With the widespread coverage of the coronavirus, numerous articles, press conferences, and social media posts, including footage of panicked people acting frantically, even unkindly, it’s easy to become swept up in the rising tide of anxiety.
However, there’s a catch we need to discuss. As a 2017 article published in Computers in Human Behavior noted:
“Exposure to chronic stress can suppress immune function and increase susceptibility to infection.”
During this pandemic, it is crucial that we remain well-informed and take appropriate, considered steps. It is also essential that we protect our mental well-being. PCOS and COVID-19 both can bring ongoing psychological stress, including constant exposure to negative messaging, and can directly impact our mental state.
Read our article, The PCOS Stress Link: PCOS Causes Stress, Stress Causes PCOS Symptoms.
I have noticed a personal collision: when my immersion in current news soars, the ease at which I feel overwhelmed does, too. I am a sensitive soul, highly attuned to the worries of the world. I can’t not take it in… Unless I appreciate this aspect of my personality and calm my inner storm by culling my outer exposure.
Regardless of your level of sensitivity, it’s essential to stem the flow of unhelpful, harmful and unnecessary information…
As my Mum says, “Worry about your circle of influence, not your circle of concern.”
With a veritable avalanche of advice leaping off print and digital pages, potentially triggering rises in adrenaline and cortisol, let’s look at some evidence-based ways to lower the load of distress and improve your immune function. The positive impacts will aid both PCOS and COVID-19…
Physical exercise
As the coronavirus lockdowns differ in different locations, the ability to get out and about may vary. Our ability to exercise, though, does not. Unless we are infected, that is.
Being physically active leads to prompt relaxation…
A study published in Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport found that those who practised hatha yoga felt less angry, anxious, confused, depressed, and tense immediately following a session. Yoga can be practised at home, and this excellent discipline can be adapted to suit if chronic pain or other challenges limit exercise options. For a complimentary yoga class, visit YouTube.
Adequate physical activity plays a key role in healthy immune function. For example, researchers have noted that those who engage in “moderate exercise programs experience reduced URTI [upper respiratory tract infection] incidence and duration.”
How much exercise should you do?
According to the review article The compelling link between physical activity and the body’s defence system, ” from which the above quote is taken, walking 45 minutes per day, five days per week, is sufficient. You can expect a reduction in incidence, lower severity, and shorter longevity of illness. Stretching programs of a similar length also gifted protective results.
The proviso… Going to extremes can harm the immune system.
If you are able and allowed, walk along the beach, through the park, down local streets. It will be easy for most people to avoid close contact and maintain sensible social distancing.
If you are housebound, consider working out with exercise DVDs, streaming classes, or reviving that long-disused home gym. Dance, clean, and engage in wall pushups and floor crunches. Imagination is an excellent resource; it may be time to get creative!
Sensible engagement in social media
Social media can be an excellent tool in a world where social distancing is becoming increasingly common. Being able to digitally connect, to share, and to chat is crucial. But scrolling through posts that provoke deep concern will undermine these benefits.
Returning to the article mentioned above, the authors investigated whether Facebook access was limited to anxiety and upper respiratory tract infections. The authors concluded that:
Subjects who reported that Facebook provoked anxiety/stress demonstrated a significantly higher number of [URTI] than those not reporting Facebook-induced anxiety/stress, and having more Facebook friends was associated with increased anxiety/stress and the number of [URTI].
Those with anxiety related to their Facebook use showed increased rates of Facebook logins, and these behaviour patterns were linked to poorer health.
I’d encourage you to connect with your loved ones via PM and calls, but don’t scroll. Avoid misinformation and easily spread panic. Gain needed information from reputable sources only. If you must scroll, choose to do so in a group like The Kindness Pandemic. It is heartwarming.
Sound sleep
Sufficient sound sleep is crucial for the healthy function of our immune system. As the authors of an article published in the journal, Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, said:
Prolonged and severe sleep deprivation is associated with alterations of natural and cellular immune function.
They found that a single night of poor slumber resulted in a reduction of natural immune responses, including the activity of natural killer cells. The wonderful finding? The following night of recovery sleep, levels return to normal.
Yet women with PCOS are more at risk of sleep disorders. We talk about this in our article, PCOS and Sleep Disorders: Natural Remedies to get a Good Night’s Sleep.
