Category: Health Minute

Emotionally, Physically, Spiritually and Mentally. So tell me, How ya doing?

Published on by Roshonda B2 Comments

Featured Photo by cottonbro from Pexels

Hey, Friends. It’s been a cool minute since my last post.

Is this quarantine life crazy or WHAT! I guess I really didn’t know how or what to expect from the now “social-distancing” mantra that’s hit the WHOLE WORLD by storm. As I stated in my “Rona Post” – I’m one that really doesn’t take things too seriously? But in this case, things are VERY much serious indeed.

I believe more serious than any of us can or would have imagined. It has me asking questions like, “How did something like this get SO out of control?” and/or “Can this virus really be killed by heat?” it’s so many conflicting information going on in regards to this virus, it’s hard to believe anything. I literally quit looking at the news – it’s just wasn’t good for me mentally. Feel me?

I’m about DONE with this whole virus talk and who got it and who died from it. It’s just so sad, my heart literally breaks. I heard a case recently of a child that had it and was turned away by the hospital because he didn’t have insurance, that child later died. See, that’s the reason why I stopped looking at the news and it’s not only that but my heart breaks for all the doctors, nurses, staff and essential workers who are still grinding during this pandemic – putting themselves at risk.

My prayers are with them and the families that have lost beautiful souls and the ones who have tested positive for COVID-19. I’m sure by now we ALL must know someone who either tested positive or died from the virus. My heart and prayers are with you as we all move forward with the hope that this will end soon and uncertainty as to what’s next.

In the midst of going through things like this, it can have a major impact on your Emotional, Mental, Spiritual and Physical health in which is what I want to talk about. So how are you doing?

I thought this would be a great post to check-in and give an update on my status as well as give tips or even listen to yours. Because with all this social-distancing going on as we push further and further away from even “touching” each other, it can feel socially-lonely.

Emotionally:

Well, I’ve already stated how this virus is making me feel emotional and that hasn’t changed. As stated, I had to quit watching the news. However; I get these rapid news breaks on my phone which doesn’t help BUT I decide what I “choose” to click on and what I “choose” to read. There’s a lot of conflicting information going on from stimulus checks, to who died of the virus and etc. Does the word “DOOMSCROLLING“ ring a bell?

You have a choice in what you choose to hear and what you choose to read, we all do. Instead of putting your emotions towards the loss, we’ve had; try focusing on the stories of individuals going out of their way to help others and/or the survivors including some elderly people who have conquered the virus. Where there’s bad news? There’s also good news – choose wisely.

Mentally:

Mental and emotional can sometimes go hand in hand with one another but one deals with the heart while the other deals with the mind. Your mental state during a “pandemic” can be very daunting. For instance, before things really “tightened” up concerning COVID-19. I went into the grocery store to purchase a couple of things AND while turning to go down the beverage aisle, I saw a purse on the shelf, like yes – someone literally left their purse on the shelf. I’ve been there before, I’ve put my keys and wallet on the shelf before and “out of sight, out of mind” just left – thank God every time I’ve gone back my items were still there (angels watching!) Without even thinking, I quickly grabbed the purse and took it to customer service. They had sanitizer up there, so I squeezed some in my hand after handing the clerk the purse and went on by my business. It wasn’t until I got in the car that I thought, “What if that person had COVID?” – My mind immediately went crazy! I was thinking about all types of weird, negative things. What if I had it? I thought.

And we ALL know that when we “think” things – next thing you know you feel like you have symptoms and etc. Well, that was well over a month ago and while a little tickle, sneeze or cough makes my mental psyche go coo-coo. I have to believe that God has me and I have to put my trust in him. Which brings me to my next emotion.

Spritually:

I will start this off segment off with this scripture – Isaiah 26:3 NIV “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!“ that scripture is fitting mentally as well. In this time of crisis, it’s good to have an anchor. For me that anchor is God, for you, it may be something else such as meditation or listening to mindful podcasts. I’ve heard quite a few people say that this pandemic is God’s way of getting our attention. His way of making sure that we spend more one-on-one time with him and I agree. Before this pandemic, I’m sure you like myself have maybe mentioned about there not being enough time in a day to do anything including spending time with the big man upstairs.

