Part 3
All of us are struggling with the new reality of life with COVID-19.
Here is the next post in our series of tips. We’re glad you’re taking care of yourself and our community of human and non-human animals during this uncertain time!
- Take care of basic needs and what you can control
- Maintain good sleep hygiene—try to get to bed and wake up at the same time, sleep with your phone and other screens away from your bed.
- Find ways to continue practicing compassion for yourself and others. Our online events, and other ideas below, may help.
- Stay physically active
- The Three Rivers Parks are open: biking, running, and walking outdoors is still safe! You can also do these activities around your neighborhood. Please note: If traveling to state parks outside of the Twin Cities metro, maintain social distancing practices. It is still a crucial time to limit the spread of infection across the state and country. Many smaller towns outside of the Twin Cities have much more limited capacity for medical response.
- Maintain community
- Support local small businesses. Large corporations will recover from a month or two of lost income, but small businesses may not. It’s critical here to pay attention to government actions and policies. Our friends at Reverie suggest following the Main Street Alliance. Let’s also do what we can to directly support small business owners, such as buying gift certificates for future use.
- Cook good food
- Make sure you’re taking your B12! (Read about supplementing B12 in our new issue of Twin Cities Veg Living.)
- Pursue hobbies. Here are some of Makenzie’s.
- I enjoy cooking and baking, listening to music, DIY-ing and crafting, and finding new podcasts. A current favorite is the “On Being” podcast which covers deep thinking, moral imagination, and social justice. On their website, they have cultivated a “care package” consisting of free podcasts, poetry, and meditations to help process through these uncertain times. I’ve also been repurposing items in my home and I recently downloaded the Gratitude app, which is a guided gratitude journal.
- Remember the animals
- Plan for the care of companion animals you live with if you are sick or incapacitated. If you don’t live with an animal, consider if you’re able to adopt one. Check out this great guide from our friends at the Humane Society of the United States.
Let’s think about how we can do everything in our power to benefit the well-being of all animals, human and non-human, as we move through this crisis.
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Emergency resources (for quick reference from Part 1):
- If you feel sick, follow these guidelines if you think you might have the virus. Also, know that Minnesota is waiving costs for treatment and testing for the virus for folks who are uninsured.
- If you’re not working due to the virus, apply for unemployment. Minnesota is making it easier to get unemployment payments for those not working due to the virus.
- Need food? Sisters Camelot and Second Harvest Heartland are good places to check out. Soup for You will continue to provide free to-go lunches, and regularly has vegan options.