Communitea Resilience Guide for COVID 19

Written By Ginger Edwards

First, wherever you are reading this I hope you, your family, and loved ones are safe. Brigham and I are staying put on the coast and working on growing our medicinal herbs and tea blends for this spring. We’re prepared to stick to the farm for the next 4-6 weeks, or as long as needed to help stop the spread of this virus.

I am hoping this blog post will help to:

  1. Tune into the resilient and nurture culture things that are happening right now .

  2. Share resources that can help you or someone you know get through this safely.

  3. Get grounded so you can help stop the spreading of stress, fear, panic, and anxiety. 

This is an unprecedented moment in history and one that people will be reflecting back on for generations to come. Let’s make it the story of how we all stayed in our hearts, helped each other through, shared resources and decided together to create a healthier more equitable and peaceful world going forward. Peace begins with a healthy, and calm YOU. Your energy now has a powerful effect on those around you. The deeper we ground into our mental, emotional, and physical self-care, the more resilient we will stay. And the more resilient we stay, the stronger we’ll be for our families, friends, coworkers, and community at large. 

“And The People Stayed Home

And the people stayed home. And read books, and listened, and rested, and exercised, and made art, and played games, and learned new ways of being, and were still. And listened more deeply. Some meditated, some prayed, some danced. Some met their shadows. And the people began to think differently.

And the people healed. And, in the absence of people living in ignorant, dangerous, mindless, and heartless ways, the earth began to heal.

And when the danger passed, and the people joined together again, they grieved their losses, and made new choices, and dreamed new images, and created new ways to live and heal the earth fully, as they had been healed.”

- Kitty O'Meara

Not every section below will apply to your situation. Take what works for you and leave the rest. I borrowed this whole format from MarieForleo.com (one of my fave coaches) and added to it with things that inspire me and I find useful so please check out her website for lots more info and guidance!

Herbal Resources

The DragonTree Apothecary and Dr. Peter Borton video blogs on COVID 19

Vital Ways Herbal School Page on COVID 19

Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine Immunity pages

Recipe and Home Cooking Resources

The Smitten Kitchen

Real Food Outlaws

New York Times Cooking

The Minimalist Baker

Oregon Businesses Help and Support

COMMUNICATION MATERIAL:

In an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, Governor Brown released an Executive Order “Stay Home, Save Lives” on March 23. This new policy orders Oregonians to stay in their homes whenever possible and includes stronger language around approved activities and business operations.

Check the  Oregon Health Authority’s COVID-19 page daily for new messages, new social tiles as well as social tiles that have been translated in eight languages.

BUSINESS RESOURCES & ASSISTANCE:

RESOURCES FOR THE MOST UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION:  

TRAVEL RECOMMENDATIONS: 

  • Travel Oregon’s Travel Alerts

  • Check the CDC for countries with current travel restrictions

How To Manage Coronavirus-Related Stress, Fear & Anxiety

Here are some Marie Forleo TV episodes on fear, stress, and anxiety that will help you cultivate a calmer, stronger, healthier mental state.

If you’re struggling with the negativity around you, watch:

Stressed out about life, kids, money, work, health and… everything? Watch:

Virtual therapy/counseling:

Meditation apps:

Funny, Inspiring, and Feel-Good Responses During the Coronavirus

Did you know that research shows laughing is proven to reduce stress and improve your immune system? 

Here are some IG posts that are brightening my day:

If you’re looking for feel-good accounts to follow, here are some great resources:

How to Stay Active & Keep Exercising Without The Gym 

Staying physically active and getting regular workouts is critical right now. Working out keeps your immune system strong and your state of mind clear, calm, and stress free. I cannot stress the importance of staying active and strong enough! Here are a few resources to make sure you stay moving.

  • DownDog App has made all their apps completely free until April 1st. You can choose from hundreds of at-home yoga, HIIT, Barre, and 7-minute workouts. 

  • Glo is offering free online yoga, meditation and pilates workouts to help deal with anxiety.

  • Fitness Marshall is my favorite dance fitness guru on youtube!

  • Yoga with Adriene offers amazing free yoga classes on YouTube, and is welcoming to all abilities and body types.

  • This article from Glamour lists 31 of the best free fitness apps to try.

  • Ryan Heffington, a well-known dance choreographer in LA, is leading scheduled dance parties on IG Live for folks who are quarantined.

How to Educate & Entertain Kids That Are Suddenly In Your House — All The Time!

Here are some at-home learning resources and activities:

When in doubt, turn to YouTube! There are channels for:

Social distancing during coronavirus doesn’t have to mean total isolation or feeling lonely. Technology offers countless ways to stay connected to your family, friends, and community.

  • NextDoor has quickly become an essential way to connect with your neighbors while you’re hunkering down inside. You can connect with others, check in on the vulnerable around you, and if you have extra supplies or an essential that someone else needs, you can drop them at your neighbor’s door. 

  • Facetime, Skype, and Zoom hangouts: sounds obvious I know. But most of my dearest friends and family do not live in the same place. We have coffee dates, lunches and hangout time regularly. 

  • Netflix Parties. This Chrome plugin lets you watch your favorite Netflix show in tandem with friends, making you feel like you’re at a slumber party from the comfort of your own home.  

  • Take a virtual field trip! Watch sea animals at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, go on a tour of the Louvre, explore Yellowstone National Park, or hop on over to the Van Gogh museum.

  • This is a fantastic blog post written by a cancer survivor who spent nearly 9 months self-isolating last year and has some great tips on how to stay happy, healthy, and connected to the people you love.

Ways to Serve Your Community During the Coronavirus

At a time like this, we must keep the most vulnerable top of mind. Lots of communities have been hit extremely hard and we need to offer all the help we can. (And if you’re one of the people who needs assistance, please tell us in the comments how we can help. We’ll continue to update this blog post with resources as we get them.)

  • Donate to your local food bank. If possible, money is better than groceries. Why? Because local food banks can often buy food in bulk, helping them purchase more food at lower prices.  

  • Keep paying people if you can. Can you keep paying your kid’s daycare or house cleaner? Or if not the full rate, perhaps a portion?

  • Post on Nextdoor offering to do grocery shopping for those in your neighborhood who are at-risk.

  • Buy gift cards from local businesses to support them now while they’re strained or at risk of closing for good. 

  • Support your artists. Patreon held a Weird Stream-a-thon to raise money for artists financially affected by Covid-19. You can contribute to this fundraiser via PayPal here, or apply to receive support here.

  • Help out your local farmers by joining a CSA or ordering meat and dairy for delivery from a local producer. The closing of restaurants has hit farms hard and they are having trouble paying for labor during spring planting season. also: You could order teas from your local herb farm- hint hint.

Many thanks again to Marie Forleo and Travel Oregon for parts of this list. I have added my 2 cents and will keep adding resources as I come across them! Please do let me know in the comments if you have found a resource online that has inspired or helped you and I will be happy to add it here. We will get through this thing together! Sending so much love to you from our farm and retreat on the Oregon coast.

Drink tea. Be well!

love Ginger

Ginger Edwards
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