11 minute read
COVID-19 Stress
COVID-19
By Gay Matheson, MFT
The idea that we can control life is a were then run off. We don’t have to run healthy people, he called them self-acfantasy. Our lives are a cacophony from tigers anymore. When we take on tualized. Their lives were full and satof twists and turns, ups and downs, gains stress today, emotions like anger and isfying and they experienced peace and and losses. Only when we accept that fear release those chemicals, we don’t contentment ongoingly. One characterthere are some things in life we have no run them off, and those chemicals cause istic they all had in common was they control over, can we begin to develop a havoc to our systems; mental, physical, believed everything in life happened strategy that can give us a sense of peace. and emotional. for a reason and that it served them. I Does this mean we have to endure terrible So what’s this got to do with COVIDshared this with a client once and she circumstances? Not at all, we have control 19? COVID-19 has caused people to be said, “I don’t believe that.” I queried her, over how we interpret events, and how we afraid and uncertain about the future. “If you did believe it, how do you think respond to them. Our choices will deter“Oh my God, what if this happens, what you’d approach life?” She said, “I’d probmine whether we live in heaven or hell. if that happens?” I call that “future ably find the jewels in every situation.” Remember what Shakespear said, “There tripping” and that’s a guaranteed way I replied, “Perhaps you should pretend is nothing either good or bad, but thinkto trigger those powerful chemicals you believe it” and we both laughed, the ing makes it so.” Our minds solution being obvious. By are amazing instruments, Charles Darwin said, “It is not the strongest of changing your thinking, the problem is, most people let their minds run the show. The mind is like a wild stallion, the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” you change your experience of life. Viktor Frankl, who it will drag you around like a wrote “Mans’ Search for ragdoll if you don’t know how to control we just talked about. When we are in Meaning,” endured years in the German it. Succumbing to the victim role is devsurvival mode, do we think clearly, can concentration camps. His mother, astatingly disempowering. we come up with creative solutions? father, brother and wife all died in the Studies have been conducted asking No, we diminish our ability to respond camps. He made a conscious study of participants to focus for just five minutes appropriately. Charles Darwin said, “It what kept peoples spirits’ buoyed, what on something that made them angry. In is not the strongest of the species that contributed to those that survived. just five minutes cortisol, adrenaline, survive, nor the most intelligent, but He determined that it was meaning. and histamine flooded the participants the one most responsive to change.” In Whether it was sharing the one crust bodies and could last up to three days, other words, those that deal with “what of bread they got in a day with a fellow poisoning their bodies and minds! is,” and come up with creative and conprisoner, or staying up all night with a These are powerful chemicals in our structive solutions. dying friend even though there was a systems that were useful for running Abraham Maslow was a psychotherbrutal day of work in the freezing cold away from a tiger (fight or flight), but apist in the last century who studied the next day. Though they were starving,
sometimes the men would imagine all the wonderful food they would cook in the future when they got out. Amidst the misery, they applied their minds to construct positive feelings.
So what are some of the jewels dealing with COVID-19? Here are a few ideas:
Stay in the present, don’t future trip. Are you safe now? Is everything OK now? Chances are, the answer is yes. You can deal with the future as it unfolds with a clear mind that’s not run by fear or anger, thus poisoning the body with dangerous chemicals. Staying in the present is a skill or mindset that can be learned and applied to life in general, and it improves life immeasurably. Don’t take my word for it, experiment! Most of the things we worry about never come to pass. If COVID-19 prompts you to master the skill of living in the moment without fear, that benefit will be with you for the rest of your life.
If you watch news 24/7, stop! Remember that the news is exceedingly negative, it’s designed to inflame which keeps you addicted. It’s fine to stay informed, but be careful how much you ingest. Imagine if you ate junk food everyday of the week, all day. What we ingest mentally and emotionally is every bit as important to our well-being as what we put in our mouth.
