Tag: measles

7 tips to calm anxiety and worry

In 2025, with new health and economic challenges arising, such as measles outbreaks and trade wars, I revisit advice from the COVID-19 era to manage anxiety. Key strategies include limiting news consumption, naming fears, helping others, seeking support wisely, and prioritizing self-care to maintain mental well-being amidst ongoing concerns.

updated April 21, 2025

I originally wrote this post during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now in 2025 we have new but not necessarily less significant concerns.

Healthwise, measles has made a resurgence in humans. Bird flu, H5N1 flu virus, is rampant throughout animals and threatens to jump into humans.

The world is in an economic crisis due to tariffs and a trade war. And wars in the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and many other places threaten the safety and lives of millions.

So use this advice originally offered to manage pandemic anxiety to manage concerns about the world situation today. Because let’s face it, there will always be something to worry about.

The original 2020 post

Even physicians feel stressed and uneasy about the COVID-19 pandemic, maybe more so than others. We’re supposed to be the ones with the answers to our patients’ questions and have the means to help them.

One of my collagues read an article about dealing with this stress, and to decrease our stress from he shared it in an email, with some edits.

So I am sharing it here. I have added a few of my thoughts and some references, as well as a link to the original article from CNNhealth.

Limit the frequency of your updates, including social media  

With one of my patients, I suggested allowing herself one news check-in for 30 minutes each morning. 

Choose a frequency and a time that works for you.  But why stop there? 

Consider a social media sabbatical.   Give it a week and see how you feel. Taking the apps off your phone or tablet helps keep you accountable. 

diagram of the human brain.
The major parts of the brain, including the pineal gland, cerebellum, spinal cord, brain stem, pituitary gland, and cerebrum are labeled. photo courtesy of Source: National Cancer Institute Creator: Alan Hoofring (Illustrator)

Name your fears

Recognize that we all have a negativity bias hard-wired into our brains.  It’s a leftover evolutionary tool that helped keep our caveman and hunter-gatherer ancestors alive. 

Unfortunately, it overestimates the likelihood that something tragic will befall us, and underestimates our capacity and resources to cope. 

Conversely, if you minimize or ignore the threat of the pandemic, ask yourself if you should take it more seriously. If your reactions don’t match those of others in your community, your fear may have driven you to denial.

diverse people standing arm in arm

Think outside yourself: 

If/when you are feeling overly worried and anxious, and your thinking feels contracted and hopeless, turn your thoughts to how you can help someone else.

This may be a child or other family member, a group of society that is at risk or marginalized at this time, or some of the groups at higher risk due to their occupations, age, or medical conditions. 

When our thoughts turn to serving others, symptoms of worry, anxiety and depression lessen, and we feel better about ourselves. 

And this does not have to be anything big, simply shifting to focus off of ourselves and onto someone else helps.

a smiling woman working on a laptop computer
Physicians and counselors are available virtually, by phone or video visits.

Seek support, but do it wisely 

Don’t hesitate to ask for help if you need it.  And that goes for us caregivers too. 

We are not, and should not think of ourselves, as impervious to the various stressors, the disrupted routines and all of the uncertainty that is prevalent in the world right now.

Ask someone you can trust to be objective and rational, and not feed your worries or concerns. 

a basket filled with fruits and vegetables
a girl sitting in grass reading a book.
a simple bed, window shade down, small lamp on a side table
close up of walking down a road in sports shoes

Pay attention to your basic needs

Don’t get so wrapped up in thinking about the threats that you forget the essential, healthy practices that keep you physically well. 

  • Getting adequate sleep
  • Keeping up with proper nutrition
  • Getting outside as much as possible
  • Engaging in regular physical activity

Practicing mindfulness, meditation, yoga, and spiritual disciplines will  help center you in routines and awareness, and keep your mind from wandering into the dark and sometimes irrational unknown.

a women with hands clasped in prayer with a Bible

Don’t chastise yourself for worrying. 

Again, this is part of our normal programming.  And to help kids when they are scared, don’t just tell them everything is going to be alright. 

a man reading to two young girls, sitting in a woman's lap

Let them know you hear their concerns and that you understand where they are coming from.  And THEN give them evidence and reasoning for the opposite side of the worry equation.  

Acknowledge their fears, and validate them…  And then do the same for yourself.

This post was adapted from this article on CNNhealth

How to keep coronavirus fears from affecting your mental health

Thanks to my guest writer-Dane Treat, M.D.

Dr. Treat graduated from the University of Oklahoma medical school, although a couple of decades later than I did. He completed residency at Good Samaritan Family Practice in Phoenix, where he lives and practices now. He also completed a Sports Medicine fellowship. He is a student of Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction. He wisely married a Mayo Clinic trained gastroenterologist, and they are the proud parents of a daughter.

near Phoenix, at Scottsdale Arizona, The Boulders Resort; photo by Dr. Aletha
If you are depressed and thinking about or planning suicide, please stop and call this number now-988

988lifeline.org

SUICIDE AND CRISIS LIFELINE. CALL.TEXT.CHAT

Exploring the HEART of Health

Thank you for reading this post. Please follow this blog and me on social media.

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Dr. Aletha

How We Safely Worshipped in a Pandemic

Many types of gatherings are important for civic and economic well-being; religious worship has particularly profound significance to communities and individuals, including as a right protected by the First Amendment.

