My Travel Experience During COVID
Although US Citizens are currently banned from about 33 countries (27 countries of the EU, Canada, Bahamas, China, Japan and New Zealand), there are countries whose borders have re-opened for visitors. Some of these countries include most of the Caribbean, Mexico, Turkey and Maldives.
Although US Citizens are currently banned from about 33 countries (27 countries of the EU, Canada, Bahamas, China, Japan and New Zealand), there are countries whose borders have re-opened for visitors. Some of these countries include most of the Caribbean, Mexico, Turkey and Maldives.
My husband and I love to travel! So needless to say when we were able to safely do so again, we were (cautiously) on board. We decided to take an early Anniversary trip to Mexico and are currently staying at Secrets The Vine Resort in Cancun.
Airport Experience In The U.S
We flew on American Airlines out of Pittsburgh into Cancun International Airport with a connection in Philadelphia. Masks were 100% required throughout all the airports and even on our flights. Moving through the airports was easy and efficient as not many people are traveling these days. Upon boarding the aircrafts, we were given goodie bags containing bottled water, a snack (pretzels) and hand sanitizing towelettes.
Tip: Travel with hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes to wipe down your seats, arm rests and tray table.
Airport Experience in Mexico
Once we landed in Mexico, we were instructed to remain seated and deplane the aircraft by row allowing a safe distance between passengers. Customs officers were more efficient than usual and wore masks and face shields. Even though there were long lines, we spent less than 15 minutes getting through immigration. Once through customs, we retrieved our luggage from baggage claim (which were off the belts and waiting) and we exited to our prepaid private transportation.
Our driver also wore a mask for the duration of our short 25 minute trip to our hotel.
Resort COVID Precautions
The resort has gone above and beyond to ensure guests feel safe. Some things that have been implemented are:
Mandatory mask requirement upon arrival/check-in
Social distancing in lobby and common areas
Luggage sanitized upon arrival before being taken to our rooms
Hand Sanitizer stations throughout the resort
Social distancing on elevators ( 2 guest limit)
Staff required to wear masks and face shields at all times
All items are covered and/or placed in sanitized packages (see images below)
Beach chairs and loungers are sprayed down (sanitized) the minute someone gets up.
No buffet services
The utilization of e-menus (must carry cell phone around to scan) versus paper menus
Luggage with sanitized seal
All drink ware covered in sealed & sanitized packages
TV Remote control covered in sealed & sanitized packages
iPad covered in sealed and sanitized packages
All drink ware covered in sanitized packages
These are only a few photos of the measures our hotel is taking. Not pictured are the sealed vanity items like body gel, shampoo, conditioner, soaps, etc.
An informative image of all the precautions all AMResorts are taking to ensure safety of all guests
Returning To The US
When returning to the US from Mexico in particular, you will be required to scan a QR code at the airport which takes you to a questionnaire. The questionnaire includes biographical information (name, date, etc), if you have experienced symptoms of COVID, the countries you’ve visited in the last 14 days and your flight information. You will not be allowed into the security check point area without filling out the questionnaire and providing the resulting QR code to the gate agent. This is their way of tracking who goes in and out of the country.
Once back in the US, airports and specifically airline carriers are not operating at full capacity and you may have a longer than normal wait time in your connecting city. Most stores and restaurants in the airports are still closed and If you’re accustomed to going to the lounges, very few are open.
If you do get the itch to travel, do your homework and take necessary precautions. Safe travels!
Keeping Our Well-Being In Check
Wellness is more than being free of illness. It’s being in total balance with your outer and inner world. This matters because everything we do and every emotion we feel relates to our well-being. In turn, our well-being directly affects our actions and emotions
Exhausted. That’s the word that came to mind as I sat to write this blog post. It’s been a little over a month since we’ve been ordered to either quarantine or practice social distancing.
When the shut down first happened I was energized - doing all the things I normally wouldn’t have time to do, I was very productive. I also had a more optimistic and positive outlook. I deeply believed through cooperation and discipline we would identify a solution and develop a level headed plan of action since “we’re all in this together.” The last couple days have been disappointing, disheartening and just sad - Here are a few things we have witnessed the past few weeks 1)protests against the stay at home order 2)hatred towards health care professionals sacrificing their lives for the greater good 3)colleagues in my profession caring more about lining their pockets than the health and safety of their fellow citizens 4)destruction of many small businesses(slowly watching as they lose all they have worked for) 5) For some having to deal with the loss of a relative or friend from the virus. The never ending barrage of inconsistent news information creates moments of optimism and despair.