Take personal responsibility for your health, care for yourself in the way you think you should. Not only have the experts been wrong on numerous occasions, but they also contradict each other as well as themselves at different times! So, decide for yourself what you are comfortable with, knowing that everything in life is a risk. Risk assessment is your own personal responsibility. And don’t think you have the universal truth, your neighbor thinks that too even though you may be diametrically opposed. If you’re walking outside without a mask and you see your neighbor bundled up like a mummy, don’t judge. You have no idea of their fear level or if they have underlying health problems. If you’re all bundled up, don’t judge those that choose not to. Chances are they believe differently, they may believe that the immune system needs to be exposed and they are willing to take the risk. In short, use this time to develop compassion while developing the discipline of minding your own business! If you don’t feel safe going out, then stay home. If you feel safe going out, then go.
Get creative. If you choose to be housebound, create some projects for yourself, read those books you’ve been wanting to get to, spend more intimate time with those you love. COVID-19 has slowed us way down. Life can sometimes keep us so busy that it dances by without our awareness or enjoyment of it. If you can’t go to your favorite restaurant, then have a dinner party at home. If you can’t go to the gym, then get out in nature in the morning when it’s cool and go for a long walk.
Resilience is the name of the game here. Don’t be a wimp. Wimps are ruled by fear. I love the Navy SEALS because they embody resilience. They always have a game plan, but like life, often things go awry. Their great ability lies in their resourcefulness and their refusal to accept defeat or to be run by fear. Their positiveness empowers them, and that is a mindset that they have trained themselves to have. Remember, we are always choosing a mindset, whether we are conscious of it or not. Why not choose one that serves us?
Gay Matheson is a Marriage and Family therapist practicing in Palm Desert. She can be reached at (760) 250 1780.
Dive into Fun Facts About Pools
By Mark Feldstein
Since 1969, Gardner Outdoor and Pool Remodeling have immersed ourselves entirely in the pool and spa business, having now completed well over 45,000 pool remodeling and renovation projects in Southern California to date. Throughout our years in business, we’ve come across some pretty interesting, astounding and downright dumbfounding facts about pools and spas.
We thought we’d test your swimming pool trivia and share some of the most interesting ones we’ve learned along the way.
1EVIDENCE OF THE FIRST SWIMMING POOL WAS AROUND 2,000 BCE Swimming was clearly a beloved sport for the ancient Egyptians who regularly used the River Nile for practice. We have to assume their favorite event was “try not to get eaten by a crocodile.” Evidence as far back as 2,500 BCE, however, shows that noblemen had their own personal swimming pools used by princes to learn and perfect the sport.
2EXPERT SWIMMERS TRAIN FOR UP TO 35 HOURS A WEEK Do you have dreams of making it to the Olympics? Be prepared to put in some serious hours. The average high-level swim competitor will train up to five hours a day for five to seven days a week. That means they can burn around 4,000 calories a day! (Who’s up for In-N-Out?)
3THERE ARE OVER 10 MILLION SWIMMING POOLS WORLDWIDE While Southern California has probably one of the highest number of swimming pools in the United States, as it turns out, Australia has more pools per capita than any other country in the world. If we had a thousand Great Whites lurking off the coastal waters, we’d stay out of the ocean too.
4PEOPLE LOVE TO PLAY MARCO POLO The cries of “Marco!” and “Polo!” can be heard from neighborhoods across the country nearly every day. As it turns out, it’s the most popular swimming pool game, with Sharks and Minnows coming in at a close second. 5 THE TITANIC WAS THE FIRST OCEAN LINER TO HAVE A SWIMMING POOL It was also the first ocean liner to have a gym! Extra fun fact: The swimming pool is still filled.
6THE SPACE SHUTTLE’S TURBO PUMP CAN DRAIN A SWIMMING POOL IN… Though we don’t recommend trying this, the main engines’ turbo pump on the space shuttle can drain the average swimming pool in as little as 25 seconds. That’s almost as fast as Uncle Marty’s famous cannonball.
