Ways To Stay Positive (during Covid19 outbreak)⚠️

Staying positive is not always easy, especially when we are dealing with a nasty outbreak, home-based learning and the restrictions of social movements during a 'circuit breaker'. There are many uncertainty ahead and these drastic changes can be very stressful and overwhelming for many.

You may also wonder, how long will this Covid-19 outbreak last?

The truth is...no one really know the answer, as there are very limited information and unknown facts about the Covid-19 virus to date.

The experts called this a psychological war, it has indeed disrupted our lives physically and mentally. While it is not easy to conquer the fear and anxiety but there are some ways we can help ourselves to stay positive and manage our mental health during this global health crisis.

Adjust To New Routines

Accept new challenges and let go of the things that you can't control. Perhaps you may not like working from home, but remind yourself that these new routines are temporary and the regular activities will resume when the situation is much stabilized.

Stay Connected

You don't have to shut yourself from the world while isolating or staying at home, you can still connect with your family and friends frequently. Give support, show care & concern to one another and stay united! Video chat is a great way to keep in touch. (I use IG, FB, WhatsApp, Zoom, Skype & WeChat, so now you know where to find me!😄)

Pick Up New Hobbies

Staying at home is a good time to start learning new skills. Be productive. You can learn a new language, join a cooking class or music lessons, there are many free online courses that you could sign up to keep yourself occupied and do something that you are passionate about.

Talk It Out

Everyone react to situations differently, don't beat yourself up! It is perfectly normal to feel a sense of loss, frustration and confusion during a crisis, these emotions are real and valid, but remember that you are NOT alone and don't be afraid to reach out. You can always talk to a social worker/counsellor. There is help available if you need a listening ear or emotional support this period.

National CARE Hotline : 6202 6868 (24-hour)

Don't Overload Too Much Information

Get off the social media for a while, the daily news updates can be very distressing and emotional. Avoid reading too much information all day, it will only create more stress and anxiety, if you must watch the news, do it at a specific time or at the end of the day.

Positive Thoughts

Count your blessings. Focus on things that makes you happy, like playing music, cooking a nice meal, bonding with the kids, helping others and doing things that you enjoy. Keep your spirits up and have a positive attitude! Don't waste your time thinking about the past or the unknown. Worrying doesn't solve any problems so cheer up! 

Find New Meaning Of Life

Take time to reorganize your goals, take a break to recharge, to reflect and make new plans for the future. Not all changes are bad, find new opportunities and adopt new lifestyles.

It may take awhile to settle down with the new routines but these changes and precautionary measures are necessary to stop the spread in the community and to control the outbreak situation.

Be mindful that everyone play an important role to fight this battle. Let's not forget our front-line healthcare heroes, the doctors and nurses/staff for their hard work and courage for caring the patients and keeping us safe.

We can all do our part by practice good hygiene, social distancing, wear a mask when we are out and stay at home as much as possible.

It will be a tough and a long battle but we can overcome this together! Every crisis brings new perspective of life and enlightenment. We will always learn something new and important in every situation we shall overcome and after the rain... The Sun Will Shine Again! 🌞

Spread a little sunshine, kindness and love to those around you. Stay home, stay safe and stay positive! 😉

#SGUnited #SGCares #StayHome #FightCovid19 

Health Precautions For Covid-19 ⚠️

As we watch the daily news updates, it is depressing when the number of Coronavirus cases are increasing dramatically... and what makes it more emotional is when it hit during the Chinese New Year holiday where Chinese around the world will be traveling to celebrate the Lunar New Year.

The healthcare authority has issued travel bans, flights are suspended and health screenings/inspections are conducted at the airports/checkpoints for entries to Singapore. 

Pharmacies islandwide run out of face masks, thermometers and hand sanitizers, etc. Everyone is hunting for masks and grabbing disinfectant products they can find on the shelves. High demand products, especially the surgical masks are crazily overpriced in the black markets. (This is so wrong and should NOT be encouraged! )

While it's human nature to worry and panic about the deadly virus, but we should also try to remain calm. There are some precautionary measures that we can do to fight the coronavirus to protect ourselves and our love ones. 