It’s been tiring. But every dark cloud has a silver lining. This entire process has driven me inward toward my true self. The roller coaster of emotions created a need for release which led me to journaling more. When I needed a pick me up I made playlists and had all out jam sessions, I read more and listened to books that were positive and uplifting and began incorporating effective ways to cope with stress. This period also gave rise to the wellness section of this blog - which I have been meaning to add but never seemed to find time to introduce.
Wellness is more than being free of illness. It’s being in total balance with your outer and inner world. This matters because everything we do and every emotion we feel relates to our well-being. In turn, our well-being directly affects our actions and emotions. Therefore, it is important for us to achieve optimal wellness in order to alleviate stress, reduce the risk of illness and ensure positive interactions.
Here Are The Eight Dimensions of Wellness:
Emotional - Understanding our feelings and coping with stress.
Financial - The process of learning how to successfully manage finances, as money (or lack thereof) plays a critical role in anxiety, stress and the ability for us to care for ourselves.
Environmental - Inspires a lifestyle that is respectful to our surroundings and promotes interaction with nature on a personal level.
Intellectual - Involves open mindedness and the continuation to expand our knowledge. It encourages active participation in scholastic, cultural and community activities.
Physical - Maintaining a healthy body through eating well, resting and exercise.
Occupational - Is about enjoying occupational endeavors and encourages satisfaction and enrichment in one’s life through work.
Spiritual - Allows us to develop values that help us seek meaning and purpose.
Social - Encourages networking with peers and cultivating relationships (both intimate and platonic).
It’s no wonder most of us are out of balance, the inability to work either by quarantining or the loss of a job can affect our occupational, intellectual and even social wellness. The suspension of work creates a change in our financial wellness which causes stress and in turn affects our emotional wellness. The addition of lives being lost can also have us question our beliefs and negatively impact our spiritual wellness.
By now we have seen a myriad of guides, tips and how-to’s for getting through this quarantine period. While our occupational wellness might be off kilter there are still several ways we can maintain some semblance of balance. When I published the blog posts titled Guide to Social Distancing & Quarantine ,Coping with Stress and Balancing Productivity and Self Care, I made sure to tout practical ways to keep our health and well-being in check - such as keeping a routine, taking online courses, journaling and exercising. These all feed different aspects or dimensions of our well being that shouldn’t be ignored.
I truly hope all of you, my readers, are doing well during these tough times. Stay encouraged and find solace in knowing that we really are in this together - although it may look different for us all. We will all come out on the other side, and in some ways better than before. For words of love or encouragement,feel free to reach out below in the comments, on IG or via email.
Balancing Productivity and Self Care During Quarantine
It’s easy to separate your work life from your home life. But finding and maintaining a balance between the two can get difficult. While it may seem counterintuitive, taking breaks while working can increase productivity and creativity. It allows your mind to refresh itself after the stress and exhaustion of being “on” for hours.
As we continue to quarantine/practice social distancing and adjust to the new normal of being at home I aim to be as productive as possible. With all this newfound “free time” and not being able to work as an Orthodontist, it seemed like an appropriate time to occupy my days with things that under normal circumstances I wouldn’t have time for. Most of my time has been spent blogging, working on things behind the scenes of this platform, and taking courses on Coursera and Skillshare on a variety of topics ranging from epidemiology, entrepreneurship, and digital marketing/branding. I have also been catching up on continuing education classes, joining zoom conference meetings, working tirelessly in the candle shop (which surprisingly has gotten a lot busier since the shut down), updating (and engaging) on my social media platforms and helping to home school my niece. It has all been tiring and I found myself drained this week.
I shared this on my Candle Company’s Instagram yesterday because this is how I felt. I needed to check in with myself.
It’s easy to separate your work life from your home life. But finding and maintaining a balance between the two can get difficult. With the COVID-19 outbreak, a lot of us are working from home - which means the line between work and home has been blurred. A healthy work-life balance is important to address any stress or anxiety you may have.
I am not a parent but with the experience I have with home schooling my niece, I feel for the parents who have to balance working from home and educating their kid(s). Shortly after making my niece breakfast and getting her settled in to start her school work, my first zoom meeting began but she still required quite a bit of help. I found myself multitasking - helping her with school while trying to pay attention in my meeting. During this time her teacher called (as she does everyday) to recap the morning lesson for the day. The first zoom meeting ended and another one started just as we were scheduled to begin her science session. After my meetings, I fulfilled about a dozen orders from my candle company, ran the packages to the post office, returned home and made lunch(whew!). I was so exhausted afterwards that I ended up taking a 2 hour nap.