Reviewed August 9, 2026

in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.  In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

Ephesians 2:21-22, ESV

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

(Although this post addresses the Christian faith, I hope other communities of faith find this useful.)

update November 30, 2020

“As an association of Christian healthcare professionals, CMDA urgently requests that churches strongly consider taking their services online and cancel in-person gatherings until this current surge of COVID-19 cases passes.”

quote from “A Plea to Our Churches”, CMDA

IMG_2629.jpg
San Fernando Cathedral, San Antonio, Texas

 “Closing” our churches

Many of us have not attended a religious service in person since March 2019, when almost every activity outside our homes ceased in order to limit spread of SARS CoV-2 infection.

Unfortunately, churches were lumped into the category of “non-essential”, although we all realize how essential our religious establishments are. But in the context of a serious viral pandemic, our public health professionals believed it was necessary to prohibit all large public indoor gatherings.

Of course, the “Church” never closes; people who consider themselves the Church practice their faith in places other than a designated building-in their homes, in a park, at work, online. My local church already had an online presence so we’ve never missed a week of having teaching and prayer.

My state opened relatively early, and my church reopened soon after. They arranged the sanctuary for social distancing, performed extra cleaning, and now “require” masks. However, due to our age, my husband and I have chosen to continue worshiping from home.

St. Hedwig Church in Chicago Illinois
St. Hedwig Church in Chicago Illinois

“Reopening” our churches

The CDC, state, and local health departments have issued guidelines for reopening public facilities of all kinds, including churches, and I encourage you to consult those. A private association of Christian physicians and dentists also developed guidelines specific to the needs of churches. (Although these guidelines are directed toward those who practice the Christian faith, I believe that others can apply them to their worship practices.)

7 recommendations for church gatherings during COVID-19
7 recommendations for church gatherings during COVID-19 from the Christian Medical and Dental Associations

The Christian Medical and Dental Associations, CMDA, had a specific purpose in writing their guidelines. As stated-

Part of the mission of CMDA is to glorify God by caring for all people and advancing Biblical principles of healthcare within the Church and throughout the world.

With that in mind, CMDA has enlisted several expert members to provide guidance to church leaders as they wrestle with the problem of re-opening their services within the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Members of the association are all physicians and dentists-students, residents, clinicians, teachers, missionaries, and retired. And they are active members of churches all over the world. So they are in a unique position to consider both the needs of the Church and the needs of public health and safety.

CMDA Guidelines For Reopening Churches

  • Consider size of the area for enclosed gatherings to accommodate social distancing.
  • Offer communion using single use, prepackaged supplies.
  • For baptism, use heated and disinfected water .
  • Limit choir participants and assure adequate social distance , especially if unmasked.
  • Use extra precautions for congregational singing if not done outdoors.
  • For instruments, ensure social distance and limit sharing of equipment.
  • Social distancing, hand hygiene, and masks are recommended for all attendees.

I encourage you to follow the link to the full document which explains the reasons for the recommendations and includes links to pertinent references.

a simple white church flanked by autumn trees
a church in Talulla Falls Georgia

There is no guarantee that even with these measures COVID-19 will not occur due to transmission at a church. Ohio has had several COVID-19 outbreaks recently, many of which the Ohio Department of Health traced to bars, restaurants, churches, and day care centers. Outbreaks in other states have been linked to attendance at church events, including weddings and funerals.

the purpose of these guidelines is to provide evidence-based recommendations for Christian communities who wish to reopen safely.

Though evidence-based, however, these guidelines are not intended to replace government ordinances or health regulations and should be considered in light of local guidance which account for the community prevalence of SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 and available resources.

CMDA

The Constitution and the CDC

Does closing churches for health reasons violate the Constitution? According to the First Amendment (the first ten amendments are called the Bill of Rights)

Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; …

Amendment 1, the U.S. Constitution

I suppose it depends on your definition of “the free exercise” thereof.

  • Have we been told to renounce our faith?
  • Are we prohibited from owning or reading our Bibles and other spiritual writings?
  • Can we watch or listen to religious programs on television, radio, and the internet?
  • Can our clergy and teachers continue to preach and instruct?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

“This guidance (about church activity during a pandemic) is not intended to infringe on rights protected by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution or any other federal law, including the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 (RFRA).

The federal government may not prescribe standards for interactions of faith communities in houses of worship, and in accordance with the First Amendment, no faith community should be asked to adopt any mitigation strategies that are more stringent than the mitigation strategies asked of similarly situated entities or activities.

while many types of gatherings are important for civic and economic well-being, religious worship has particularly profound significance to communities and individuals, including as a right protected by the First Amendment.

State and local authorities are reminded to take this vital right into account when establishing their own re-opening plans. “

Here’s another post you may enjoy reading

San Fernando Cathedral

San Fernando Cathedral was founded on March 9, 1731 by a group of 15 families who came from the Canary Islands at the invitation of King Phillip V of Spain and is the oldest, continuously functioning religious community in the State of Texas.

Sharing the HEART of health

I took all of the photos in this post on vacations over several years. They are for illustration only, and do not represent CMDA or the guidelines described in this post. I am a member of the Christian Medical and Dental Associations but had no part in writing the guidelines, with which I agree.

Thank you for reading this post. Please follow this blog and me on social media.

I share information and inspiration to help you transform challenges into opportunities for learning and growth.

Add your name to the subscribe box to be notified of new posts by email. Click the link to read the post and browse other content. It’s that simple. No spam.

I enjoy seeing who is new to Watercress Words. When you subscribe, I will visit your blog or website. Thanks and see you next time.

 

FAITH LOVE HOPE- words created with letter tiles
These three remain, faith, hope and love, and greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13
Dr. Aletha