Here are the list of things that I do to protect my family : 

* DISCLAIMER NOTICE *

(All information provided in this blog is my personal precautions and for general reference only. No medical advice intended.) 

1. Wash your hands with soap for at least 20 seconds. Always remember to wash your hands before and after meals.

Here's a video that demonstrates the steps to wash our hands and how to wear the mask the correct way.

2. Boost up Vitamin C. Drink lots of water, soup and juices. Add fruits in your diets. (Fruits are good source of Vitamin C that helps to prevent cold and infections, etc.) 

3. Wear a mask if you have a cough, runny nose or a fever. See a doctor if you are unwell and rest at home. 

4. Always carry a small bottle of hand sanitizer and antiseptic wipes. They are very useful and handy. (Alcohol-based hand rub/sanitizers are recommended by healthcare organisations.)

5. Avoid crowded places. Germs and viruses are airborne and easily spread from human to human. Avoid close contact with anyone with cold or flu-like symptoms.

6. I use air-purifiers and humidifiers at home, they help to improve air quality, perhaps it may not eliminate the viruses but it helps me sleep better anyway.

7. Make sure meat, seafood and eggs are well-cooked. We know that the Coronavirus (COVID-19) was first spread from animal to human and then transmitted from human to human. It's best to avoid taking any kind of raw food for now.

8. Parents with small children, please make sure their nails are trimmed often and teach the children how to wash their hands properly. Do NOT share utensils, water bottles or towels, etc.

9. Check your temperature regularly if you start to feel unwell. Seek medical assistance and treatment as soon as possible. 

10. Take a bath/shower immediately when you return from school, work, grocery shopping, etc...or at least wash your hands, legs and face thoroughly with soap. This is a standard routine for me since the (SARS) Outbreak in 2003. In my opinion, there's no such thing as being 'too clean', we should always practice good hygiene every day.

There is currently no vaccines or antiviral medication for the COVID-19 virus, symptoms can only be treated. What we can do is boost our immune system, promote good hygiene routines and avoid getting sick/infected.

Please wear a mask if you are unwell. The local health authority has handed out masks to every household in Singapore. I'm not a big fan of face mask and I know it's uncomfortable and hard to breathe freely with a mask on, but if you are unwell, it is important to protect yourself and everyone around you, especially during health crisis like this. I wear a mask when I pick up my kids from school, it's not a big deal for me to use a mask for personal hygiene and safety precautions. 

However, I don't encourage people to stock up tons of face masks, sanitizers and disinfectant products, it is fine to keep some for emergency use/purposes but Do NOT buy much more than you need!

I don't stock up face masks. In fact, I prefer filtered cloth flu mask because it's more comfortable, reusable and Eco-friendly. (But that's just my preference)

The healthcare authority recommended using 3ply surgical masks for protection against the Coronavirus but with the high demands and low stock in the market now, the cloth masks may be an alternative and substitute for the time being. Well, though it may not serve the maximum protection, but I think it's still better than none.

There could possibly be some misinformation circulating in the internet. We can ignore those 'unclear' information but please don't be ignorant. We should do our part to stay vigilant, read up the latest updates from reliable source and equipped yourself with more knowledge. It's always better to stay alert, be prepared and always practice good hygiene anywhere you are.

While it may seem like Singaporeans are the 'Kiasu' population, (Yea..maybe that's true) but when it comes to global health threats, I take precautions seriously and I believe it's better to be safe than sorry! 

The COVID-19 virus may last for months and during this stressful time, my heart and prayers goes out to those who are infected by the virus and families who are separated or quarantined during this global health crisis.

I hope the situation will be under control soon. The outbreak has caused so many inconvenience, tensions and anxiety globally. I hope our lives would be back to normal again, very soon...

Till then...Take good care and stay safe, Homies! 💪😷