Well, this is the time. The time that you need and I need to do that. Prayer in times like these is very essential, needed and important. Prayer, time with God and meditation keeps you centered and “in perfect peace” as the scripture states. And we all need a “peace” of mind right about now. I’ve been doing the FIRST15 app. It’s an app that has a devotion, prayer, scripture, and song all in one day. It even allows you to journal your thoughts. It’s been really good, outside of the bible app to spend time with God for the first 15 minutes of your day. We all need something to keep us sane, so why not vamp up your spiritual mood.

Physically:

There’s a reason why I put this one LAST! It’s seriously HARD for me to get on a schedule. And what I mean by that is EXERCISE! I’ve downloaded a couple of workouts to my YTube playlist including one by Massy Arias – who is a personal trainer, she makes her workouts look so easy but the way her body is set up? I can tell, it’s definitely NOT! AND of course, it’s not just all about the workout but you have to EAT right as well and you would think since we’re all “quarantining” that I would have this figured out, but sad to say, I don’t! I guess it’s because exercise is not something I have been heavily involved in even prior to this pandemic. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not a stranger to exercise and when I’m in, I’M TOTALLY ALL THE WAY INNNN!!! However, the saying is true – the first time you stop exercising, it’s pretty much downhill from there, so let’s just say – I’ve been trotting downhill for months now! I’ve been trying to get on the bandwagon, although “quarantine” has me seemingly thinking about food ALL the time. I mean, it’s literally right in my lap now. LOL

BUT, I’m going to get it done. I feel like I need to get on track as we all could be out of quarantine in a couple months and I wouldn’t want this time to be wasted; that would be a REAL bummer. So pray for me that I stop being lazy and get back on the exercise track!

Well, outside of my kids being out of school and the online learning they now are subjected too and me making sure they stay on track with that. This has been my COVID-19, social-distancing, and quarantine LIFE! So, what’s been going on with you?

How are you doing emotionally, mentally, spiritually and physically? Let’s talk! You can email me at rblackmon58@gmail.com or tell me how you’re doing in the comments. I’d love to hear from you! Because in times like these, we all NEED each other.

In the meantime, Stay Well, Stay Safe, Follow the Directions given & Stay INDOORS as much as possible, this is also a great time to stay connected to loved ones & friends!

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Let’s Talk About this “Rona” The Coronavirus! – I know, I know…

Published on by Roshonda B1 Comment

Safety Precautions & What is “Pandemic” vs an “Epidemic” crisis

I know, before you give me a deep embedded *sigh* – by now you’ve probably heard about the coronavirus more times than anyone else would care too and I get it, I’m a little worn out of the word myself. However, now that this “Rona” as I call it, is no joke and truly something you should be preparing for. I thought I’d talk about the difference between what a pandemic and epidemic crisis is, along with giving you a couple of tips on how you can keep yourself as well as your home healthy.

So, first things first. What’s the difference between a pandemic and epidemic crisis. When first talks of the coronavirus began, I heard that it was just an epidemic crisis and monitoring was going on, however over the last weeks, it has now become a pandemic, which takes this “Rona” case from a 10 to a clear 100 overnight!

  • An Epidemic Crisis is: When a disease or illness is isolated to one region or country.
  • A Pandemic Crisis is: A widespread infectious disease, bacteria, or virus that sickens a large number of people worldwide.

Also, some other terms you need to know?

  • Asymptomatic – means someone is showing no symptoms.
  • Symptoms – showing known signs or a virus and/or illness.

Now that we have that out of the way and you know the difference because truth be told, I didn’t until more info about the “Rona” spread across the news waves and the trillion updates we’ve gotten for what seems like every min/hour after. However, it’s here and I have this strong feeling that it’s going to get worse before we see a light and rainbows at the end of the tunnel.

~ BUT DON’T FRET! ~

I know this too shall pass just like Y2K, Anthrax and everything else that came to shift the nation prior. Although this case seems like it will be remembered for years to come. In the wake of the “Rona” epidemic, there are things that you can do to stay well, be safe and keep you sanity on the up and up no matter the mad dash people are making to the stores in a frenzy!