While it may seem counterintuitive, taking breaks while working can increase productivity and creativity. It allows your mind to refresh itself after the stress and exhaustion of being “on” for hours. Similarly, taking time away from your desk can shape you into a more well-rounded professional.
With everything going on because of the coronavirus crisis – working from home, finding new routines, and a staying up to date with all that is happening – it’s difficult not to feel overwhelmed. But that doesn’t mean we can’t handle it. Think of this as an opportunity to take control of your stress. While it may impact us all differently, it is important to manage and reduce stress to live a happier and healthier life. Stress is not limited to work, school or family. It is all-encompassing and can be both positive and negative. The best thing to do is to identify the stressors in your life and address them.
I shared this on my Instagram yesterday. At the end of the day, I was happy to have completed my tasks ,even if they weren’t done to perfection.
While accuracy and precision are crucial, perfection cannot be an expectation. Mistakes can happen and should not be something you dwell on. Instead, you should take those situations and turn them into lessons.
Today I am finding balance. I am still being productive but also keeping stress at a minimum.
These are the ways I am balancing Productivity + Self-Care:
I am taking classes on Skillshare - This is an online community of educational tools to spark creativity. Learn new skills like photography, digital marketing, calligraphy, etc. You will get your first 2 months free by using this link. Use your computer or download the app to your phone.
I am taking courses on Coursera - This is an online learning platform where you can build skills by learning from Top Universities including Yale, Harvard, Michigan, UPenn, etc. Sign up using this link. Access courses using your computer or download the app.
I like to cuddle up and relax with a great book. I am currently reading two books, The Upside of Being Down, which seems to be quite fitting for the current atmosphere, and Jessica Simpson’s Open Book which is surprisingly very good!
Taking naps - I am listening to my body and shutting it down when I feel it’s time to take a break. Besides, taking naps increases energy, helps you to be more productive and can fuel creativity.
I don’t always make it outside for a run but I try to stay active with the FitOn app. Some days I do hard core cardio and HITT and other days I take it easy and only manage to do a yoga session.
Affirmations and quotes get me through tough times. I am a big fan of Lalah Delia and currently reading her book and using affirmation cards from Starlight + Love.
Warm bubble baths and candles - At least once or twice per week, I draw a warm bath, light a candle and relax. Candle light elicits calm is soothing and has the ability to help in reducing stress (depending on the fragrance). The warm bath helps muscles to relax and stimulates blood flow.
While it may seem that there is no point in planning, I know there is a light at the end of this tunnel and so I continue to plan. I also keep myself organized by planning my daily activities: blogging, scheduling posts, meeting and conference calls.
In the spirit of transparency: This post may contain affiliate links.
Healthy Ways to Cope During Times of Stress
The COVID-19 global pandemic has affected everyone tremendously in some way or another. The seriousness of the virus has always been known but it’s very different when it hits close to home, and even though focus has been given to the physical effects (and rightfully so, with the death toll rising by the day), it goes far beyond that. This period has been very heavy - mentally, financially, physically and especially emotionally.
The COVID-19 global pandemic has affected everyone tremendously in some way or another. A close friend of my mother recently passed from the virus and it has since sent ripples through our families. The seriousness of the virus has always been known but it’s very different when it hits close to home, and even though focus has been given to the physical effects (and rightfully so, with the death toll rising by the day), it goes far beyond that. This period has been very heavy - mentally, financially, physically and especially emotionally.
In what seems like a flash, our lives have changed drastically. We have all been ordered to quarantine and/or practice social distancing, but what does this truly mean? Daily life as we know it has come to a screeching halt and we all have been trying to adjust to this new normal. Many small businesses have closed their doors, seeing years of hard work dwindle with much uncertainty of whether they will recover from this financially. The employees of said businesses have been laid off, and while the government has put together a stimulus package that will offer some temporary relief in the future,the idea of job security is no longer in place. Mothers and caregivers have had to adjust to this new normal of home schooling their children since schools are closed for the remainder of the school year - this is quite an adjustment for any child. Many children will struggle to find an equal footing in the current educational system, as the ability to have access to the internet or a computer will greatly determine which children learn and which do not.
There is growing anxiety as we try to keep our loved ones safe by taking every precaution to not contract the virus and spread it; wash the hands (frequently), clean the countertops and high touch surfaces, quarantine, social distance but don’t confuse them with self isolation (see the quarantine guide here). Going to the grocery store is nerve wracking and every cough or sneeze gives us pause. We inhale and hold our breaths and check for signs of chest pains and sit in saunas because we’re told heat/steam has an effect on the virus. All this has been unsettling and the impact has us all feeling a bit less than our normal selves.