Adequate sleep also protects us from the stressors and strains of life’s typical — and unusual — challenges. Now is undoubtedly a time of great psychological stress for many. The American Psychological Association (APA) noted that when we don’t get enough shut-eye, we’re more likely to experience anger, irritability, and overwhelm. Additionally, there is associated fatigue and a lack of motivation, including a reluctance to exercise. As we’ve seen above, being physically active is essential.
How can you improve your sleep?
As challenging as it may seem, and despite the numerous challenges posed by the current COVID-19 pandemic, we must employ healthy strategies to sleep well and manage our stress. These can be free and may help:
1) Meditate during the day and before sleep
2) Ensure your bedroom is dark, quiet and cool
3) Get out into the sunlight in the morning
4) Practice deep breathing techniques
5) Give the Military Method a try
6) Keep a diary by your bed so if you wake in the night, worried, you can jot them down and let them go, safe in the knowledge they’ll be there in the morning
7) Ensure your bedding is comfortable and supportive
8) Have a warm shower or bath before bedtime
9) Eliminate blue light for at least 90 minutes before retiring. That means setting down your screens or, at least, using a blue light filter
10) Use lavender oil for its evidence-based mild sedative abilities
11) Drink tea and carry on, as the English say. This is one of my go-tos. I find it brings me into a state of mindfulness, provides some much-needed space, and works well.
If you have any tips on how to help you sleep well, please share them in the comments. We’d love to hear!
Meditate regularly
I love, love meditation! This simple practice has been profoundly beneficial in my life in numerous ways. I believe it is one of the best strategies to calm stress and improve the quality of our lives, relationships and health. Meditation has also been shown to boost our immune system.
The study Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation showed that “Mindfulness meditation produces demonstrable effects on brain and immune function.” The intervention involved an 8-week training program and resulted in significant increases in antibody titres. That’s good news given our current world challenges.
The funny thing is that many people misunderstand meditation. They worry that they can’t empty their minds. That’s they’ve tried it before and somehow failed. But that’s not what meditation is about. Stopping the monkey chatter is nigh on impossible, so let go of that aim.
I’m currently reading A Monk’s Guide to Happiness. In it, author Gelong Thubten explains that there are three parts to meditation: being present, losing awareness, and then returning to presence. He believes that the losing awareness, the part of us that thinks, runs off with our thoughts, and then considers that we have failed, is in fact a crucial part of success. It allows us to notice and then decide to bring ourselves back to presence.
In a way, it’s like running. Every step we take propels us forward, and it’s only by being aware of the change that we can catch ourselves with the other leg.
If you are new to meditation, try a verbal guided form. This guidance will remind you to return to the present moment, to let your monkey mind relax, and to calm the inner storm. There are many available online for free. You may also want to consider using a tool. For example, focusing on the breath or a candle can lead to greater states of meditation and ease.
I often use my phone, earplugs and a meditation app. I have chronic pain, so I lie on my lovely bed, sometimes with a hot water bottle (or two if I’m being honest). Some sessions, I think… A lot. Others, I don’t. When I think, I can strengthen my muscles to come back to the present moment. Either way, even moments of calm bred relaxation and peace.
Please, let go of judgment. Like the weather, some days will be filled with clouds. Others, clear blue sky. Mother Earth hasn’t gotten it wrong because clouds cover the blue beyond them. Neither have you when you ponder during meditation.
As the quote I shared at the beginning of this article said, exposure to chronic stress can suppress immune function and increase susceptibility to infection. It is unhelpful and harmful for PCOS and COVID-19.
I’d love this article to be a work in progress, evolving and expanding. Please let me know what you think should be added, or if you have any questions. I will then dive into the research and write more. I hope this will provide you with evidence-based strategies to support yourself and your loved ones through the COVID-19 epidemic. I also hope that this knowledge will, in and of itself, lower your stress.
From PCOS to perfect health, with love,
Dr. Rebecca Harwin
The PCOS Expert
Chiropractor & Bestselling Author of
Conquer Your PCOS Naturally
www.ConquerYourPCOSNaturally.com
P.S. If you need a space safe during these challenging times, join us in our complimentary Facebook group: www.facebook.com/groups/conqueryourpcos/. Stress can worsen PCOS signs and symptoms, but more than this, we need to support each other in what are, for many, trying times.
