4 ways I'm finding peace of mind during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic

当我正在接受治疗时结直肠癌大约八年前，我远离其他人，特别是大团体真的很重要。该化疗drugs I was on made me more susceptible toinfections，所以我已经在医院里有点了。我膀胱感染，肾脏感染，你叫做它。我甚至得到了一次MRSA“Superbug”。

But I was still so tired at that point that I was fine with going to bed at 8:30 every night and only getting to visit with small groups of family and close friends. I didn’t feel isolated because I was recovering. And, once my treatment was over, I was back to go, go, go. I was always busy and never at home.

该n came the2019年新型冠状病毒病，Covid-19。

社交隔离击中了我真的很难。我是一个非常社交的人，所以我不擅长独自一人。但是，即使我是我自己，我已经找到了一些方法可以让自己的身心。这是其中四个。

采取明智的措施来保护自己

我已经在承包合作的风险更高ious diseases because of everything I’ve been through. If there’s something going around, I’m usually the first person to catch it. So, I was already takingsensible precautionslike washing my hands frequently in my day-to-day life.

But if I were to get COVID-19, it would be very,非常难。一些长期影响癌症治疗already make it harder for my body to fight off an infection. I have asthma, too, so that’s a double-whammy. That’s why I do everything the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends — and then some.

例如，我一直在避开人们。一旦这种病毒成为大流行，我就开始在家工作。现在，如果我出去散步，它就在我的街区几次，避开了任何和所有人。如果我必须去别的地方，我戴手套和面膜，并带来消毒湿巾和手持洗手液。

I get my groceries delivered, and I wipe down all the containers before putting them away. When I get restaurant food delivered, I take it out of the original packaging and reheat it in the microwave. Because of the advice I got from another cancer survivor, I’ve even started dropping my keys in a separate bowl and disinfecting them before putting them back in my purse. I wash the clothes I left the house in as soon as I get home.

Some of these strategies may sound a bit extreme. But as a cancer survivor, I can’t be too careful. And this way, I know I’m doing absolutely everything I can to keep myself safe and healthy.

练习更多 - 更好 - 自我照顾

通常情况下，我没有时间做厨师或幽思。但现在，就像，“好的。这是5:30，我已经完成了工作。我不能去任何地方或做任何事情。所以，我现在该怎么办？“

我的解决方案去过网上。我对可用的自由健康支持量非常感到惊讶 - 尤其是癌症幸存者。我已经完成了瑜伽课，冥想和breathing exercises， 除其他事项外。似乎有任何小时都有现场的活动。

I’ve also been finding a lot more time to cook, which I love to do. Now, my challenge is to find recipes for the stuff I already have in my fridge or freezer. I was eating really well and working with a personal trainer before the coronavirus pandemic. So, I don’t want to eat junk. Now is not the time for me to get lazy.

One habit I haven’t changed is waking up at a normal time and putting on makeup. I feel like that’s a way of staying accountable, since I’m working from home. I feel better when I look good. And I want to look like my normal self. Besides, joining a video meeting right after rolling out of bed would not be pretty!

Deepening old relationships -- and forging new ones

一个意外的 - 和讽刺 - 社会疏散的好处是在某种程度上，它让我更接近人们。

I have one sister who lives in San Francisco, another who lives in New York City, and a brother, sister-in-law and niece who live in Tokyo. Before COVID-19 started, we only talked every once in a while. Now, we talk almost daily. We’re always checking in on each other.

I’ve also gotten to know some of my dance classmates better. I’ve been taking country western dance lessons for about a year. But that’s a very contact-driven hobby, so obviously, we can’t do it right now. Still, we all crave that connection, so we’ve started doing happy hours through Zoom where we play fun games to get to know each other better, and we plan to host a Zoom where we’ll line dance at our own homes. I’ve met kids and pets and gotten to know people better. It’s been really fun and an unexpected surprise.

My older friends and I have gotten creative in how we socialize, too. I had a coffee date recently via FaceTime. My friend and I sat and talked in just the same way we would’ve if we’d been at a coffee shop together. It was great — and not only because I feel less alone when I’m connecting with others. I wouldn’t necessarily have gotten up that early on a weekend, without anything to do or anywhere to go. But meeting up with her got me up early, and I worked out virtually right afterwards. That was exactly what I needed, because otherwise, I might’ve slept in. And one thing Idon’twant to do is use this as an excuse to be lazy.

I’ve met some new people through online tools, too. In one, someone picks a movie and we all stream it and watch it together, and communicate silently through the app. I’ve also been seeing some new faces inMD Anderson’s青少年和年轻成人计划。在其每月支持小组上网后，其他幸存者开始出现，谁也不愿意或能够亲自进入。

品尝美好时光的回忆，并期待新的回忆

最后我便一直在做维护ty is savoring good memories. I turned 40 on March 6, and I had a giant birthday party. Social distancing wasn’t a thing yet, so I got to see a lot of my friends. About 80 people came and celebrated with me. We had an amazing time that I will never forget.

Little did I know, that party would prove to be my own (and many other people’s) “last hurrah” — at least, for a little while. I created a scrapbook to remember it, then shared a collage and video montage of it on social media. Now, I’m imagining all the new memories I’m going to create, once this coronavirus is behind us.

社会疏远明天不会结束，甚至是下周。如果你沉浸在新闻中，这很容易受到沮丧，或者不要采取措施照顾好自己。但我是一个非常积极的人，这就是我计划留下的人。这就是为什么我现在正在收集所有这些策略，所以我将在道路上有很多选择 - 只要我需要它们。

Find COVID-19 resources and learn how MD Anderson is respondingto the pandemic.