In spite of it all, we must first find ways to cope and manage the stress of our situations. Here are a few things that I’ve been implementing that helps:
Develop and keep a routine to establish some semblance of normalcy.
Keep a Journal: Spend time with yourself and write about how you’re feeling. It’s normal to feel worried about your health, safety and that of your loved ones - If this is triggering anxiety, put it down on paper. Also practice gratitude - you are safe, healthy with a roof over your head and food to eat. Consider yourself fortunate.
Read a book or listen to music : Do things that help you to relax, this is great for your mental health. Zoning out with your favorite book or listening to your favorite podcast or music playlist will make the time go faster and help with easing anxiety.
Minimize social media and news intake: Be fair and honest with yourself about your feelings. Also, let facts inform your reactions and feelings (not fear). If the news and social media is causing anxiety or depression, consider unplugging for a day or two. If you consider that extreme, try limiting your access to credible news websites that you check once or twice per day.
Keep in touch and spend time with people you love and care about: This is important more than ever, Don’t isolate. In an effort to stay connected, you can use FaceTime to interact with family and friends or even reach out and engage to your people on social media. You can have Instagram lives, google hangouts or even start a book club.
Exercise: Keep moving. Go for a 15-20 minute walk or run outside and fill up on fresh air. When you’re inside stretch, do yoga or participate in virtual workouts.
Fill your mind with positive resources and stories to keep yourself upbeat: Daily affirmations are a good place to start. I use starlight and love affirmation cards and daily readings from Lalah Delia.
Try to keep fear and anxiety at bay and develop coping skills to manage and get through these tough times. We are all in this together. May we come out of this evolved and stronger than ever.
This article may contain affiliate links.
Guide to Quarantine & Social Distancing
We are in unprecedented times as the corona virus actively spreads throughout the nation and the world. It is normal to feel anxious in times like these, so here’s a guide to get through the next few weeks as we quarantine ourself and/ or practice social distancing.
What is The Difference Between Quarantine & Social Distancing?
According to the CDC, quarantines are meant to restrict the movement of people who may have been exposed to a contagious disease to see if they become sick. These individuals are typically asymptomatic but have either traveled to an area with an active outbreak of the virus, or have had close contact with a laboratory-confirmed case of the Corona VIRUS (COVID-19). Self-quarantining allows health officials to closely monitor the development of symptoms, if any, while preventing further transmission of the virus. Those who are asked to self-quarantine are told to stay home and avoid contact with others for 14 days.
Given concerns about the spread of the virus, many are choosing to proactively avoid public places even if they are not sick. This is what the CDC defines as “social distancing’ or the act of avoiding locations or situations where close contact with others may occur. Unlike those who have self-quarantined, these individuals have not been exposed to the virus and are simply attempting to reduce risk of infection.
What to Do if You’re Quarantined or Practicing Social Distancing
Keep a morning routine.
Wake up, take a shower and have a healthy breakfast
Simulate a morning commute and incorporate exercise
Go for a 15-20 minute walk or run outside and fill up on fresh air.
Have a dedicated Workspace
If you’re working from home, have a dedicated workspace in your house to provide for some work/life separation.
Schedule breaks in your Calendar
Try to create a schedule and stick to it like that of your normal daily routine. It can be harder to remember to step away for a breather if working from home
Be mindful
Practice gratitude. Perhaps journal and/or meditate if that’s your thing. Be mindful that our ability to work from home is a privilege millions around the world don’t have.
For my fellow healthcare providers (dentists)
Work doesn’t have to be dentistry. If you own a practice, you can focus on the business/development tasks that you’ve been putting off. Perhaps send an email blast out to patients and interact on social media to keep them engaged. If you’re an associate you can help the owner doc field questions from concerned patients and “volunteer” to cover emergencies.
Virtual Hangouts
In an effort to stay connected, use FaceTime to interact with family and friends or even reach out and engage to your people on social media. You can have Instagram lives, google hangouts or even start a book club.
DON’T Stress
Be fair and honest with yourself about your feelings. Also, let facts inform your reactions and feelings (not fear). If the news and social media is causing anxiety or depression, consider unplugging for a day or two. If you consider that extreme, try limiting your access to credible news websites that you check once or twice per day.
Listen to podcasts or playlists
Do things that help you to relax, this is great for your mental health. Have an all-out jam session. I’ve created a spotify playlist.
Wash your hands and keep surfaces Clean
It goes without saying, but as a reminder - wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water aren’t available, use an alcohol based hand sanitizer. Wipe down “high touch” surfaces, like countertops, doorknobs, phones, etc with household cleaners and wipes.