Stay Well

With everything going on and as reports suggest, it’s best to drink plenty of water, take your multi’s and /or anything that will boost your immune system. I’m a HUGE fan of tea but not just any type of tea. I love the teas that have added health benefits to them such as this new one that I’m trying right now (see below) and it’s really good too. I got mine from Amazon but you can find it at your local Wal-Mart (I doubt if it’ll be gone off the shelves). I take my multi-vitamins as well as drink my Emergen-C! which is chock full of vitamin C. And not only wash your hands but give it a vigorous scrub, that way germs are actually getting washed off (more on sanitization next). You should increase fruit and veggie intake and get in a little exercise if you can – I plan to take out my walking tapes. You can walk around your house or in your neighborhood with discretion!

Vitacup Infused Green Tea – Amazon

Be Safe

The crazy thing about this “Rona” is that you just don’t know who’s a carrier and that could be anyone!! since the average person will not start showing symptoms for quite a few days. Most cities and states have already begun shutting businesses down or limiting the interaction of events in which involve people. We now reference this new terminology as “social-distancing” – If you just happen to go out, cover your mouth and neck with a scarf and be careful of the places you go and how many people are intended to be there. Carry sanitizer with you and take advantage of the sanitizer wipes in stores to wipe down your grocery and/or carry baskets. I would sanitize my hands afterward as well.

I know my friend Deborah started carrying Clorox wipes in a zip lock bag in her purse when she took them out to wipe down the table we were going to eat at for girls’ night out with us and another friend and took out her big bottle of sanitizer. I believe I realized at that point just how REAL things were, the waitress even asked her could she use some…lol. You have to protect yourself and others as well. Especially yourself, even if others don’t.

Sanity vs. Panicky

This health crisis has everyone up in arms, of course, you can tell by the empty shelves in the grocery stores and the rush to get EVERYTHING in sight’s eye whether you really need it or not. My friend told me over the weekend that she saw a guy come out of the store with five deep freezers, yes FIVE! and here it is I was debating on if I should get just one. I understand the concern and the frenzy because at this point, nobody knows the outcome or what’s really going to happen and I get it, however, remember in the bible when Jesus slept in the midst of that raging storm? (Matthew 8:23-27) He wasn’t fazed by it, neither was he fretful but the disciples were afraid and probably thought that the boat would capsize and they’d be lost at sea or something worse. When they awoke Jesus, crying for him to get up and do something about the endured crisis (epidemic), he spoke “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?”

With one word, he calmed the sea and everything was fine. What am I trying to say? This Pandemic scare is no different than that incident back in Jesus’s time. This is the time to ask yourself, am I going to panic? or stand still and trust that God has this ALL under control. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying NOT to prepare because afterall, I do believe God wants us to use wisdom even in this crisis but what I’m saying is that we shouldn’t allow this crisis to make us question our faith in the man who can say one word and calm all this chaos. But the faith is not so much in what God can do but in how you react to what’s in front of you. Are you going to fear, fail or fall under the mounting pressure?

Find something that will keep your mind occupied in this time, whether it be a song, a book, a quote or a reading of scripture such as the one provided above. Meditation is also a good source.

As I told my subscribers last week, If we survived Y2K, H1N1, Anthrax, Ebola and etc – we can surely fight our way through this one!

Much Love & Prayers to you and yours, Be Safe, Use Wisdom & Don’t forget to Sanitize! 

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Did you notice that I didn’t blog last week?, Well, I actually did. Did you miss it, did you miss me? Well, why not become a subscriber because there will be times that I’ll be sharing things there and not on here! Subscribe today to not MISS anything – whether I’m here or elsewhere!

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Also, with the cancellations and closures – most of us will be “stuck inside the house” is there anything you’d like me to talk about and/or discuss on the blog? leave a comment and let me know!

Spring has Sprung & So Has Your Footwear!

