black bean/hummus veggie wrap, apple, and pita crackers

Dinner- salad, fresh fruit, and fries

Snacks- toast with jelly

Sunday

From my journal:

            Today was the last day!  I’m so happy but also kind of sad at the same time.  I’m really glad I did this experiment because I felt so good about what I was eating.  One thing I did crave today was dessert….not surprising, really.  Anything with sugar was on my mind today.  I also didn’t feel as full after lunch, which is one of the biggest things I’ve noticed this week.  But I did it!

            It’s such a good feeling to prove yourself wrong.  I never thought that I would last the entire week, but I did!  Like I said, I craved a lot of sugar today but I craved that even when I wasn’t a vegan.  But I had a lot of motivation to stay focused obviously, since it was the last day.  But I did it!

What I ate:

Breakfast- cereal and toast

Lunch- salad, pita chips, and hummus

Dinner- Samosa patties,

            So that was it!  As I said, I’m so glad I did this because you really do feel better about what you’re eating.  I would totally encourage doing this if you’re considering being vegan or vegetarian.  Just try it out and see how it goes.  Also, if you’re already vegan or vegetarian, send me some of your favorite recipes! 

Think of the last time you held a baby.  Maybe it was your own child, grandchild, niece, or nephew.  Whoever it was, just think about it for a minute.  Now think about that child being taken out of your life.  Think about that baby not having a laugh or cry.  Not even a heartbeat.  Imagine a world without a baby’s laughter.  What would it be like? 

                In the year 2014, approximately 926,240 abortions took place in just the U.S. alone.  That’s thousands of lives being taken away before they even have a voice.  Thousands of innocent babies that could have had a whole life ahead of them.  In my opinion, killing anything with a heartbeat is murder.  No exceptions.  Not in any case should it be legal to murder.  Whether you can see the life being taken or not, it is still a life. 

                Some women will state that their pregnancy was an “accident”, though I think it would be unfair to consider consensual sex an “accident”.  If it was, then it would be an accident that could have been easily prevented and by no means am I referring to birth control.  I don’t believe in birth control, or any other form of what people these days consider “safe sex”.  You know when sex is safe?  When you have a ring on your finger, a roof over your head, and a job to provide you with the finances to care for a child.  It’s as simple as that.  Until you have those things, all it takes is the word “no”.

                But what about circumstances such as rape?  Surprisingly, only 5% of the 957 women who provided a reason for their abortion were rape victims.  That’s a small amount compared to the 25% who said they just weren’t ready for a child.  But again, I bring back my point that it should never be legal to murder under any circumstances.  Whether you were ready or not, killing is never the answer to your problem.

                There is, however, a healthier alternative for both the pregnant woman and the unborn child.  There are many couples in the world that would love to have a child but are physically unable to because of diseases such as Chlamydia that cause sterility in both male and female reproductive organs.  This is why it may be a wise choice for pregnant women to put their baby up for adoption after it is born.  Young children usually get adopted quickly and go to a loving home.  Doesn’t that sound like a much better alternative to abortion?

                Considering that most women said that they just weren’t ready for a child, ultimately the best decision would be to not even make it a possibility.  It’s that easy, and the safest, healthiest way to prevent pregnancy and women will never have to even face the decision of abortion.  As I stated before, taking birth control can minimize the chances of pregnancy but it is not 100% guaranteed, and often includes side effects such as headaches, weight gain, and can even increase the chances of a heart attack.  Not to mention that forgetting to take it will not allow it to work at all.

                As we are entering 2017, the numbers of pregnancies of young women ages 15-19 are growing, which means that the numbers of teen abortions are growing as well.  While the abortion rates are the highest in women ages 20-25, teen abortion and unplanned pregnancy is still an issue.  Most teens will drop out of school and never graduate because of parenthood.  It’s saddening to think that young girls just entering High School will have to raise a child (most of the time without the support of the father of the child).  If the awareness of abortion and teen pregnancy can reach girls and women before they have to face the issue, just think of how many abortions can be prevented just by talking about it.

                In most of the stories I’ve heard about women who chose to abort their unborn child, most of them regretted the decision after it was too late.  Then for the rest of their lives they had to live with the guilt of killing an innocent life.  Besides guilt, abortion can also result in depression for the woman who will live the rest of her life remembering what she did.  No one wants to live like that, so why even make it a choice?  And for the women, why make that decision?

                One thing many people argue is that abortion protects women’s rights.  Well, what about the rights of the unborn child who doesn’t even have a voice to make his or her own choices?  Shouldn’t that be considered as well?  Wouldn’t the rights of a baby be just as, or even more, important as the woman’s rights? 

                If there’s one positive thing that comes from unplanned pregnancy, it’s the fact that it teaches the importance of dealing with consequences.  As humans we all make mistakes, and we must deal with the consequences that come from making that mistake.  If abortion is just a way to prevent a consequence, then it would be okay to assume that making that mistake wasn’t a big deal because you’ve gotten around the consequence.  How are we ever going to learn from our mistakes if there aren’t any consequences to deal with?

                To sum things up, abortion is wrong, killing an innocent life is wrong, and anyone who supports abortion needs to spend a few Sundays in church.  It’s sickening to think that there are so many supporters of this hurtful crime, and hopefully one day we will live in a world where it is no longer legal to murder an unborn life.