7THE FIRST KNOWN CONCRETE SWIMMING POOL WAS BUILT IN TEXAS In 1915, a pool known as the Deep Eddy Swimming Pool was built in Austin, Texas. It started as a Colorado River swimming hole, transformed into a resort during the Depression, and now is a popular swim spot operated by the city.
As you can imagine, the aforementioned Deep Eddy has undergone some serious remodeling throughout its years in operation. In fact, most pool owners renovate or remodel their pool at least once per decade, be it for safety reasons, structural reasons, or to give their pool a fresh, modern makeover.
8FREEDIVERS CAN HOLD THEIR BREATH FOR MORE THAN 10 MINUTES. Most people can only hold their breath for a few seconds. However, people with proper training can hang on for at least two minutes. Then you have freedivers, who can
hold their breath for up to 10 minutes (or more). The world record for breath-holding is 24 minutes and 3 seconds, which is currently held by Spanish freediver Aleix Segura Vendrell.
9THERE IS ENOUGH WATER IN OLYMPICSIZED POOLS TO TAKE 9400 BATHS. Olympic pools hold 660,000 gallons of water, where bathtubs can only hold 70 gallons. That’s a lot of baths.
10 THE OLDEST STROKE IS THE BREASTSTROKE. Swimming dates back to 2500 BCE and can be seen in ancient Egyptian drawings. The breaststroke goes back to the Stone Ages, but it wasn’t until 1904 when it was swam competitively at the Olympics.
11 SWIMMERS SWEAT IN THE POOL. Based on an Australian study, it was found that on average swimmers lost about 125ml of sweat for every kilometer ran. However, you more than likely won’t be aware of it because you’re in the water.
12
THE FIRST SWIMMING GOGGLES WERE MADE FROM TORTOISE SHELLS.
The first recorded version of swimming goggles was during the 14th century in Persia. It wasn’t until the 1930s when rubber goggles were created.
13 SWIMMERS USE EVERY MAJOR MUSCLE IN THEIR BODIES. Some people question whether swimming is a real sport; but did you know it’s one of the most intense sports out there? The reason is because swimming is a full body exercise. You name the muscle, swimming probably uses it.
Mark Feldstein is the Chief Financial Officer/Sales Manager for Gardner Outdoor and Pool Remodeling. Mark can be reached at (909) 374- 5520 or by email at markf@GardnerRemodel.com. Gardner Outdoor and Pool Remodeling has been serving the Southern California area since 1969. As one of only 50 licensed PebbleTec® applicators in the entire United States and the exclusive SoCal referral partner of Leslie’s Pool Supplies, Gardner Remodeling is the premier pool contractor in San Diego County, LA County, Orange County, and Coachella Valley. You can contact Dave Cole, Outdoor Consultant, at the Indio office at (760) 342-9756.
COVID Pandemic Update from CAI National
As the COVID pandemic persists, state orders are pausing and reversing openings, residents continue to urge access to community amenities, including community pools. State legislature that are still in session may be considering COVID-related legislation. Those states with legislatures that have adjourned, Governors continue to release executive orders.
PURSUE IMMUNITY FROM LIABILITY LEGISLATION/ GOVERNOR ACTION:
CAI is encouraging state Legislative Action Committees (LACs) to urge legislators or Governors to take action to provide community association boards and their managing agents with immunity related to exposure to COVID. The Utah legislature passed legislation providing general immunity and the North Carolina legislature passed legislation providing general liability AND specific immunity for HOA pool opening.
FACE MASK STATUTES/ ORDINANCES:
CAI has been tracking and publishing on our web page government actions related to COVID and community associations. These government actions (federal, state, and local) including foreclosure moratoriums, short-term rentals, pool opening requirements, opening dates/ phasing requirements, and now mask requirements. This information is updated regularly. Please share this information with CAI members and clients.
CLICK HERE!
https://www.caionline.org/Pages/statecovid19.aspx