Published on by Roshonda B4 Comments

Featured image photo credit: by Ingo Joseph from Pexels

It’s been said that “Diamonds are a Girls best Friend” and while that statement may be true for some women and although “the diamond” just happens to be my birthstone. My diamonds were these best friends below…

Oh my gosh, you couldn’t get me NOT to wear a pair of 4, 5 or even 6 inch heels every day to work. I wore them so much, they actually became my staple. People knew me from the many different styles of heels I wore (Thanks JustFab!! – no this is not a sponsored post) but they too had become my best friend. I bought shoes so much until I literally had them take 39.00 out of my debit card just for shoes. Yes, too say I was addicted would be an understatement. I was so addicted I had well over 70 pairs of shoes – Yes, ALL HEELS #mydiamonds

People often wondered how I was able to walk in those pointy killers every…single…day and I would just say, Oh it’s easy….HA! It sure was, what they didn’t know and I shared this with a best friend one time is that those shoes were easy because they were on platforms, which brought a little comfort to my heel and forefront. Also what they didn’t know was that most of those heels were harsh on my feet and toes, however; I’d endure the pain because I didn’t want anyone to see me without them on….after all, I had made a reputation for myself and sometimes, reputations are hard to break….OUCH!

Well, the ending of the story above is that when I moved to another job. I had high hopes of continuing to wear my glorious heels but this job was different and caused me to walk up hills and sometimes very long distances, I did that twice in a couple of 5 inchers and tore them slam up. It wasn’t long after that I had to move to an new group of shoes that I thought I’d die if I was ever caught in….If you guessed “flats” you’re so right!

After years of being on my job I’m actually thankful about both transitions, the job and the heels. Now I can’t even bare to stand up in a pair of heels without screaming….they hurt my feet soooo bad. I did take the picture below, and while my feet looked as if they were being premiered for the red carpet – my top half (in which the picture doesn’t show) was holding on to my shower curtain with dear LIFE!! and praying it wouldn’t fail me….ha-ha, if you could’ve seen the look on my face, it definitely didn’t match the bottom….lol

My attempt to wear heels again, EPIC FAIL!

So, here’s my question to you. “Is it time for you to change up your shoes? Now that spring is officially here (although the weather seems to be playing peek-a-boo with those details) it’s the time of year where the weather is warmer and you know what that means, it’s time to get out the house and enjoy the weather, by either exercising and/or just enjoying a day out with family or friends. And our feet and the shoes we choose will play a BIG role in both of those activities.

Too tight shoes can cause issues with not only your feet but your posture as well. I have lower back pain today due to wearing high heels for prolonged periods of times. High heels place your feet in a very high and uncomfortable position, it stretches your arch completely out of shape.

Your feet can tell you a lot about your health and most often will show signs of concern before your other body parts get the message.

If you love high heels like I once did, it’s best to take a break from them and/or carry a flat pair of shoes with you so if your feet get tired or achy, you can switch into something a little more comfortable.

It’s also very important that you have the correct exercise shoes as well. I have to be honest, when it came to working out; I thought all tennis shoes were created equal. I didn’t think it mattered what you wore as long as it wasn’t heels during a workout (sorry, everyone can’t be like Mariah Carey), but boy was I wrong! I remember taking a Jazzercise class some years ago and always wondered why I felt fatigued during the workout. I didn’t think anything of it, just chalked it up to being out of shape. However I learned that yes, I was out of shape BUT I needed workout shoes. Ms. Roxanne, which was the lady that ran the class, began telling us about these special shoes that would help us in workout. The shoes didn’t look like much of nothing, but she promised they would not only support our feet but we’d feel better during workout…


Photo by Pixabay from Pexels

Sixty-dollars later (in which I thought was a lot of money for a pair of ugly shoes) I was hooked! Those shoes were on point, not only did I feel better but I felt as if they helped me move better as well, they were good for my back and overall I felt really good. It was then that I realized that exercise shoes were not created equal and it’s not just hype. You really do need special shoes to exercise, for your feet’s sake and your health too!!

So to sum up this post – spring is here and that means it’s time to clean up the old and bring in the new, including a good pair of shoes. Your feet are very important, you need them and they need you to take care of them so they can take care of you.

While we’re now springing forward, make sure taking care of your most prized possession is able to move along with you.

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For more information on foot care and what proper shoes to get for exercising, check out these links below:

WHAT CAN YOUR FEET TELL YOU ABOUT YOUR HEALTH

8 tips for buying shoes that are good to your feet

Are Your Shoes Killing You?

The best workout shoes for women, according to fitness experts

10 Best Workout Shoes for Men 2019